Malta at the OSCE

The OSCE – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe concluded its Annual Security Review Conference (ASRC) today 🌐. The Mission was pleased to welcome back Lieutenant Colonel, Christian Zammit Cordina, International Affairs Representative, AFM for this conference.

As part of this stocktaking exercise, 🇲🇹 Malta highlighted the following points:

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine remains the most urgent threat to security in the OSCE region. The principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-interference in the internal affairs of states are the basis of a common language that makes peaceful relations between states possible. Peace and security in the OSCE area remains aspirational as long as one participating State seeks to erase another from the map. When rules are disregarded, collective security is weakened. Amidst a paradigm shift in the nature of contemporary warfare, we called for a deeper focus on emerging technologies, including AI, and adapting arms control mechanisms.

Reaffirming the value of the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security, Malta stressed that contemporary challenges extend beyond conventional threats. Across the OSCE region, economic insecurity, social fragmentation, opportunities for youth also represent vulnerabilities. Through disinformation, information manipulation, coordinated online campaigns, and increasingly sophisticated AI-generated content, malicious actors are exploiting existing societal fault lines to deepen divisions, undermine democratic processes, and weaken social cohesion.

We also warned that women and girls continue to face discrimination and sexual and gender-based violence. Female journalists, politicians, human rights defenders are increasingly subjected to harassment, intimidation, and online abuse designed to silence their voices and exclude them from public life.

In an overarching space between war and peace, the OSCE remains a crucial platform for dialogue. Malta remains committed to rebuilding trust, strengthening resilience, and advancing the principles that make peaceful coexistence possible.

Chris Fearne
Christopher Cutajar
Francesca Camilleri Vettiger

🇲🇹 Malta was pleased to welcome Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset 🇪🇺 to the OSCE – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Permanent Council this week.

During the exchange of views, Malta highlighted the importance of continued efforts to advance justice and accountability for Ukraine, including through the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and the International Claims Commission.

We also underscored the value of cooperation and joint institutional efforts between the CoE and the OSCE in addressing shared challenges, from protecting human rights and strengthening democratic institutions to responding to hybrid threats and foreign information manipulation. In this context, we also welcomed the resumption of the high-level 2+2 meetings.

Furthermore, we reaffirmed Malta’s commitment to the timely CoE initiatives towards reinforcing democratic resilience in the face of such threats, including the New Democratic Pact for Europe, and the RESIST Project launched during Malta’s Presidency last year.

At a time of increasing pressure on democratic societies, identifying and enhancing synergies between these complementary regional organisations in support of effective multilateral cooperation is more important than ever.



Chris Fearne
Christopher Cutajar
Francesca Camilleri Vettiger
Affarijiet Barranin

Today, Malta 🇲🇹 joined 40 other participating States of the OSCE – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in invoking the Moscow Mechanism in relation to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine 🇺🇦.

This latest invocation focuses on Russia’s treatment of Ukrainian children through policies of indoctrination and militarization in Russia and in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

The Moscow Mechanism is one of the OSCE’s tools for investigating possible human rights violations across the OSCE area. Following the invocation, a group of independent experts is mandated to examine the situation on the ground and produce an objective report with findings and recommendations.

Malta remains committed to accountability, the protection of children, and support for all efforts aimed at upholding international law and human dignity.

Ian Borg
Christopher Cutajar
Affarijiet Barranin
Francesca Camilleri Vettiger

🌐Last week, H.E. Dr Francesca Camilleri Vettiger, Permanent Representative of Malta to the OSCE, and Jonathan Engerer, Deputy Head of Mission, joined Ambassadors and participants from 30 OSCE participating States to advance discussions on sustaining and strengthening the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Roadmap.

remains at the core of the mandate, outlining concrete, tangible actions for and the full, equal and meaningful participation of women across the conflict cycle - from prevention to post-conflict reconstruction.

We remain strongly committed to promoting women’s leadership and inclusion as essential pillars of sustainable peace and comprehensive security and are ready to contribute to the OSCE’s collective effort for ambitious, inclusive, and impactful WPS initiatives.

Ian Borg
Affarijiet Barranin

Malta is proudly participating in the OSCE's 26th Conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons “The Rise of Forced Criminality: Addressing a Security Blind Spot”.

H.E. Dr Francesca Camilleri Vettiger, Permanent Representative of Malta to the OSCE, took the floor to reaffirm Malta’s response to trafficking. She underlined the victim-centered approach, grounded in prevention, protection, and accountability and reaffirmed Malta‘s political commitment operationalised through the National Strategy and Action Plan on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings (2024–2030).

We welcome the 2026 Survey Report of the OSCE Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and remain firmly committed to a united, innovative, and collective response to effectively combat trafficking in all its forms.

Ian Borg
Affarijiet Barranin
Human Rights Directorate

Today the OSCE – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe 's Permanent Council welcomed 🇲🇩's Minister for Foreign Affairs Mihai Popșoi in his capacity as President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

In his address, the CM President highlighted the importance of multilateral cooperation, democratic resilience, and the protection of human rights across Europe: principles that remain central to both the and the Council of Europe.

🇲🇹 welcomed the 🇲🇩 Presidency’s priorities, which are pivotal to the maintenance of peace and security in Europe. Malta also referred to its recent CM Presidency, where Ukraine was also among the top priorities, and its pride in having presided over the landmark establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine as well as the recent signature of the Convention on the creation of a victim-centered Claims Commission for Ukraine - as crucial instruments for ensuring and .

🇲🇹 looks forward to continued cooperation and enhanced synergies between the OSCE and the Council of Europe in advancing peace, stability, and human rights protection.

On the 4th Anniversary of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism of 🇲🇹, Dr Ian Borg addressed the OSCE – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Reinforced Permanent Council Meeting, where he condemned the ongoing senseless violence and flagrant violations of international law in Ukraine.

As a founding member of the Register of Damage for 🇺🇦 under the auspices of the Council of Europe and signatory of the Convention establishing the Claims Commission, 🇲🇹 will continue to support the call for full reparation for the harm and damage caused by the war.

The Hon. DPM also welcomed the recent visits of the OSCE CiO and the Secretary General in Kyiv and Moscow and underscored the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in support of peace efforts.

Today, H.E. Dr. Francesca Camilleri Vettiger , Permanent Representative of Malta to the International Organizations in Vienna, presented her credentials to the OSCE – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Secretary General, Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu.

🤝The Secretary General welcomed the Permanent Representative, who reaffirmed 🇲🇹’s commitment to close cooperation with the OSCE, continuing the legacy of Malta’s recent Chairpersonship of the Organization. Malta continues to attach great importance to a functional OSCE as a fundamental element of European security, providing a vital platform for multilateralism and inclusive dialogue across the region.

📷 OSCE

Read more about Malta's participation at the 32nd OSCE – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Ministerial Council that was held in Vienna last week. ⬇️

At the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, organised by the 🇫🇮 Chairpersonship, 🇲🇹 actively participated in the session dedicated to the safety of journalists in the OSCE – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe region.

🇲🇹 reiterated its concern for the escalating threats faced by journalists and its commitment to strengthening democratic resilience by:

✅countering disinformation
✅advancing media and digital literacy
✅ensuring the safety of journalists

🇲🇹 recognises that meaningful change requires open, honest, and proactive collaboration with international partners & is grateful for the continued cooperation with the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media in safeguarding .

Ian Borg
Affarijiet Barranin