VIENNA, 13 January 2022 – Poland’s Chairmanship of the OSCE in 2022 intends to promote and advance the rational, smart and flexible use of the OSCE’s unique tools and negotiation formats. “We need to reinvigorate the debate about European security. Let us start a process that will help us to uphold the Helsinki principles in full conformity with international law,” OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Zbigniew Rau said in his address to the Permanent Council in Vienna today.

The Chairman-in-Office, stressing Poland’s Chairmanship core approach, said:  “We do not always have to be faced with negative scenarios as long as we recommit our work and our priorities to the United Nations and Helsinki founding principles, which are universal and irreplaceable.”

Minister Rau also highlighted that the Polish Chairmanship will focus on presenting initiatives to improve understanding and ease tensions in the OSCE area. “The OSCE project in its current state, with its norms and available tools, demands our proactive and positive approach. Our focus will be on improving the quality of debate in a steadily deteriorating atmosphere,” said Rau.

He underlined the need to pay special attention to improving the security situation in the OSCE area, particularly by contributing to finding peaceful solutions to regional and protracted conflicts.

“It is time to put humanitarian consideration into the centre of our attention. Behind every protracted conflict there are people that suffer the most,” said Rau, emphasizing the Chairmanship’s priority of supporting societies in conflict areas, with special attention to vulnerable groups.