Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe

HC Deb 05 May 1993 vol 224 cc139-41W

Mr. Gill

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which states are in membership of the CSCE at the present time; and which of these belonged in November 1990.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

There are currently 53 states participating in the CSCE. A copy of the list has been placed in the Library of the House. This list also indicates which states belonged to the CSCE in November 1990.

Yugoslavia was suspended from participation in all CSCE activity in July 1992. The Czech Republic and Slovakia were admitted as separate countries on 1 January 1993. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was granted observer status at the committee of senior officials meeting on 28 April.

Mr. Gill

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the names and nationalities of the committee of senior officials of the CSCE.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

Meetings of the committee of senior officials are attended by representatives from each CSCE participating state, either its representative (normally an Ambassador) in Vienna or a senior official from its Foreign Ministry. The United Kingdom is normally represented by Mr. David Logan, an assistant undersecretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. By way of illustration a list of delegates at the committee of senior officials meeting in Prague from 2–4 February has been placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Gill

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the locations of all the offices of the secretariat, the committee of senior officials and all other institutions of the CSCE.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The main centre for CSCE institutions is Vienna where the following are located: the conflict prevention centre and its secretariat, the Vienna group of the committee of senior officials, the secretariat for the Forum for Security Co-operation and the secretariat facilities for the CFE treaty and open skies implementation group. The recently appointed secretary-general will also have his office in Vienna.

By tradition the committee of senior officials meets in Prague and is serviced by the CSCE secretariat there.

There are three other CSCE institutions: the CSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights is situated in Warsaw; the office of the CSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities is in The Hague; the Parliamentary Assembly of the CSCE has its office in Copenhagen.

Finally, the CSCE has resident preventative diplomacy missions in a number of conflict or potential conflict areas and sanctions assistance missions in countries neighbouring Serbia and Montenegro.

Mr. Gill

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the subsidiary working bodies, committees and structures established by the committee of senior officials of the CSCE together with the names and nationalities of their members.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The Council of Ministers of the CSCE, meeting in Stockholm in December 1992, instructed representatives of participating states to meet regularly in Vienna between sessions of the committee of senior officials (CSO). This body is now known as the CSO Vienna group.

Ad Hoc groups of all participating states may also be formed to deal with a specific task. These are then dissolved after their task has been completed. There are currently ad hoc groups dealing with the management of CSCE resources and with CSCE structures and institutions. A group will shortly be established to consider the legal status of CSCE institutions.

An informal financial committee of experts meets as and when required to review the budgets proposed for CSCE institutions and activities and to make recommendations to the CSO.