Home About this Mission USOSCE Statements Public Affairs Employment Links 15th OSCE Ministerial Council The 15th OSCE Ministerial Council was held in Madrid, Spain on November 29-30, 2007. The Ministerial Council is the central decision-making and governing body of the OSCE. At the Ministerial Council, the Foreign Ministers of OSCE participating States review and assess the activities of the Organization. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns, head of the U.S. delegation, acknowledged the accomplishments of the OSCE in achieving a democratic peace in Europe since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. But he stressed: "The very commitments that are the mortar, the glue that hold us together, are being eroded in some parts of the OSCE region. In our view, this is not time to retrench in our commitments, but rather a time to recommit and press ahead". November 29 • Intervention to the 15th OSCE Ministerial Council As delivered by Under Secretary Nicholas Burns November 30 • Final Statement at the OSCE Ministerial Council As prepared for delivery by Ambassador Julie Finley Press Conferences with Under Secretary Burns • Nov. 28: Transcript • Nov. 29: Transcript • Nov. 30: Transcript Press Release, Nov. 29 • OSCE Minsk Group Statement on Nagorno-Karabakh Photo Gallery of the 15th OSCE Ministerial Council Decisions adopted at the 15th OSCE Ministerial Council • Decision on OSCE engagement with Afghanistan • Decision on tolerance and non-discrimination: promoting mutual respect and understanding • Decision on combating sexual exploitation of children on the Internet • Decision on combating trafficking in human beings for labour exploitation • Decision on protecting critical energy infrastructure from terorist attacks • Decision on public-private partnerships in countering terrorism • Decision on the follow-up to the fifteenth Economic and Environmental Forum: water management • Decision on the time and place of the next meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council • Decision on Forwarding of Draft Documents to the Ministerial Council • Decision on OSCE Chairmanships in 2009, 2010 and 2011 • Decision on the Extension of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media • Decision on the Appointment of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Documents adopted at the 15th OSCE MC • Ministerial statement • Ministerial statement on supporting the UN global counter-terrorism strategy • Madrid Declaration on environment and security • Ministerial Declaration on the OSCE Partners for Co-operation • Spain Chairmanship’s Food for Thought Paper on the Outcome of the Madrid Ministerial Council About the OSCE Ministerial Council Learn more about the United States Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe • 2007 Ministerial Council website • Past Ministerial Councils • About Ministerial Councils • About the OSCE U.S. Interventions at previous OSCE Ministerial Councils • 2006 - Brussels, Belgium • 2005 - Ljubljana, Slovenia • 2004 - Sofia, Bulgaria • 2003 - Maastricht, The Netherlands • 2002 - Porto, Portugal • 2001 - Bucharest, Romania This website is maintained by the Public Affairs Office. Links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein. Home · Contact · Disclaimer · Sitemap · Search