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From 6 to 10 July 2010, eight Canadian parliamentarians travelled to Oslo, Norway to attend the 19th Annual Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE. The Honourable Senator Consiglio Di Nino led the delegation and was accompanied by the following parliamentarians from the House of Commons: the Honourable Hedy Fry, Mr. Bruce Hyer, Madame Francine Lalonde, Mr. Larry Miller, Mr. Daniel Petit, Mr. Todd Russell, and Mr. Gary Schellenberger, The delegation was accompanied by Maxime Ricard, Delegation Secretary, and Natalie Mychajlyszyn, Advisor. OVERVIEW OF THE OSCE 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 56 in number, are “all the European states, the United States and Canada.”([1]) Eleven other states from the Mediterranean area and Asia joined as observers and are known as “Partners for Cooperation.” The organization is defined as 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 United Nations 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.”([2]) However, the OSCE is not an international organization in the strict sense of international law, in that its resolutions are not legally binding on the signatory countries. The OSCE’s 2010 budget is €150.8 million, a decrease from the 2009 budget which was €158.7 million. Approximately 65% of the OSCE’s budget is dedicated to 20 field missions and other field activities in 18 states. The OSCE employs approximately 3,450 individuals, the vast majority of whom are assigned to field missions. One-quarter of the OSCE employees are seconded by the participating countries. 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 and Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan) 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 – regardless of the democratic characteristics of the 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.”([3]) 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 56 states have equal status. Decisions are made by consensus rather than majority vote.([4]) 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 almost 75% of the OSCE budget. 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 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 2010, Kazakhstan succeeded Greece as the chair of the organization. Mr. Kanat Saudabayev, Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister, is serving as Chairman-in-Office. Lithuania will succeed Kazakhstan as chair of the organization on 1 January 2011. France’s Marc Perrin de Brichambaut has served as OSCE Secretary General since June 2005. C. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly 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, issue recommendations for their own governments, parliaments and citizens concerning the OSCE’s three spheres of action. Among its objectives are:
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. 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. It is managed by a Bureau and a Standing Committee. The Bureau comprises a President, nine Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, the Chair, 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 56 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 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 Cooperation (Japan, Korea, Thailand, Afghanistan and Mongolia), and representatives from other parliamentary assemblies and security organizations, such as 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. 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 General Committees meet at the Annual Session to debate and adopt resolutions, and elect Committee officers; they 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 Annual Session. 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 every second spring. The Assembly’s budget is approved at the Annual Session; the 2010-11 budget, approved at the 2010 Annual Session, is €2.86 million, the same amount as in the previous year. In 2010–11 Canada’s budgeted contribution is C$250,155. 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. João Soares (Portugal) has been president of the PA since July 2008, succeeding Göran Lennmarker (Sweden). Spencer Oliver (United States) has served as secretary general since January 1993. The Honourable Senator Consiglio Di Nino, head of the Canadian delegation since February 2005, has been chair of the General Committee on Political Affairs and Security since July 2009, having served as its vice-chair from July 2007. 2010 ANNUAL SESSION OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY[5] For five days from 6 to 10 July 2010, approximately 250 parliamentarians from the 56 OSCE participating States, together with representatives of the “Partners for Cooperation” states, met in Oslo, Norway to discuss the topic, “Rule of Law: Combating Transnational Crime and Corruption” and a variety of other issues of importance. The programme of the Annual Session consisted of a meeting of the Standing Committee; an Inaugural Plenary Session; three days devoted to the work of the three General Committees; a working lunch on gender issues; a meeting of the Bureau; and a Closing Plenary Session. On the fifth and last day of the Annual Session, the Oslo Declaration, which contains all of the resolutions adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly at this Annual Session, was adopted. In an election contested by Senator Consiglio Di Nino (Canada) and Petros Efthymiou (Greece), the latter was elected president of the Assembly for 2010-11. A. Standing Committee The Standing Committee convened on the first day to receive various activity reports and approve the budget for the next year. President Soares, Chair of the Standing Committee, began with an overview of his activities since his last report, including his visits to the United States, Turkmenistan, and Turkey, leading the OSCE PA observation mission to the parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom, joining international efforts to restore calm in Kyrgyzstan, and participating in the Trans-Asian Parliamentary Forum which was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The Standing Committee also heard the report of the Assembly’s Treasurer, Mr. Roberto Battelli (Slovenia), who indicated that, given the challenging economic circumstances faced by many participating states, a difficult decision was taken to freeze the PA’s budget for 2010-11. The Secretary General noted that, in the future, the Assembly will need to approve a budget that reflects financial realities and programming growth. The Standing Committee unanimously approved the budget for the 2010/2011 fiscal year which begins 1 October 2010. The Secretary General reported to the Standing Committee about the Assembly’s activities over the last twelve months[6] and on preparations for future meetings, including the 2010 fall meetings in Palermo, Italy, the twentieth annual session in Belgrade, Serbia in 2011, and the 2011 fall meetings in Dubrovnik, Croatia. He noted the high attendance at recently held meetings, including the winter meeting. The Secretary General also reported on the Trans-Asian Parliamentary Forum and its proceedings on “The OSCE Eurasian Dimension” which generated a tremendous amount of discussion on a timely topic. The Standing Committee debated the process by which the Secretary General is appointed and opportunities available to open up the process to additional candidates. There was agreement that the rules of procedure must first be changed in this regard, and that the appropriate process by the Sub-Committee on Rules and Procedure must be undertaken in order to make such a change rather than by way of a motion from the floor at the time that the appointment or renewal of the Secretary-General is being considered. Accordingly, the Standing Committee, by way of an open majority vote, approved Spencer Oliver’s renewal as Secretary-General of the Parliamentary Assembly for another five year term. In light of the record number of supplementary items being considered at the 19th Annual Session and the onus placed on delegation staff and assembly members, the leadership of the Standing Committee asked that the membership consider options for the Sub-Committee on Rules and Procedures regarding efficient management of the quantity and process for obtaining support for supplementary items. The Standing Committee voted and approved all 35 supplementary items for consideration at the Annual Session. The Standing Committee heard the reports of the various Special Representatives, including on Afghanistan (Michel Voisin – France), Nagorno-Karabakh (Goren Lennmarker – Sweden), South East Europe (Roberto Battelli – Slovenia), Central Asia (Kiimo Kiljunen – Finland), Human Trafficking (Chris Smith – United States), and Migration (Kathleen Ferrier - The Netherlands). Chairs of the Ad Hoc Committees on Belarus and Moldova also reported on their activities. Leaders of recent election observation missions by the OSCE PA to Tajikistan and the United Kingdom reported on their activities. In addition, Deputy Secretary General Tina Schoen addressed the upcoming observation missions to Bosnia Hercegovina, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Azerbaijan and the United States. In the chair’s report on the Sub-Committee on Rules and Procedure, Pia Christmas Moeller recommended that the newly elected president of the PA appoint a new chair and new membership of the sub-committee in order to undertake a comprehensive review of the rules and procedures concerning the appointment process for the position of Secretary General, as well as management of supplementary items. Canadian participation As head of the Canadian delegation, Senator Di Nino, accompanied by the Association Secretary, Maxime Ricard, attended the Standing Committee meeting. Senator Di Nino participated in the debate on the election and term renewal of the Secretary General. He also commented on the OSCE PA’s 2010-11 budget and the preference of the OSCE PA leadership to protect a budgetary surplus, noting that a surplus is not realistic under current economic circumstances and that the compromise reached to not increase the budget for 2010-11 is an example of the democratic debate for which the OSCE PA stands. B. Inaugural and Special Plenary Sessions At the inaugural plenary session, the participants heard a number of presentations, including those by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly, João Soares (Portugal); the Speaker of the Norwegian Parliament, Dag Terje Andersen; and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre.[7] The Special Representative on Gender Issues, Tone Tingsgård (Sweden), also presented her final report to the plenary as she is not seeking re-election in the Swedish parliament and will be stepping down as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly.[8] She said that she had noticed progress during the seven years as Special Representative, but that the OSCE "has a long way to go before it reaches the status of a gender equal organization which properly mainstreams its work." The Secretary-General of the OSCE, Ambassador Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, passed on greetings from the OSCE Chairman-in-Office. In these remarks, the Chairman-in-Office emphasised the importance of the theme being addressed at the Annual Session and drew attention to recent activities undertaken by the OSCE in this regard. He also provided updates of the OSCE’s role in managing the crisis in Kyrgyzstan, the Corfu Process, and the possibility of an OSCE summit in December, the first since 1999. During the question and answer period, while several parliamentarians raised concerns about the extent to which the Summit can be productive given the short time period in which to prepare, there was general support for the Summit. The Assembly held a Special Debate in Plenary on Kyrgyzstan, specifically the April 2010 uprising which led to the downfall of the president, the installation of an interim government and plans for democratic renewal, the outbreak of violence in June 2010 which, according to some estimates, led to the deaths of thousands of residents, efforts at inter-ethnic confidence building and constitutional reform. The debate was introduced by the Special Representative on Central Asia, Kiimo Kiljunen (Finland). During the discussion, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek (Norway) and Secretary General de Brichambaut briefed the Assembly on their on-going work. Kyrgyzstan’s deputy head of the provisional government, Omurbek Tekebaev, also addressed the Assembly. Their remarks and the discussion that followed emphasised deep regret for the loss of life and support for the democratic and non-violent process being undertaken by the interim government, with the assistance of the international community and the OSCE, in order to restore calm and stability. Canadian participation: All members of the Canadian delegation attended the Inaugural Plenary Session. Senator Di Nino participated in the Special Debate on Kyrgyzstan, emphasising the distance that the post-Communist country has come with respect to building democracy and the important role the OSCE PA can play as a means of building and sustaining links with parliamentarians in the country as it continues to reinforce its democratic values and institutions. C. General Committee on Political Affairs and Security Chair: Senator Consiglio Di Nino (Canada) Vice-Chair: Canan Kalsin (Turkey) Rapporteur: Riccardo Migliori (Italy) 1. Follow-up Report The Vice-Chair presented the follow-up report on progress made by participating states on the resolutions passed by the Assembly at its previous annual session relating to the First Committee, specifically food security, strengthening the OSCE, Afghanistan, small arms and light weapons, a renewed discussion on arms control and disarmament in Europe, labour migration in Central Asia and security sector stabilisation and compliance with UN blacklists.[9] 2. Report and Principal Resolution The Committee considered the report submitted by its Rapporteur, which dealt with transnational crime and corruption and their impact on rule of law and security. It emphasised in particular the importance of parliamentary cooperation and bringing legislation into line as much as possible as elements in overcoming these illicit activities, without disregarding the international conventions already in place.[10] The Committee debated the Rapporteur’s draft resolution on this topic and amendments proposed by Committee members. The amended and adopted resolution calls on participating states to ratify or accede to key international conventions, including the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols and the United Nations Convention against Corruption without further delay, and to give full effect to the obligations provided for in those instruments; to regularly exchange information on their programmes, plans and actions, including legislative and administrative activities; and expresses deep concern over international piracy. The resolution is included in the Oslo Declaration. 3. Supplementary Items The Committee also debated the following twelve Supplementary Items and any proposed amendments.
All of the supplementary items were adopted and are included in the Oslo Declaration. At the end of its meetings, Committee members elected Karl-Georg Wellmann (Germany) Chair, Ms. Canan Kalsin (Turkey) Vice-Chair, and Tonino Picula (Croatia) Rapporteur. Canadian participation:
Due to the distribution of votes across the committees, the delegation was allocated three votes for this committee, which were used interchangeably by Francine Lalonde, Hedy Fry, Gary Schellenberger and Daniel Petit. D. General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment Chair: Roland Blum (France) Vice-Chair: Ivor Callely (Ireland) Rapporteur: Serhiy Shevchuk (Ukraine) 1. Follow-up Report The Vice-Chair presented the follow-up report on progress made by participating states on the resolutions passed by the Assembly at its previous annual session relating to the Second Committee, specifically energy security and cooperation, climate change, tax havens, free trade and water management.[11] 2. Report and Principal Resolution The Committee considered the report submitted by its Rapporteur, which dealt with transnational crime and corruption and their impact on economic prosperity in the OSCE region and the integrity of international financial systems. It emphasised in particular the prevalence of transnational organized criminal activities in such sectors as information technologies, the fuel and energy sector, and the environment.[12] The Committee debated the Rapporteur’s draft resolution on this topic and amendments proposed by Committee members. The amended and adopted resolution calls on participating states to apply voluntary instruments for the prevention of corruption, including the Principles of Corporate Governance devised by the OECD; calls on the parliaments of participating States to ensure transparency and openness in their legislative processes, to introduce and see to the observance of parliamentary ethical norms, to provide for proper oversight over the work of governmental institutions, and to ensure the protection of persons and public organizations that expose violations; and supports measures to counter tax evasion, crimes in the financial sector and the laundering of monetary assets, and proposes that participating states introduce obligatory rules governing the operations of offshore banking centres in order to ensure co-operation on their part and transparency in their activities. The resolution is included in the Oslo Declaration. 3. Supplementary Items The Committee also debated the following ten Supplementary Items and any proposed amendments.
The supplementary items were all adopted and are included in the Oslo Declaration. At the end of the meetings, Committee members re-elected Mr. Roland Blum (France) Chair, Mr. Ivor Callely (Ireland) Vice-Chair, and Mr. Serhiy Shevchuk (Ukraine) Rapporteur by acclamation. Canadian participation:
Due to the distribution of votes across the committees, the delegation was allocated four votes for this committee, which were used interchangeably by Daniel Petit, Todd Russell, Gary Schellenberger, Larry Miller, Bruce Hyer and Senator Di Nino. E. General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions Chair: Walburga Habsburg-Douglas (Sweden) Vice-Chair: Robert Aderholt (United States) Rapporteur: Matteo Meccaci (Italy) 1. Follow-up Report The Vice-Chair presented the follow-up report on progress made by participating states on the resolutions passed by the 18th Assembly relating to the Third Committee, specifically human trafficking, election observation, the death penalty, refugees, tolerance and freedom of expression.[13] 2. Report and Principal Resolution The Committee considered the report submitted by its Rapporteur, which dealt with transnational crime and corruption and their impact on protection of human rights. It emphasised in particular the importance of developing and reinforcing strong democratic principles as critical components of any state’s ability to combat corruption.[14] The Committee debated the Rapporteur’s draft resolution on this topic and amendments proposed by Committee members. The amended and adopted resolution calls on participating states to enact legislation with regard to trafficking in human beings, to guarantee that migrants are not criminalized for being victims of clandestine immigration and that they are not refused asylum if they are in need of international protection, to guarantee the professionalism of the security and police forces and of the prosecutorial organs, and, to that end, to provide these organs with all necessary support, including of a financial nature, in combating organized crime, and to respect all of the legal and political obligations that they assumed in connection with ratification of all the international conventions against corruption, organized crime, trafficking in human beings and cybercrime. The resolution is included in the Oslo Declaration. 3. Supplementary Items The Committee also debated the following eleven Supplementary Items and any proposed amendments:
The supplementary items were all adopted and are included in the Oslo Declaration. At the end of the meetings, Committee members re-elected Ms. Walburga Habsburg-Douglas (Sweden) Chair, Mr. Robert Aderholt (United States) Vice-Chair, and Matteo Mecacci (Italy) Rapporteur. Canadian participation:
Due to the distribution of votes across the committees, the delegation was allocated three votes for this committee, which were used interchangeably by Hedy Fry, Francine Lalonde, Larry Miller and Senator Di Nino. F. Integrating Multiethnic Societies: A Response to Security Challenges The OSCE’s High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM), Knut Vollbaek (Norway), presented his views on integration, its link with conflict prevention, and the work of the office of the HCNM in the field.[15] In particular, he highlighted that because every society without exception has some measure of diversity, each is confronted with the question of how to undertake integration while respecting that diversity. He also noted the relationship of a well-functioning, stable society with effective integration. Canadian participation: In her intervention, Hedy Fry highlighted Canada’s experience regarding multiculturalism and diaspora communities, citizenship as a vehicle for integration, and government programs to support access by minority communities in order to augment their participation in Canadian society. G. Working Lunch on Gender Issues The deputy speaker of the Norwegian parliament, Marit Nybakk, gave a presentation of her country’s model for gender equality, highlighting in particular gender quota laws and their positive impact on attitudes towards gender issues in general.[16] Canadian participation: The working lunch on gender issues was attended by Senator Consiglio Di Nino, Daniel Petit, Francine Lalonde and Hedy Fry, accompanied by Maxime Ricard. H. Closing Plenary Session Following on the Assembly’s Special Debate earlier in the Annual Session, the Closing Plenary Session began with a debate on the supplementary item on Kyrgyzstan. The Assembly also debated and adopted the supplementary item on strengthening the OSCE PA’s role in the Corfu Process. Both supplementary items were adopted unanimously and included in the Oslo Declaration. The Plenary Session continued with the report by the Treasurer, Roberto Bottelli (Slovenia), who informed the Assembly that the Standing Committee approved the Assembly’s budget for 2010/11 with no increases. Mr. Spencer Oliver, Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, delivered his report on the activities of the Assembly over the past year to the delegates. These activities included the OSCE PA observation missions to Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Moldova and the United Kingdom. He also reported on the Trans-Asian Parliamentary Forum which was held in May 2010 and attended by over 100 parliamentarians from approximately 35 participating States and partnership countries. The Oslo Declaration, which consists of the final resolutions from each of the three General Committees and the 35 supplementary items referred to the General Committees, was then adopted.[17] The results of the elections for President and Vice-Presidents were then announced: Petros Efthymiou (Greece), as President; Ricardo Migliori (Italy), Alexander Kozlovskiy (Russia) and Oleh Bilorus (Ukraine) as Vice-Presidents, with and Isabel Pozuelo (Spain), re-elected as Vice-President. The next Annual Session will be held in July 2010 in Belgrade, Serbia. Canadian participation:
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE CANADIAN DELEGATION
The Annual Session addressed many interesting topics, several of which resonate with Canadians. The Canadian delegation distinguished itself with its large size, high quality and frequent participation by all members; most notably, the Canadian delegation actively participated in debates on 60% of the 3 committee resolutions and 35 supplementary items. While the results of the presidential election were disappointing, the active presence of the Canadian delegation ensured that the views of Canadians on a range of issues were heard and that Canada has a role to play in inter-parliamentary debate. Respectfully submitted,
The Honourable Consiglio Di Nino, Senator Director Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA)
[1] Final Recommendations of the Helsinki Consultations, Helsinki, 3 July 1973, par. 54, [2] Charter of the United Nations, Chapter VIII, art. 52, par. 2, http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/chapter8.htm. The Security Council may also use such regional arrangements to implement coercive measures it has adopted. [3] Charter for European Security, par. 9, in Istanbul Document 1999, Istanbul Summit 1999, http://www.osce.org/documents/mcs/1999/11/4050_en.pdf. [4] In extreme cases, the “consensus minus one” rule may be invoked, for instance when a serious violation of the Organization’s principles occurs. However, this rule has been used only once, in 1992, against the former Yugoslavia, which was readmitted as Serbia and Montenegro after the elections in the fall of 2000. [5] A comprehensive report on the 2010 Annual Session prepared by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is available at http://oscepa.org/images/stories/documents/Brochures/2010%20Oslo%20Report.pdf. [6] The complete text of his report is available at: http://oscepa.org/images/stories/documents/activities/1.Annual%20Session/2010_Oslo/SGReport_AS_July_2010_ENG.pdf. [7] The complete text of these addresses is available at: http://oscepa.org/images/stories/President_Soares_address_to_Opening_plenary.pdf , http://oscepa.org/images/stories/President_of_the_Storting_Dag_Terje_Andersen_Inaugural_Plenary_6_July.pdf , http://oscepa.org/images/stories/Opening_Statement_Foreign_Minister_Jonas_Gahr_Stre.pdf [8] The complete text of her address and a copy of her report are available at: http://oscepa.org/images/stories/Tone_Tingsgaard_Speech_on_Gender_Plenary.pdf and http://oscepa.org/images/stories/documents/special_reports/2010_OSCE_PA_Gender_Balance_Report_Final_AS_2010.pdf. [9] The full report is available at: http://oscepa.org/images/stories/documents/activities/1.Annual%20Session/2010_Oslo/Follow-Up_Reports/1st_Committee_Final_Follow-Up_Report.pdf. [10] The full report is available at: http://oscepa.org/images/stories/documents/activities/1.Annual%20Session/2010_Oslo/Reports_and_Draft_Resolutions/1st_Committe_Report_ENGLISH.pdf [11] The full report is available at: http://oscepa.org/images/stories/documents/activities/1.Annual%20Session/2010_Oslo/Follow-Up_Reports/2nd_Committee_Final_Follow-Up_Report.pdf [12] The full report is available at: http://oscepa.org/images/stories/documents/activities/1.Annual%20Session/2010_Oslo/Reports_and_Draft_Resolutions/2nd_Committee_Report_ENGLISH.pdf . [13] The full report is available at: The full report is available at: http://oscepa.org/images/stories/documents/activities/1.Annual%20Session/2010_Oslo/Follow-Up_Reports/3rd_Committee_Final_Follow-Up_Report.pdf [14] The full report is available at: http://oscepa.org/images/stories/documents/activities/1.Annual%20Session/2010_Oslo/Reports_and_Draft_Resolutions/3rd_Committee_Report_ENGLISH.pdf . [15] The complete remarks delivered by the High Commissioner on National Minorities are available at: http://oscepa.org/images/stories/documents/activities/1.Annual%20Session/2010_Oslo/HCNM_Statement_on_Integration.pdf. [16] For a more complete report on the working lunch, please see http://oscepa.org/images/stories/documents/Brochures/2010%20Oslo%20Report.pdf [17] The complete Oslo Declaration is available at: http://www.oscepa.org/images/stories/documents/activities/1.Annual%20Session/2010_Oslo/Final_Declaration/FINAL_Oslo_Declaration_English.pdf. |
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