Mr. Chair, Honorable Ministers,

Madame Officer-in Charge/Secretary General Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Iceland wishes to wholeheartedly thank His Excellency, Foreign Minister Ian Borg, and the government of Malta for assuming this year’s leadership of the OSCE on very brief notice, and for successfully leading this organization through these incredibly challenging times. We particularly congratulate them on finding a consensus on the top 4 package and we remain optimistic for the remaining institutional issues. We are also grateful to the OSCE staff and personnel, and particularly to those replacing the top management of the organization ad interim. We commend their hard work, and how they have managed to keep the organization running despite the lack of budget.

Mr. Chair,

The OSCE region is experiencing heavy political turmoil, the pinnacle of which is Russia’s unprovoked and unlawful war of aggression against Ukraine. For almost three years, Russia has made a mockery of the Helsinki Final Act and the principles it upholds. By continuously violating international law and international human rights law, Russia has entrenched itself in infamy. Iceland The OSCE Secretariat bears no responsibility for the content of this document and circulates it without altering its content. The distribution by OSCE Conference Services of this document is without prejudice to OSCE decisions, as set out in documents agreed by OSCE participating States. MC.DEL/13/24 6 December 2024 OSCE+ ENGLISH only continues to gravely condemn their actions, and we will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Russia’s war of aggression is not only targeted at Ukraine, but it also violates the UN Charter and the very foundation of the OSCE and its core principles, as established in the Helsinki Final Act. We also condemn the decision by the leaders of Belarus, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and Iran for aiding and abetting Russia’s full-scale invasion. Once again, and in the strongest terms, Iceland urges Russia to respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine, cease the hostilities against its neighbour and withdraw its military forces from the territory of Ukraine. We continue to condemn Russia for the unjust detention of the three SMM members and call for their prompt release. 

Mr. Chair,

Iceland reiterates its condemnation of the relentless persecution and intimidation against Belarusians who fight for democracy and freedom and calls on Belarus to adhere to its international commitments and obligations under human rights law. Civil rights, including freedom of speech, movement, and conscience are fundamental foundations for a thriving, democratic and prosperous society. It is particularly disheartening to see the human rights situation in Belarus continue to deteriorate and we stand with the people of Belarus in their demand for democracy. It is deeply regrettable that ODIHR has not been invited to observe the upcoming elections, which will only further diminish their legitimacy. We strongly urge Belarus to ensure that an invitation will be extended to ODIHR in line with established practice in the OSCE region.

We regret the decision by the Government of Georgia to suspend their talks on European Union accession, which is yet another step away from its goal of EuroAtlantic integration. This only adds to an already worrisome regression of OSCE values in Georgia. We are saddened to see Georgia moving away from its goal of Euro-Atlantic integration. We are particularly distressed by the so-called “law on foreign agents”. Utilizing national legislation to put undue pressure on NGOs only serves to silence critical voices. This is not how a democratic society should function. Iceland wishes to see Georgia align more closely with European and transatlantic partners and we will continue to stand by Georgia in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

Mister Chair, 

Russia’s full-scale invasion and tensions in the OSCE area directly affect the work of the OSCE and its institutions. The participating States have yet to agree on a unified budget or reach agreement on the chairpersonship of the OSCE beyond Finland next year. Some participating States are acting in bad faith, holding the entirety of the organization hostage by refusing to adopt essential OSCE decisions. The participating States are mandated to take those decisions; we cannot let this situation continue unabated.

The OSCE is being pushed beyond its institutional limits, and by continuing to do so we risk crossing a breaking point. Despite these difficult circumstances, we are convinced that Finland will successfully steer us through next year – the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act – under their able leadership. Iceland will wholeheartedly support the chairpersonship of Finland, and we wish them every success in their role. We welcome the initiative of Cyprus to chair the organization in 2027 and we encourage all other participating States who are envisioning the chairmanship for 2026. We call on all participating States to constructively engage with the OSCE chair in the coming year and find the political will to resolve the institutional crisis for the benefit of the whole OSCE region. 

I thank you, Mister Chair.