Report

From 13 to 15 October 2013, a delegation of five Canadian parliamentarians attended the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Autumn Meeting in Budva, Montenegro. Mr. Dean Allison, M.P., led the delegation, which included from the Senate the Honourable Senators Ghislain Maltais and Paul Massicotte and from the House of Commons the Honourable Hedy Fry, M.P., and Mr. Bob Zimmer, M.P. The delegation was accompanied by Alexandre Roger, Delegation Secretary, and Erin Shaw, Advisor.

Overview of the OSCE and Its Parliamentary Assembly

Established in 1975 as the “Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe” (CSCE), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) was given its current name at the Budapest Summit in December 1994. The OSCE participating countries, currently 57 in number,[1] are “all the European states, the United States and Canada.”[2] The OSCE maintains special relations with eleven other states from the Mediterranean area and Asia, referred to as “Partners for Cooperation.” The organization is a primary instrument for early warning, conflict prevention and crisis management. It is also recognized as a regional arrangement under chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, which requires that participating UN Member States “make every effort to achieve pacific settlement of local disputes through such regional arrangements or by such regional agencies before referring them to the Security Council.”[3] However, the OSCE is not an international organization in the strict sense of international law and its resolutions are not legally binding on the signatory countries.

The OSCE’s 2013 budget was €144,822,600 million, a decrease from the 2012 budget of €3.23 million. Approximately 62% of the OSCE’s budget was dedicated to 17 field missions and other field activities in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia. In 2013, the OSCE employed approximately 2,570 individuals, the vast majority of whom were assigned to field missions. Approximately 20% of the OSCE employees were seconded by the participating states.[4]

A.   An Inclusive, Global and Cooperative Approach to Security

The OSCE’s unique character derives from its composition, which enables the United States and Canada to participate as full members in an organization that addresses European issues. The OSCE favours inclusive dialogue over selective admission. This enables it to keep communication channels open on key security issues between Western democracies and countries with less exemplary democratic records. It also promotes exchanges between the European Union, Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan) and Mongolia that are not members of the Council of Europe. Whereas the foremost goal of the Council of Europe is to promote and defend democratic development and human rights, and to hold member governments accountable for their performance in these areas, the OSCE aims to foster the development of an expansive, conflict-free geographic area – from Vancouver to Vladivostok – and aims to foster democratic principles in participating states.

The OSCE’s resolutions and activities stem from a comprehensive understanding of security that extends beyond the political-military model. In the Charter for European Security, adopted at the November 1999 Istanbul Summit, the heads of state and of government of the participating countries agreed to “address the human, economic, political and military dimensions of security as an integral whole.”[5] All forms of peaceful cooperation between the participating countries are considered as having the potential to reduce the risks of conflict in the region. The OSCE’s cooperative approach is confirmed by the fact that all 57 states have equal status. Decisions are made by consensus rather than majority vote.[6]

B.   Operational Capacity

After the end of the Cold War, the OSCE developed its institutions and operational capacities in response to particular and often urgent needs, and not as a long-term strategic plan. The 1990 Charter of Paris for a New Europe laid the foundations for the OSCE’s institutional framework.

Field activities account for roughly two thirds of the OSCE budget.[7] The fact that it has no missions in Western Europe or North America is a point frequently raised by the Commonwealth of Independent States to argue that, although it claims to be cooperative and egalitarian, the OSCE applies a double standard in its relations with the participating countries. The OSCE’s reply is that its operations stem from commitments made in a consensual manner and at the invitation of the countries themselves. The six OSCE missions in southeast Europe account for approximately half of the organization’s budget.

The OSCE is led by a rotating “chairman-in-office” selected to serve a one-year term from among the foreign ministers of the participating countries. As the organization’s senior diplomat, the chairman‑in‑office is supported by the Secretariat and its Secretary General who are based in Vienna.

On 1 January 2013, Ukraine succeeded Ireland as the chair of the organization. Mr. Leonid Kozhara, Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, served as Chairman-in-Office. Switzerland took the chair on 1 January 2014, and will be followed by Serbia in 2015.

Italy’s Lamberto Zannier has served as OSCE Secretary General since 1 July 2011. He succeeded France’s Marc Perrin de Brichambaut who served as OSCE Secretary General from 2005 until 2011.

C.   The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) is the parliamentary dimension of the OSCE. It was created by the OSCE (at that time the CSCE) in 1991 following the call set out by the participating States in the 1990 Charter of Paris for a New Europe. Its primary purpose is to facilitate inter‑parliamentary dialogue on issues facing the participating states and to issue recommendations for their own governments, parliaments and citizens concerning the OSCE’s three spheres of action. Among its objectives are:

·         to assess the implementation of OSCE objectives by participating states;

·         to discuss subjects addressed during meetings of the OSCE;

·         to develop and promote mechanisms for the prevention and resolution of conflicts;

·         to support the strengthening and consolidation of democratic institutions in OSCE participating States; and

·         to contribute to the development of OSCE institutional structures and of relations between existing OSCE Institutions.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is organised according to three General Committees, representing the three “baskets” of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act and the areas of focus of the OSCE: the First General Committee on Political Affairs and Security; the Second General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment; and, the Third General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions.[8] Its work is also carried out by way of ad hoc committees, working groups, and special representatives and envoys. The Parliamentary Assembly also plays a key role in observing elections in the OSCE region and regularly sends parliamentary delegations on field missions.

The Parliamentary Assembly is managed by a Bureau and a Standing Committee. The Bureau comprises a president, nine vice‑presidents, a treasurer, the chair, the vice-chair and rapporteur for each of the three General Committees, and the president emeritus. The Bureau is responsible for ensuring that the decisions of the Standing Committee are carried out and takes decisions by majority vote. The Standing Committee of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly comprises the members of the Bureau and the 57 heads of delegation of the participating states. The Standing Committee guides the work of the Assembly, approves its budget and appoints the Secretary General. It uses the “consensus minus one” rule when voting on decisions, except in the case of the appointment of the Secretary General, which is done by a majority vote.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is administratively supported by the Secretary-General and the Secretariat who are located in Copenhagen. These administrative support structures were established and became operational in January 1993, soon after the creation of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

Today, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly comprises more than 300 parliamentarians who are appointed by their respective parliaments. Observers of the Assembly include parliamentarians from the OSCE’s Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia) and Asian Partners for Co-operation (Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Afghanistan), and representatives from other parliamentary assemblies and security organizations, such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Since its first Annual Meeting in Budapest in July 1992, members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and representatives of the Partners for Co-operation have convened several times a year to carry out the mandate of the Assembly. The Assembly itself meets in plenary at the Annual Session held in July and hosted by the parliament of a participating State. The Annual Session is the most important event in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly calendar where the Assembly debates a number of OSCE matters and resolutions, receives reports, adopts the Session’s declaration, and elects its officers.

The General Committees meet at the Annual Session to debate and adopt resolutions, and elect Committee officers. The General Committees also convene jointly and separately at the Winter Meeting in February in Vienna, where the OSCE’s headquarters are located, to discuss and debate issues of importance, receive briefings by senior OSCE officials, and hear presentations by the Rapporteurs on their draft resolutions for the upcoming Annual Session. At the Fall Meetings in September, also hosted by the parliament of a participating State, the Assembly in plenary holds a conference on a topical issue. The Bureau meets at the Annual Session as well as in April and December. The Standing Committee meets at the Annual Session, the Fall Meetings, and at the Winter Meeting.

The OSCE PA also convenes to discuss more specific topics either on the margins of these regular annual meetings or at other times. For instance, the Parliamentary Forum on the Mediterranean is held during the Fall Meetings of the OSCE PA, and the Economic Conference is hosted by the parliament of a participating State typically every second spring (although no such conference is scheduled for 2014).

The OSCE PA is highly active in election monitoring, having observed over one hundred presidential and parliamentary elections in the OSCE region since 1993. It cooperates with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in its election observation missions. Canadian parliamentarians have participated in many of the OSCE PA election observation missions, including the 2012 parliamentary election in Ukraine, the 2010 presidential election in Ukraine, the 2010 parliamentary election in Azerbaijan, the 2009 parliamentary election in Moldova, and the 2009 presidential election in Kyrgyzstan.

The Assembly’s budget covers most of the organizational expenses related to the Annual Session, Winter Meeting, Fall Meetings, Standing Committee and Bureau Meetings, official visits, the election observation programme, as well as the costs of the International Secretariat. Host parliaments of the Annual Sessions contribute significantly by providing considerable support. The Secretariat’s office facilities are provided free of charge by the Danish Folketing.

The PA’s budget is approved at the Annual Session. At the 2013 Annual Session in Istanbul, the Standing Committee unanimously approved a 4.9% increase in the budget, the first budget increase in three years. The 2013–2014 budget, therefore, is €2.996 million. For 2013–2014, Canada’s budgeted contribution is €165,679 (approximately C$227,563).

Mr. Ranko Krivocapic (Montenegro) was elected President of the Assembly at the 2013 Annual Session in Istanbul. President Krivocapic replaced interim President Wolfgang Grossruck (Austria) who had assumed the presidency for four months following former OSCE PA President Riccardo Migliori’s (Italy) defeat in Italy’s most recent elections. Spencer Oliver (United States) has served as secretary general since January 1993. The Hon. Hedy Fry, M.P. (Canada) was appointed by the OSCE PA President in October 2010 and continues to serve as the President’s Special Representative on Gender Issues. 

2013 AUTUMN MEETING[9]

From 13 to 15 October 2013, parliamentarians from across the OSCE area, together with parliamentarians from Mediterranean Partner for Cooperation states (Israel, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco) met in Budva, Montenegro for the 2013 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Autumn Meeting. The program included a Mediterranean Forum, a Parliamentary Conference on the topic of “Addressing Transnational Threats and Protecting Human Rights: The Role of the OSCE,” and a meeting of the OSCE PA Standing Committee.

The meetings began with addresses from the Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and OSCE PA President and President of the Montenegrin parliament, Ranko Krivokapic. President Krivokapic encouraged parliamentarians to participate actively in the OSCE’s “Helsinki +40 Process,” which aims to strengthen the organization by enhancing cooperation between participating states and fully implementing the OSCE commitments across the OSCE’s three dimensions of security: political/military, economic/environmental and human. He stressed that countering transnational threats requires cooperation between states and across cultures. Nevertheless, he reminded parliamentarians that respect for human rights is fundamental to upholding security.

A.   MEDITERRANEAN FORUM

OSCE PA President Krivokapic opened the Mediterranean Forum, in an address highlighting the importance of multiculturalism and the need for religious tolerance. Reflecting on his own experience in the former Yugoslavia, President Krivokapic expressed his belief that sustainable democratic change in the wake of the Arab Spring requires dialogue and cooperation between diverse populations. Mr. Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, gave a keynote address, emphasizing the primacy of human rights and the rule of law. In his address, Mr. Mignon noted that parliamentary diplomacy could contribute a valuable perspective in efforts to encourage democratic reform in North Africa and the Middle East.

Parliamentarians from a number of countries, as well as representatives from the Palestinian National Council, intervened in the ensuing debates on the topic of “The Mediterranean: A Union of Civilizations” and in an open debate on the situation in Syria. During the debate on Syria, which was introduced by Mr. Igor Luksic, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, parliamentarians condemned the use of chemical weapons and welcomed the work of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in Syria. Other interveners also emphasized the need to protect the human rights of individuals in Syria regardless of religion or ethnicity, as well as the need for countries around the world to share the burden of the humanitarian crisis caused by the conflict.

Activities of the Canadian Delegation:

The Mediterranean Forum was attended by all members of the Delegation.

The Honourable Senator Ghislain Maltais intervened during the open debate on the situation in Syria. In his remarks, the Senator stressed the need to ensure that all countries contribute to managing the humanitarian crisis in Syria, including by granting asylum to Syrian refugees. He expressed his concern at the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime in Syria and reiterated the importance of achieving a political solution to the conflict through full implementation of the 2012 Geneva Communiqué.

The Hon. Hedy Fry, M.P. also intervened in the debate to draw the attention of delegates to the importance of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. She discussed the effects of the Syrian crisis on women and girls, as well as the need to ensure that women are represented in any peace negotiations.

B.   Parliamentary Conference on Addressing Transnational Threats and Protecting Human Rights: The Role of the OSCE

President Krivokapic opened the Parliamentary Conference, stressing the importance of the OSCE in efforts to combat transnational threats and protect human rights. In particular, the president highlighted the contribution of OSCE field missions in this regard. The Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milo Dukanovic, gave the keynote address. In his remarks, the Prime Minister noted the importance of the Helsinki +40 process for renewal of the OSCE and as a way to make the organization more effective. He argued that transnational threats should be dealt with in a manner that is consistent with the OSCE’s comprehensive security framework, including the need to respect human rights.

Session 1: Countering Terrorism and transnational threats in the OSCE area and respecting Human Rights

The first session of the parliamentary conference began with a panel discussion chaired by OSCE PA Vice-President Alain Neri (France). The panel was made up of: Mr. Alexey Lyzhenkov, Coordinator of Activities to Address Transnational Threats at the OSCE Secretariat; Mr. Mohammad Alam Ezedyar, First Deputy Speaker of the Upper House in the Afghani Parliament; Mr. Nikolay Kovalev, Head of the Delegation of the Russian Federation to the OSCE PA; Mr. Omurbek Tekebaev, a member of the Kyrgyz Delegation to the OSCE PA; and, Mr. Olim Salimzoda, Head of the Tajik Delegation to the OSCE PA.

Mr. Lyzhenkov gave delegates an update on the activities of his office and identified key areas where counter-terrorism and the protection of human rights intersect in this work. Deputy Speaker Ezedyar gave an update on the security situation in Afghanistan and called for stronger international cooperation to combat root causes of terrorism and violent extremism on a global scale. Mr. Kovalev discussed terrorism in the context of the Syrian crisis and proposed specific steps that participating states could take to enhance counter-terrorism activities. In his remarks, Mr. Tekebaev told OSCE parliamentarians about the security challenges faced by Central Asian states in light of the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan in 2014. He also highlighted the need to strengthen democratic principles in the region. Mr. Salimzoda also discussed the impact of the 2014 NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan, focusing on the potentially destabilizing effects that the withdrawal may have on Tajikistan.

Activities of the Canadian Delegation:

Mr. Dean Allison, M.P., discussed the importance of combatting bribery and corruption. He highlighted recent changes to Canada’s Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act and emphasized Canada’s zero-tolerance approach to corruption. Mr. Bob Zimmer, M.P., told the Assembly about the work of Canada’s Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Program. He emphasized that activities to counter terrorism and transnational threats must uphold the primacy of the rule of law and respect human rights. The Hon. Hedy Fry, M.P., spoke of the need to address racism, xenophobia and the inequality of opportunity in efforts to combat terrorism and transnational threats.

Session 2: Security Effects of the Economic/Financial Crisis

The second session of the conference was chaired by OSCE PA Vice-President George Tsereteli (Georgia), who highlighted the grave economic situation experienced by OSCE participating states over the past several years and the key role of parliamentarians in overseeing and debating economic policy. Ms Roza Aknazarova, Chair of the OSCE PA’s Second General Committee, gave the keynote address at this session, stressing the impact of the economic crisis on comprehensive security in the OSCE region.

Activities of the Canadian Delegation:

Mr. Dean Allison, M.P. intervened during the discussion of the security effects of the economic and financial crisis and welcomed Mongolian delegates attending their first meeting of the Assembly. In his remarks, Mr. Allison stressed that free trade between open societies, according to transparent, fair and consistent rules, is critical to ensuring prosperity and comprehensive security in the OSCE region. He highlighted Canada’s recent free trade and investment agreements with OSCE participating states and the importance that Canada places on a comprehensive free trade agreement with the European Union. The Hon. Hedy Fry, M.P. drew the PA’s attention to the economic benefits of increasing women’s participation in the labour force.

During the meeting, a Kyrgyz parliamentarian spoke about the Kumtor gold mine, which is located in Kyrgyzstan and is owned and operated by Canada’s Centerra Gold.

Session 3: Special Debate on Integration of Diverse Societies

The third session of the conference was chaired by OSCE PA Vice President Isabel Pozuelo (Spain), who focused her opening remarks on migration and integration in the OSCE area. Next, delegates heard from the new OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities, Ms Astrid Thors (Finland), as well as Ms Gordana Comic (Serbia), the Rapporteur of the Third General Committee and the President’s Special Representative on National Minorities in Central and South East Europe. Ms Thors stressed the importance of integration of diverse societies, arguing that effective integration policies and respect for human rights are important components of good governance. Ms Comic encouraged delegates to work harder to combat prejudice and discrimination, highlighting in particular the experience of Roma and persistent inequality between women and men in the OSCE region.

Activities of the Canadian Delegation:

Mr. Dean Allison, M.P. spoke during the special debate on integration in diverse societies to emphasize the need to combat discrimination and intolerance. In his remarks, Mr. Allison stressed the importance of respect for the right to freedom of religion in achieving comprehensive security in the OSCE region. He called on parliamentarians to press their governments to sign the Ottawa Protocol on Anti-Semitism and to recommit to the principles contained in the OSCE’s 2004 Berlin Declaration.

C.   Standing Committee Meeting

At the meeting, the Standing Committee discussed the possibility of seeking extra-budgetary support from national parliaments or participating states in order to hire additional personnel at the Assembly’s International Secretariat to assist with election observation missions. The Standing Committee also heard reports from Ms Doris Barnett (Germany), Head of the OSCE PA election observation mission to Azerbaijan and from Mr. Michel Voisin (France), Special Co-ordinator of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the same mission, regarding the OSCE’s recent observation of the Azeri presidential election (on 9 October 2013). Finally, each of the President’s Special Representatives provided an update on their recent activities.

Activities of the Canadian Delegation

The Hon. Hedy Fry, M.P., in her capacity as Special Representative on Gender Issues, provided an update to the Standing Committee. In her presentation, Dr. Fry asked parliamentarians to continue to push for the effective implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security in their own countries and within OSCE institutions and field missions. She also drew the Standing Committee’s attention to the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights’ (ODIHR) recent report on parliamentary structures for women parliamentarians. 

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE CANADIAN DELEGATION

The Hon. Hedy Fry, M.P., attended a meeting of the Special Representatives of the OSCE PA President and a side event on “A Nuclear Free World”. In addition, Canadian delegates had the opportunity to discuss issues of mutual interest with Israeli diplomatic representatives to the OSCE.

Respectfully Submitted,

 

Mr. Dean Allison, M.P.

Director

Canadian Delegation to the Organization for

Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA)