Report

From 6 to 10 July 2011, six Canadian parliamentarians travelled to Belgrade, Serbia to attend the nineteenth Annual Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).  The Honourable Senator Consiglio Di Nino led the delegation that included Senator Percy Downe, Mr. Peter Goldring, M.P., Mr. Dave van Kesteren, M.P., Mr. Bruce Hyer, M.P., and the Honourable Hedy Fry, M.P.  The delegation was accompanied by Michel Marcotte, 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 2011 budget is €150.8 million, the same amount as the 2010 budget. 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 2011, Lithuania succeeded Kazakhstan as the chair of the organization. Mr. Audronius Ažubalis, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, is serving as Chairman-in-Office. Ireland will succeed Lithuania as chair of the organization on 1 January 2012, followed by Ukraine in 2013.

Italy’s Lamberto Zannier has served as OSCE Secretary General since 1 July 2011.  He succeeds 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 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:

·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.  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 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 most recently the 2009 parliamentary election in Moldova, the 2009 presidential election in Kyrgyzstan, the 2010 presidential election in Ukraine, and the 2010 parliamentary election in Azerbaijan.

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; the 2011-12 budget, approved at the 2011 Annual Session, is €2.86 million, the same amount as in the previous year. For 2011–2012 Canada’s budgeted contribution is C$221,679.

Petros Efthymiou (Greece) has been president of the PA since July 2010, succeeding Joao Soares (Portugal). Spencer Oliver (United States) has served as secretary general since January 1993. Dr. Hedy Fry (Canada) was appointed by the OSCE PA President in October 2010 as the Special Representative on Gender Issues.

2011 ANNUAL SESSION OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY[5]

For five days from 6 to 10 July 2011, more than 230 parliamentarians from 53 of the 56 OSCE participating States, together with representatives of the “Partners for Cooperation” states, met in Belgrade, Serbia to discuss the topic, “Strengthening the OSCE’s Effectiveness and Efficiency: A New Start After the Astana Summit,” 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 Belgrade Declaration, which contains all of the resolutions adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly at this Annual Session, was adopted.  Petros Efthymiou (Greece) was renewed as president of the Assembly for a second and final one-year term for 2011-12. 

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 Efthymiou, Chair of the Standing Committee, began with an overview of his activities since his last report, including his visits to Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, meetings with the European Parliament and the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as speeches at universities in the United States and the United Kingdom.  He expressed regret that the process for appointing the new Secretary-General of the OSCE was not more transparent, but also confidence that future relations with the new Secretary-General would be positive.

The Standing Committee also heard the report of the Assembly’s Treasurer, Mr. Roberto Battelli (Slovenia), who indicated that, given the on-going challenging economic circumstances faced by many participating states, a difficult decision was taken to freeze the PA’s budget for 2011-12, although the budget for staff salaries increased by 10%.  The Standing Committee unanimously approved the budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year which begins 1 October 2011. 

The Secretary General reported to the Standing Committee about the Assembly’s activities over the last twelve months, including election observation missions to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kyrgyzstan, USA, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Former Yugoslav Republic and Turkey.

The Standing Committee voted and approved 25 of the 26 supplementary items sponsored for consideration at the Annual Session.  The supplementary item on asbestos did not receive the necessary 2/3 majority of the Standing Committee to be placed on the Annual Session’s agenda.

The Standing Committee heard the reports of the various Special Representatives, including on Afghanistan (Michel Voisin – France), South East Europe (Roberto Battelli – Slovenia), Central Asia (Kiimo Kiljunen – Finland), and Migration (Kathleen Ferrier - The Netherlands). Chairs of the Ad Hoc Committees on Belarus and Moldova also reported on their activities.

Leaders of recent OSCE PA election observation missions to Kazakhstan, Turkey and Macedonia reported on their activities. In addition, Deputy Secretary General Tina Schoen briefed the Committee about the upcoming observation missions to Kyrgyzstan and Russia.

Canadian participation:

As head of the Canadian delegation, Senator Di Nino attended the Standing Committee meeting.  Senator Di Nino participated in the debate on the OSCE PA’s budget, singularly emphasizing his concern about the increase in staff salaries at the expense of other OSCE PA activities.  He also provided an update on Canada’s withdrawal from a combat role in Afghanistan by the end of July 2011. 

B.  Inaugural and Regular Plenary Sessions

At the inaugural plenary session, the participants heard a number of presentations.  The President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Petros Efthymiou (Greece), called for significant changes to the OSCE in order to improve its effectiveness in addressing political and security crises in the region.  He also emphasised the Parliamentary Assembly as a legitimate component of the OSCE institutional network based on its role as representing the people of the OSCE area.

The Speaker of the Serbian Parliament, Slavica Djukic Dejanovic, highlighted the ties between Serbia, the OSCE, and the OSCE PA.  The Prime Minister of Serbia, Mirko Cvetkovic, noted the role that the OSCE and the OSCE PA’s annual session play in promoting security in the region. 

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Audronius Azubalis, provided a status report on the numerous issues facing the OSCE.  In particular, he noted the importance of making progress on resolving the frozen conflicts in the region in order increase the likelihood that the Action Plan on reforming the OSCE would be implemented.

The newly-appointed Secretary-General of the OSCE, Lamberto Zannier, addressed the Parliamentary Assembly for the first time.  In his remarks, he called for a pragmatic relationship between the OSCE and the OSCE PA, and noted that promoting the effectiveness of the OSCE and the political transition in the Mediterranean region are among his priorities as Secretary-General.

The Assembly debated four supplementary items in Plenary:  Belarus, Combating Transnational Organised Crime, Implementation of the UN Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, and Women’s Representation at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.  These supplementary items were adopted and included in the Belgrade Declaration.

The Assembly also debated a Question of Urgency on the selection process for the appointment of the Secretary General of the OSCE. The motion, which was sponsored by Isabel Pozuelo (Spain) and adopted by the Assembly, expressed concern over the lack of transparency in the selection process and called on the OSCE Permanent Council to review its procedures for making the selection. 

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 2011/12 with no increases. 

Spencer Oliver, Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, delivered his report on the activities of the Assembly over the past year. 

The Belgrade Declaration, which consists of the final resolutions from each of the three General Committees and the 23 supplementary items passed by the General Committees, was then adopted.[6] 

Finally, the results of the elections for President and Vice-Presidents were announced:  Petros Efthymiou (Greece), was acclaimed for a second term as President;  Walburga Hapsburg Douglas (Sweden), Wolfgang Grossruck (Austria), and Tonino Picula (Croatia) were elected Vice-Presidents. Roberto Batteli (Slovenia) was acclaimed as Treasurer for another term.

The next Annual Session will be held in July 2012 in Monaco.

Canadian participation:

Every member of the Canadian delegation attended the Plenary Session.

·During the General Debate, Senator Consiglio Di Nino shared his regret about the exclusion of the Algerian and Moroccan delegations from a reception hosted by the President of Serbia and called on the President of Serbia to issue a personal letter of apology in addition to his oral one.  He also emphasised the importance of combating human trafficking and called on the OSCE PA to prohibit delegations that do not debate the issue in their national parliaments from submitting proposals for supplementary items for the next Annual Session.

·The Special Representative on Gender Issues, Hedy Fry, M.P. presented her inaugural annual report to the Assembly on the theme of women’s economic independence.[7]  Separately, Dr. Fry also participated in the debate on the supplementary item on women’s representation at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

·Senator Percy Downe participated in the debates on the supplementary items on Belarus and on transnational organised crime.

·Dave van Kesteren, M.P. spoke during the General Debate about the supplementary item on combating intolerance and discrimination against Christians in the OSCE region that was adopted in the Third Committee.

·Bruce Hyer, M.P. responded to Dr. Fry’s report, noting the change in female representation in Canada’s parliament following the elections to the 41^st Parliament.

C.  General Committee on Political Affairs and Security

Chair: Karl-Georg Wellmann (Germany)

Vice-Chair: vacant

Rapporteur: Tonino Picula (Croatia)

1. The Situation in Kyrgyzstan

Kiimo Kiljunen (Finland), the OSCE PA Special Representative on Central Asia and Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry into the events in the Southern part of the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan Inquiry Commission) presented the Commission’s report and preliminary reactions to it by the Kyrgyzstan government.  Members of the Committee were provided with the opportunity to share their views on the report.

2. Report and Principal Resolution

The Committee considered the report submitted by its Rapporteur, which dealt with issues facing the OSCE and OSCE PA relating to the Committee’s mandate, including protracted conflicts in the OSCE region.  It emphasised in particular the importance of the OSCE in developing a new strategic approach in order to strengthen its effectiveness and remain relevant in the face of new and emerging threats and crises.[8]  

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 modify the consensus rule for OSCE decision-making for at least some administrative decisions in order to facilitate decisions, as well as to allow public and the press to attend meetings of the OSCE Permanent Council in order to improve transparency and accountability.  The resolution is included in the Belgrade Declaration.

3.  Supplementary Items

The Committee also debated the following five Supplementary Items and any proposed amendments. 

·Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalisation that Lead to Terrorism

·Mediterranean Political Transition

·Moldova

·National Minorities

·Enlarging the Partnership with Non Member Mediterranean States to Include the Palestinian National Authority and Lebanon

The last item was defeated following a heated debate, while the remaining four were adopted and included in the Belgrade Declaration.

At the end of its meetings, Committee members elected by acclamation Karl-Georg Wellmann (Germany) Chair, Susanne Bratli (Norway) Vice-Chair, and Vilija Aleknaite Abramikiene (Lithuania) Rapporteur.

Canadian participation:

·Senator Consiglio Di Nino made remarks in support of Mr. Kiljunen’s report on Kyrgyzstan.  He introduced as a co-sponsor an amendment to the Committee’s resolution on behalf of the U.S. delegation.  He also participated in the debate on four of the five supplementary items considered by the Committee:  Moldova, Enlarging the Partnership with Non Member Mediterranean States to Include the Palestinian National Authority and Lebanon (which was defeated in a close vote), National Minorities, and Mediterranean Political Transition.

·Peter Goldring, M.P. participated in the debate on the rapporteur’s report, noting in particular the unacceptable status quo surrounding the unsettled conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Transdnistria, and the need to encourage efforts undertaken by the OSCE to settle them.   

Due to the distribution of votes across the committees, the delegation was allocated three votes for this committee, which were used interchangeably by Senator Di Nino, Mr. Goldring, Mr. Van Kesteren, and Dr. Fry.

D.  General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment

Chair: Mr. Roland Blum (France)

Vice-Chair: vacant

Rapporteur: Mr. Serhiy Shevchuk (Ukraine)

1. Report and Principal Resolution

The Committee considered the report submitted by its Rapporteur, which dealt with recent OSCE initiatives that focus on the role that economic cooperation and development in the region can play in building peace and stability.  It emphasised in particular cooperation on energy, environmental protection, migration issues, and cybersecurity.[9]  

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, in part, increase nuclear safety, create a global disaster response system, coordinate international assistance, and increase investment in areas affected by a disaster. The resolution is included in the Belgrade Declaration.

2.  Supplementary Items

The Committee also debated the following seven Supplementary Items and any proposed validated amendments: 

·Overall Approach of the OSCE to Promoting Cybersecurity

·Coordination of Migration Policy in the OSCE

·Utilisation of Agricultural Land as a Tool against Malnutrition, Hunger and Uncontrolled Migration

·Combating Labour Trafficking in Supply Chains

·Free Movement of Information and Knowledge

·Gender, Migration and Economic Independence

·Nuclear Safety and Environmental Protection

The adopted supplementary items are included in the Belgrade Declaration.

At the end of the meetings, Committee members elected Serhiy Shevchuk (Ukraine) Chair, and Tony Lloyd (United Kingdom) Rapporteur by acclamation.  Notably, Bruce Hyer (Canada) was elected by acclamation as Vice-chair.

Canadian participation:

·Senator Percy Downe participated in the debate on the rapporteur’s report, noting in particular that the call for increasing international assistance in the event of nuclear incidents was not sufficiently specific.   

·Peter Goldring, M.P. participated in the debates on three supplementary items on the nuclear safety, utilisation of agricultural land, and labour trafficking.

·Dave van Kesteren, M.P. participated in the debates on two supplementary items on cybersecurity and coordination of migration policy.

·Bruce Hyer, M.P.  participated in the debate on the rapporteur’s report, noting in particular the importance of emphasising the trans-Altantic character to the OSCE, which includes in particular Canada as a full member.  He also participated in the debate on the supplementary items on utilisation of agricultural land, nuclear safety, and free movement of information and knowledge. 

·Hedy Fry, M.P. sponsored the supplementary item on gender, migration and economic independence and made introductory remarks on it.  Her supplementary item was adopted without amendment. She also participated in the debate on the supplementary items on labour trafficking and coordination of migration policy. 

Due to the distribution of votes across the committees, the delegation was allocated four votes for this committee, which were used interchangeably by Senator Downe, Mr. Goldring, Mr. Hyer, Mr. Van Kesteren, and Dr. Fry.

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. Report and Principal Resolution

The Committee considered the report submitted by its Rapporteur, which dealt with the various procedures and mechanisms developed by the OSCE in order to promote respect for human rights among the participating states.  It emphasised in particular the events following the presidential elections in Belarus and those taking place in North Africa and the Middle East as being the latest in a series of democratisation waves and which needed to be nurtured in part by the OSCE in collaboration with other regional organisations.[10] 

The Committee debated the Rapporteur’s draft resolution on this topic and amendments proposed by Committee members.  The amended and adopted resolution sets out recommendations on how to improve the functioning of key OSCE human rights instruments, including through increased monitoring and greater support for OSCE field missions. The resolution is included in the Belgrade Declaration.

2.  Supplementary Items

The Committee also debated the following nine Supplementary Items and any proposed validated amendments: 

·Strengthening Efforts to Combat Racism and Xenophobia and Foster Inclusion

·Combating Illicit Trade in Human Organs

·International Parental Child Abductions

·Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in the OSCE area

·Promoting Policies in Favour of the Roma Population

·Promoting Policies on Equality between Women and Men of the Roma Population

·Work of the committee of the Human Dimension of the Permanent Council of the OSCE

·Witness Protection Programmes – A Challenge to Justice and Reconciliation

·Combatting Crimes Causing Social Alarm

The last item was defeated following a heated debate, while the remaining eight were adopted and included in the Belgrade Declaration.

At the end of the meetings, Committee members elected Matteo Mecacci (Italy) Chair, Alain Neri (France) Vice-Chair, and Coskun Coruz (the Netherlands) Rapporteur.

Canadian participation:

·Hedy Fry, M.P. participated in the debate on the Committee’s resolution, noting in particular the value of its recommendations and the necessity of their implementation by the participating states in order to strengthen the OSCE’s effectiveness regarding human rights matters.  She also participated in the debates on the supplementary items on strengthening efforts to combat racism and xenophobia, promoting policies in favour of the Roma population, and promoting policies on equality between Roma women and men.

·Senator Consiglio Di Nino participated in the debate on the supplementary item on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in the OSCE Area.

Due to the distribution of votes across the committees, the three votes allocated to the delegation for this committee were used by Dr. Fry, Senator Di Nino, and Mr. Van Kesteren.

F.  Working Lunch on Gender Issues

As the Special Representative on Gender Issues, Dr. Fry, together with Gordana Comic (Serbia), and Kathleen Ferrier (the Netherlands), as Special Representative on Migration, addressed the over 120 parliamentarians who attended the Annual Session’s Gender Lunch.  The theme discussed was women’s economic independence, and several parliamentarians (men and women), including from Norway, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Tajikistan, Finland, Spain, Slovenia, Cyprus and Estonia, shared best practices and challenges from their countries on the topic. 

Canadian participation:

In addition to Dr. Fry, the working lunch on gender issues was attended by Senator Consiglio Di Nino and Bruce Hyer, M.P. accompanied by Michel Marcotte and Natalie Mychajlyszyn.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE CANADIAN DELEGATION

·The Canadian delegation attended a briefing offered by Canada’s ambassador to Serbia, John Morrison.  The event provided an opportunity to discuss the delegation’s priorities at the Annual Session in general and Canada-Serbia bilateral relations in particular. 

·Members of the delegation had individual discussions with members of several delegations including Israel, Norway, Sweden, Serbia, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.

·Senator Di Nino met with Asa Lindestam (Sweden), and Senator Ben Cardin (the United States) to discuss material they received from the campaign to establish a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly that would complement, not replace, the work of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.  They agreed that the idea was worth exploring, but that more work was required to develop the concept and its practicalities. 

·Senator Di Nino also attended a meeting of the Ad Hoc Group on Election Observation during which efforts on how to improve cooperation between the OSCE PA and the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), as well as with other parliamentary partners, such as Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, were discussed.

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 71% of the debates on the three committee resolutions and 25 supplementary items considered. 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,