Thank you, Mr Chair.
I would like to welcome the Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia to the Permanent Council for the first time. Welcome, Carolina, and thank you for this comprehensive Report on the Mission’s activities and achievements.
Your Report clearly sets out the political context for the Mission’s work over the last 12 months. The UK welcomes your engagement with the Government of Serbia throughout this period, and the Mission’s continued focus on democratic governance, rule of law, media freedom and minority rights.
We are closely following ongoing protests in Serbia, which have been largely peaceful and well-policed. We commend the police for their professionalism but note with concern some recent reports of excessive force. As the Foreign Secretary made clear in his visit in April, it’s important that all action is proportionate, legal, and upholds fundamental rights.
The UK welcomes the engagement of the OSCE Mission in support of media reforms and journalist safety. We share the concerns set out in your report about the delays in media law reforms and the concerning number of attacks against journalists. We thank the Mission for its proactive role in the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists.
We regret that Serbia was not able to re-elect a new Council for its Electronic Media Regulator (REM) in line with the 2023 Law on Electronic Media. We are grateful for the ongoing work of the Mission, and personal involvement of the OSCE’s RFOM in ensuring the current selection process is inclusive, and hope that a new, more effective, Council can be formed swifty.
The UK also particularly appreciates the Mission’s continued commitment to mainstreaming a gender equality perspective across all areas of Mission activity. We also thank the mission for its work on improving the representation of minority communities in public institutions, especially the Police, where the Mission’s work has resulted in key improvements to the selection process.
The UK urges both Kosovo and Serbia to engage constructively in the EU-facilitated Dialogue and to deliver on their existing commitments. We also underline the importance of ensuring justice and accountability for all acts of violence. We continue to call on Serbia to cooperate fully with efforts to hold to account those responsible for the 2023 Banjska attacks.
Mr Chair, we regret that it is again necessary to underline the negative impact the continued non-agreement of the Unified Budget is having on the work of OSCE field missions, including through cancelled programmes and staff attrition. We again urge all participating States to engage constructively with budget proposals and ensure field operations have the resources they need to effectively deliver their mandates.
Acting Head of Mission, I would like to thank you once again for your leadership of the OSCE Mission to Serbia during the last 7 months. I wish you and your team success in your work over the coming year.
