Statement in response to the Report of the Director of the Conflict Prevention Centre delivered by Ambassador Andranik Hovhannisyan at the 1571st meeting of the OSCE Permanent[...]

Mr. Chairperson,

Armenia welcomes Ms. Kate Fearon, Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC), and thanks her for the comprehensive report.

The CPC was established almost simultaneously with the creation of the OSCE, and this was no coincidence. It reflected the Organization's core mandate to prevent conflicts and promote comprehensive and co-operative security throughout the OSCE area. Since its establishment, the CPC has served as the operational backbone of these efforts, as once again reflected in the present report. Its ability to effectively fulfil this role is therefore central to the OSCE's capacity to deliver on its mandate and to remain a relevant and credible security organization.

In this regard, we concur with the report's conclusion that, against the backdrop of increasing security challenges and declining operational resources, maintaining a flexible, responsive and adequately resourced CPC is essential to preserving the OSCE's capacity for conflict prevention and co-operative security. Like many participating States around this table, Armenia joined this Organization precisely because of this core mandate and continues to support it.

We also continue to support the CPC's work in the field of early warning and conflict prevention. Over the years, the Organization has developed a valuable toolbox for identifying emerging security threats across all three dimensions of security. Regrettably, these capacities have not always translated into timely and preventive action. While we have taken note of the fifty per cent downsizing of the Situation Room, we hope that the restructuring of its working methods will enable it to deliver on its mandate.

We attach particular importance to the CPC's programmatic engagement, which represents a tangible example of the Organization's practical contribution to stability, resilience and institutional capacity-building. While we acknowledge the important work carried out in support of, and through, the field operations, we also believe that, in accordance with its mandate, the CPC should remain actively engaged across the entire OSCE area, irrespective of the presence of field operations. There should be no blind spots on the OSCE map when it comes to the implementation of programmatic activities.

We commend the CPC for promoting technological innovation across the Organization, including through initiatives such as the OSCE Geographic Information System (OGIS) and the Information Management and Reporting System (iMARS). The CPC's contribution to the Chairpersonship's Conference on Anticipating Technologies demonstrated the breadth and depth of its work in harnessing new technologies, including artificial intelligence, and in developing innovative approaches to fulfilling its mandate. We also thank the CPC for its continued support to the Forum for Security Co-operation and the Security Committee.

We appreciate the numerous training activities, workshops and capacity-building initiatives organized by the CPC. An important measure of the Centre's effectiveness is its ability to transfer knowledge and expertise to local beneficiaries and to ensure their sustainable use by stakeholders on the ground.

In conclusion, we once again thank Director Fearon and the entire CPC staff for their dedicated work and wish every success in future endeavours.

Thank you.