Page 422 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International

the International Organization for Migration, as well as the High Commission-
er for Human Rights and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. In our
most recent meeting in February, the European Commission also attended.

These meetings are more than a general talking shop - each year we now
take the opportunity to consider one or two issues which are of concern to us
all. These target-oriented meetings make the Tripartite process of practical
value to all those involved. In February we took the opportunity to focus on the
issue of 'peace and stability in south-eastern Europe’ with an additional
meeting on the subject of Police-training and law enforcement. In previous
years the issues we have discussed include the Judiciary, Albania, and the
Caucasian Republics.

The tripartite meetings are a good example of how Europe's interlocking
institutions work actively together to promote stability and security across the
continent. As I have said these institutions have much in common - they share
many of the same member states and they share the same values and goals. But
their collective differences are just as important in forming a comprehensive
security web. The EU reflects the interests of Western Europe, the Council of
Europe, the whole continent; the OSCE Europe, North America and parts of
Central Asia: the United Nations embraces them all. It is through
this consortium of the UN and regional organizations that tomorrow's
conflicts will be mediated, alleviated, and where possible, prevented.

Sub-Regional institutions

Beyond the institutional level, those involved in the tripartite process are
working closely, implementing their mandates alongside one another in the
field — and this is something I will discuss this presently. Before I do so I
would like to mention something about sub-regional organizations because
real security can only be achieved if at the sub-regional level there are
institutions which harbour the joint interests of neighbouring states. These are
many and varied in Europe. Just as important as the regional organizations to
European Security are the sub-regional organizations which provide the
smaller but by no means less significant, building blocks in European Security
and Stability. Most of the sub-regional groups in Europe emerged at the end of
the Cold War. Although diverse, they have key features in common. They are
all based on geographical proximity, history and economic interdependence. I
will mention just three of them.

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