Documents

Decision by the Regional Table

Preamble

The Stability Pact in its Annex (A) provides that the SEE Regional Table will carry forward the Stability Pact by acting as a clearing house for all questions of principle relating to the substance and implementation of the Stability Pact as well as a steering body in the Stability Pact process. It also states that the SEE Regional Table will provide guidance to the Working Tables. Moreover, in the Sarajevo Summit Declaration (Para 13) the Heads of State and Government have expressed the expectation for the SEE Regional Table to establish an effective coordination framework for the Pact´s activities,

The Stability Pact in its Annex (E) calls for establishment of the chairmanship of the Working Tables by the SEE Regional Table. The Stability Pact in its Annex (F) provides that Tables could take place either in rotation in the countries of the region or at the invitation of individual countries or of the European Union or in Vienna, at the venue of the Permanent Council of the OSCE.

The Stability Pact in its Annex (C) provides that each Working Table will decide, as appropriate, whether the establishment of sub-tables, comprising the participants and facilitators, will be necessary. The Stability Pact in its Annex (F) provides that the location and timing of the individual Working Tables should be arranged to facilitate, to the extent possible, the attendance of participants who may take part in more than one Working Table, without excluding that different Tables develop their own dynamics. In the Sarajevo Summit Declaration (Para 13), the Heads of State and Government have supported convening the meetings of the Working Tables within one month after the Regional Table meeting at dates and locations to be decided at the Regional Table.

The SEE Regional Table, after its inaugural meeting in Brussels at the invitation of the Presidency of the European Union, will alternate the venue of each meeting, at the invitation of the Special Coordinator, in Brussels and in Thessaloniki. The Chairmanship of the Working Tables and eventual sub tables should assure high professional expertise as well as broad involvement of interested countries, in particular the countries of South Eastern Europe.

The Regional Table, upon the proposals presented by the Special Coordinator, has taken the following Decision:

1. The Chairs of the Working Tables shall be individuals with high professional expertise in the particular fields who will hold office for two years. The SEE Regional Table will decide upon replacement in case of an early vacancy.

Initially, the Co-Chairs of the Working Tables shall be on a six month rotating basis, in the order of Para 1 of the Stability Pact, starting after the inaugural meetings of the Working Tables the countries listed below. These countries will, in cooperation with the Special Coordinator, choose individuals with high professional expertise in the particular fields. In case of early vacancy the respective country, in cooperation with the Special Coordinator, will decide upon replacement.

Accordingly, the Chairs and Co-chairs of the Working Tables shall initially be:

a) Working Table on Democratisation and Human Rights

Chair: Max van der Stoel (OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities)
Co-Chair: I.I.2000 - Hungary I.7.2000 - Romania I.I.2001 - Slovenia

b) Working Table on Economic Reconstruction, Development and Cooperation

Chair: Fabrizio Saccomanni (Director General for International Affairs, Central Bank of Italy)
Co-Chair: I.I.2000 - the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia I.7.2000 - Turkey I.I.2001 - Albania

c) Working Table on Security Issues

Chair: Jan Eliasson (State Secretary, Foreign Ministry of Sweden)
Co-Chair: I.I.2000 - Bosnia and Herzegovina I.7.2000 - Bulgaria I.I.2001 - Croatia

2. The meetings of the Working Tables shall, with the exception of the inaugural meetings, be held regularly in the country which holds the Co-chair of the particular table. They may also be held at the invitation of individual countries or of the European Union or in Vienna, at the venue of the Permanent Council of the OSCE.

The inaugural meetings of the Working Tables, at the invitation of the Presidency of the European Union and the host country in close cooperation with the Chairmanship of the Working Tables and the Special Coordinator, shall be held in Switzerland (Working Table on Democratisation and Human Rights), Italy (Working Table on Economic Reconstruction, Development and Cooperation) and in Norway/OSCE Chair-in-Office (Working Table on Security Issues). The host countries will co-chair these meetings. The inaugural meetings of the Working tables shall take place in October 1999. The Working Tables will meet thereafter periodically, according to need and at least bi-annually.

3. The Working Tables shall decide in the light of the work to be carried out whether sub tables shall be created and meet according to their own schedule. As a rule, such sub tables shall follow the grouping of issues as laid out in the Stability Pact (paragraph C of the Annex). The sub tables will schedule their meetings so as to enable them to report to and consolidate their work at the Working Tables.

The cultural dimension of the stabilisation process shall be included in the agenda of the Working Table on Democratisation and Human Rights and therefore in the agenda of the relevant sub table, if created.