Survey of OSCE Long-Term Missions
and Other OSCE Field Activities
1. Basic Decisions
Establishment:4th meeting of the Council,
Rome, 1 December 1993, Decision I.4
Terms of Ref.:ibid.
2. Tasks
The mandate of the Mission, outlined in the Rome Council Decisions, consists of the following elements:
- maintain contact with and facilitate dialogue and confidence-building between regionalist and political forces in the country;
- actively promote respect for human rights;
- promote and monitor adherence to CSCE norms and principles;
- promote ways and means for the CSCE to assist in the development of legal and democratic political institutions and processes;
- keep the CSCE informed about further developments.
On the basis of the above mandate, the Permanent Council at its 28th meeting on 6 July 1995 decided to request the Mission to follow the human rights situation of returning refugees and internally displaced persons in Tajikistan, to draw the attention of the Tajik authorities to problems affecting to these groups with a view to facilitating their reintegration into Tajik society, and to report on this matter on a regular basis.
At its 60th plenary meeting on 29 February 1996, the Permanent Council tasked:
- the OSCE Mission to Tajikistan with offering assistance and advice to the independent Ombudsman institution and with reporting regularly on its activities;
- the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, with the assistance of the OSCE Mission to Tajikistan, with conducting a comprehensive review of the institution's accomplishments after the first year of operation of the independent Ombudsman institution and submitting a written report to the Permanent Council.
3. Deployment
The Head of Mission and one Mission member started work in Dushanbe on 19 February 1994.
The Permanent Council decision of 6 July 1995 (PC.DEC/59) provided for the opening of three branch offices, initially for a six-month period, in Kurgan-Turbe, Shartuz and Dusti. These branches opened officially on 1 October 1995.
The Permanent Council decision of 5 June 1997 (PC.DEC/170) provided for the opening of two additional branch offices. The field office in Garm began operating in May 1998. A field office in Khujand is expected to begin operating in January 2000.
4. Duration
Initially foreseen until the end of the first budget (30 June 1994). Subsequent prolongations of the mandate were decided at:
- 26th Permanent Committee meeting, 30 June 1994:until 31 July 1994;
- 28th Permanent Committee meeting, 14 July 1994:until 31 December 1994;
- 41st Permanent Committee meeting, 14 November 1994:until 30 June 1995;
- 23rd Permanent Council (PC), PC.DEC/47, 1 June 1995:until 31 December 1995;
- 45th PC meeting, PC.DEC/86, 16 November 1995:until 30 June 1996;
- 74th PC meeting, PC.DEC/126, 20 June 1996:until 31 December 1996;
- 91st PC meeting, PC.DEC/141, 7 November 1996:until 30 June 1997;
- 119th PC meeting, PC.DEC/171, 10 June 1997:until 31 December 1997;
- 141st PC meeting, PC.DEC/198, 27 November 1997:until 30 June 1998;
- 173rd PC meeting, PC.DEC/235, 17 June 1998:until 31 December 1998;
- 199th PC meeting, PC.DEC/269, 19 November 1998:until 30 June 1999;
- 236th PC meeting, PC.DEC/301, 24 June 1999:until 31 December 1999;
- 260th PC meeting, PC.DEC/323, 2 December 1999until 30 June 2000.
5. Composition
The original authorized strength of the Mission was 4 members. By a Permanent Council decision of 6 July 1995, the authorized strength was temporarily increased to 7 members. The Unified OSCE Budget for 1996 assumes the strength of the Mission to be 8 members.
At its 118th Plenary Meeting on 5 June 1997 the Permanent Council approved the augmentation of the Mission by 3 international staff members, bringing the total authorized strength to 11.
The Head of Mission (since 4 September 1998) is Amb. Marin Buhoara of Romania.
6. Financial Implications
The OSCE Budget for 2000, adopted at the 262nd Plenary Meeting of the Permanent Council on 15 December 1999, PC.DEC/331, Mission to Tajikistan: EUR 1,145,300.
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