NEW YORK CITY, 19 April 2024 – The United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe are mutually reinforcing institutions, each playing a complementary role in the pursuit of peace and security, said the OSCE Chair-in-Office, Malta’s Foreign Minister Ian Borg, in his address to the UN Security Council.

2024 represents a high-water mark for Malta and its longstanding commitment to multilateralism. Its dual role as OSCE Chair and an elected member of the Security Council provides it with a unique vantage point to advocate for and enhance the co-operation between the OSCE and the United Nations.

“You can be assured that we will stay the course and do our utmost to reinforce the collaboration between the UN and the OSCE, both with regard to policy and operational implementation,” affirmed Minister Borg, noting how it was under Malta’s leadership that the OSCE became a regional arrangement under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter in 1992.

He emphasized the Maltese Chairpersonship’s commitment to uphold a consistent and principled stance, based on the collectively agreed norms of the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris, leveraging the OSCE as a forum for holding accountable those who violate these principles. “This is why we must and will keep Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, at the top of the agenda,” he stated.

The Chair-in-Office urged all members of the international community to support all efforts to secure the immediate and unconditional release of the three OSCE officials who are being unjustly detained in Donetsk and Luhansk.

Reflecting on the challenges facing the international rules-based order, Minister Borg conveyed a message of resilience and action. The Chair-in-Office added that “these testing times, while difficult, should not breed despair nor resign us to inaction”, calling for a move beyond support for the cause of multilateralism towards a tangible commitment to effective and sustainable engagement.

Outlining the Chairpersonship’s priorities across the three dimensions, Minister Borg underlined that “Malta’s approach is fundamentally driven by the goal of enhancing stability and building trust within the international system.”

This strategic focus of the Maltese Chairpersonship reflects a steadfast commitment to ensure the OSCE remains an effective organization that strengthens resilience and enhances security across the entire region.