Ambassador Holland thanks Secretary General Sinirlioğlu for his presentation of the 2026 Programme Outline and reiterates the UK's strong support for agreement of a 2025 and 2026 Unified Budget.
Thank you, Secretary General, for your presentation this afternoon. Let me also thank the Fund Managers and teams responsible for developing the 2026 Programme Outline, which clearly sets out both the challenges facing the OSCE and the continued importance of this organisation's work.
The United Kingdom is fully aware that the wider context for the OSCE's work in 2026 will remain extremely challenging. A foremost priority of the organisation must be to continue to support Ukraine and to address the impacts of Russia's war of aggression, which has violated the fundamental principles of both the OSCE and the United Nations. When Russia finally agrees to stop the fighting, we must be ready to pivot and contribute to Ukraine's sustainable recovery and a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and across the region.
In this context the UK appreciates that agreeing a Unified Budget for 2026 will not be an easy task. We deeply regret that participating States have been unable to agree a budget for this organisation since 2021, and we recognise that an extended period without a Unified Budget or Post Table has impacted the organisation's ability to respond flexibly to emerging requirements. We sincerely appreciate the efforts of all OSCE staff and structures in delivering against their mandates under the most difficult of circumstances. It is vital that we - as participating States - engage constructively to find solutions to ensure the OSCE is adequately resourced and able to function effectively.
Secretary General, we will provide
