OSCE chair highlights Helsinki+50 reforms, Transnistria and South Caucasus progress

Elena Waltonen, speaking as chairperson in office of the OSCE, used a Security Council briefing to outline Finland's Helsinki+50 reform agenda for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and to highlight regional conflict-settlement work.

Waltonen said Helsinki+50 discussions "have generated broad support, reinforced ownership among participating states, and produced concrete reform proposals, some already under implementation." She announced the new Helsinki Plus 50 fund that "seeks to strengthen the operational capacity of the OSCE," and reiterated that the organization has 12 field operations across its region.

On specific regional matters, Waltonen said the OSCE underlined Moldova's ownership of the Transnistrian settlement process and reminded Russia of its 1999 Istanbul summit commitment to withdraw forces and equipment. She added that the OSCE and its mission stand ready to dismantle the Khobassna Arms Depot, which she said "also poses an environmental risk to the local population." In the South Caucasus, she reported positive developments in the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan and noted consensus reached in August to close Minsk structures dealing with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Waltonen framed these initiatives as part of the OSCE's comprehensive approach to preventing conflict and emphasized that regional organizations can amplify the UN's work on international peace and security. The briefing concluded with praise for UN staff cooperation and a call to use existing OSCE principles and regional arrangements to manage disputes.