Welcome back to the Permanent Council, Ambassador Braathu. Thank you for this comprehensive Report on the Mission's activities and achievements.
Your Report clearly sets out the political context for the Mission's work over the last 12 months. The UK welcomes your continued partnership with the Government of Serbia throughout this period, including your support to the drafting of legislation and inclusive policy-making. The work of the Mission is helping Serbia meet its OSCE commitments and continue on the path of reform.
The UK particularly appreciates your recent work towards increasing the transparency of the justice sector in Serbia, applying human rights standards, and detecting and addressing potential cases of mistreatment. We recognise the support you are giving to Serbia's government to strengthen their capacity to tackle corruption, including through targeted training sessions, workshops and conferences - in close cooperation with Serbia's Agency for the Prevention of Corruption. The UK also attaches high importance to work supported by the Mission towards preventing trafficking in human beings, including through training to staff of social welfare centres and shelters in identifying victims of trafficking.
Ambassador Braathu, your Report notes the continued polarisation of the media environment in Serbia, and the threats faced by journalists. We welcome the Mission's important advocacy and support in this area - including on improving labour rights of people working in the media sector, raising professional standards and assisting the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists in analysis of safety risks and challenges.
The UK particularly appreciates your work in mainstreaming a gender and youth perspective across all areas of Mission activity, as well as assisting Serbia's Ministry of Justice in the development of its Gender Analysis and approach to gender-responsive budgeting. We are pleased to note from the Report that 78% of the Mission's projects in this reporting period received the highest gender marker scores, and 72% received the highest youth marker scores.
Mr Chair, unfortunately yet again it is necessary to point out the negative impact the continued non-agreement of the Unified Budget is having on the work of OSCE field missions. Continued uncertainty over budgets is leading to cancelled programmes and staff attrition. It is high time that those participating States who have obstructed agreement on the Budget look beyond a narrow national focus, and ensure all OSCE institutions have the funding they need.
Finally, Mr Chair, the UK is acutely aware of the recent increase in tensions between Serbia and Kosovo. The UK calls for the immediate release of the three Kosovo Police officers detained on 14 June. The governments of Serbia and Kosovo must exercise maximum restraint, avoid unilateral actions and take steps towards de-escalation immediately. We have reiterated our calls on the Government of Kosovo to ensure that elected mayors carry out their transitional duties from alternative locations, and that Special Police units are withdrawn from the vicinity of municipal buildings. New, inclusive elections should be announced as soon as possible - in which we expect and encourage Kosovo Serbs to participate. We expect Kosovo and Serbia to re-engage constructively in the EU-facilitated Dialogue, and in particular to start work without further delay to establish an Association of Serb Majority Municipalities.
Ambassador Braathu, I would like to thank you once again for your leadership of the OSCE Mission to Serbia during this reporting period, and wish you and your team success in your work over the coming year. You have our full support.
Thank you, Ambassador Braathu. Thank you, Mr Chair.
