Azerbaijan and Tajikistan - the countries with the worst press freedom records in the OSCE region (apart from Turkmenistan) - have succeeded in blocking the reappointment of @harlemdesir as @OSCE_RFoM. Shameful.

A short thread. https://twitter.com/norwayosce/status/1281535897788456961

Azerbaijan has had a long and complicated history with the OSCE, but this is its most disruptive behaviour yet. It’s not just a question of @harlemdesir’s personal reappointment - they’ve now effectively shut down the @OSCE_RFoM office until the mandate-holder can be replaced.

This may be far from over. Because everything is done by consensus at the OSCE, the @OSCE_RFoM can only be appointed by consensus. It remains to be seen whether Azerbaijan will allow another candidate through, or effectively block this mandate going forward.

The work of the @OSCE_RFoM is absolutely crucial to the protection of media freedom across the OSCE’s 57 member states - especially in the worst offenders, including the two states that have now blocked @harlemdesir’s reappointment. They can now effectively evade OSCE scrutiny.

This in turn undermines the very values on which the OSCE was founded. Azerbaijan has form for this, having behaved similarly disruptively at the Council of Europe for years. How long will these institutions allow themselves to be hijacked by states that don’t share their values?

I wrote my MA dissertation on this, when Kazakhstan took chairmanship of the OSCE - a turning point, with member states for the first time allowing a country with a poor human rights record to lead the organisation in favour of other interests. Now here we are 10 years later.

Nothing left to add but my personal thanks to @harlemdesir, who did an outstanding job in his 3 years as @OSCE_RFoM. The fact that he has been targeted in this way is only a testament to his effectiveness in the role. Thank you, Harlem. Wishing you the best in your next steps.