Report

 

From 7 to 10 October 2011, a delegation of Canadian parliamentarians travelled to Dubrovnik, Croatia to attend the 10th Fall Meetings of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).  The delegation comprised three parliamentarians:  Senator Consiglio Di Nino as Head of Delegation, Mr. Bruce Hyer, M.P., and the Honourable Hedy Fry, M.P.  The delegation was accompanied by Maxime Ricard, Association 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 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.  Bruce Hyer (Canada) has been Vice-Chair of the Second Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment since the 2011 OSCE PA Annual Session in Belgrade, having been elected for a one-year term.

2011 FALL MEETINGS OF THE OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY[5]

For four days from 7 to 10 October 2011, more than 200 parliamentarians from across the 56 OSCE participating States, together with representatives of the “Partners for Cooperation” states, including Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Jordan, and Israel, met in Dubrovnik, Croatia, for four complementary events: an inter-parliamentary conference on “Regional Development in South-East Europe: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects,” a Special Presentation on Nagorno-Karabakh, the Mediterranean Forum of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and the Standing Committee Meeting.

A. Welcome Addresses

The Assembly was addressed during the Opening Session by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Petros Efthymiou (Greece);  the President of the Croatian Parliament, Luka Bebic;  the Head of the Croatian Delegation, Tonino Picula; the Prime Minister of Croatia, Jadranka Kosor; and the President of Croatia, Ivo Josipovic.

In their addresses, the speakers highlighted the progress that the region and Croatia have made since the conflicts of the 1990s towards democratic consolidation and economic development, as well as the normalization of relations.  They also emphasized the positive role played by the OSCE and the extensive presence of its field missions in the region in terms of fostering OSCE principles and values relating to democracy, tolerance, human rights and the rule of law.   As host of the Fall Meetings and on the heels of the announcement that Croatia would accede to the European Union in 2013, many of the Croatian speakers committed the country to reinforcing partnership, good neighbourly relations as well as multilateral diplomacy with other countries in the region in addition to supporting and respecting the region’s multiculturalism in order to address remaining challenges and to move forward as a region.

B. Inter-Parliamentary Conference, “Regional Development in South-East Europe: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects”

Session 1: “Challenges and Concerns for South East Europe: The Role of the OSCE”

The heads of the seven OSCE Field Missions in South East Europe, i.e. Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Croatia, and Albania, offered an unprecedented joint briefing to the Parliamentary Assembly. In their remarks, they provided an overview of their respective mandates, which overlapped with one another to a certain extent in terms of promoting the rule of law, media, police reform, democracy, free and fair elections and multiculturalism.  They noted the positive role that an international presence provided by the OSCE field missions and their regional offices had on achievements in the area and the need for their continued presence in order to support developments in a positive direction.  They highlighted in particular the close interaction of the missions and the regional offices with local authorities in order to avoid imposing solutions. They also highlighted continuing challenges that have dominated their activities, such as organised crime and corruption, witness protection reform, human trafficking, cybercrime, all of which require regional cooperation in order to be overcome.  They noted that, while there was no single formula or set of criteria by which the mandate of a mission is determined to have been completed and that the determination cannot be based on perfectionism, one key criterion is having in place a functioning judicial system.

This roundtable was chaired by Roberto Batelli (Slovenia), the OSCE PA Special Representative on South-East Europe.  He emphasised in his remarks that the OSCE’s achievements in the region were all the more remarkable given the organisation’s small budget and the small budget of the missions, which was decreasing because of the financial situation of many OSCE participating states.  During their open debate, parliamentarians highlighted a variety of issues, including human trafficking, those relating to unsettled internally-displaced people and refugees, gender, and the social and economic integration of minorities among others.

Session 2: “The State of Play: Economic Cooperation Between Countries in South-East Europe”

The speakers of the second session discussed economic cooperation in South-East Europe according to three perspectives:  the impact that cooperation and interaction have on reinforcing a region’s identity, a practical example of private sector economic cooperation from the agricultural sphere, and the environmental challenges in the region.  Overall, the presentations emphasised the importance of economic networks in overcoming common challenges faced by various communities in the region, such as infrastructure and transportation issues, and building regional capacities to strengthen extra-regional objectives.  With respect to the region’s environmental challenges, the role played by parliamentarians and all levels of government in fostering cooperation was noted.  During their open debate, parliamentarians highlighted a variety of issues, notably alternative energy options offered by the geographic advantages of South-Eastern Europe, the need for exchanges among universities, students and researchers to foster development and innovation, and challenges for attracting private investment into the region. 

Session 3: “The Euro-Atlantic Integration of South-East Europe: Project Completion Prospects”

The speakers of the third session represented the European Union, the Presidency of the European Union, and the Regional Cooperation Council (whose mandate is to advance the region’s European integration).  They addressed various challenges still facing many countries of South-East Europe with respect to their integration into the Euro-Atlantic area.  In particular, concerns were raised about the uneven membership in and varied state of readiness to join key institutions such as the European Union and NATO among countries in the region and uncertainties about the long-term impact this may have in terms of either repelling or fostering integration.  The speakers emphasised the importance of regional leaders in encouraging a political understanding and political culture that underlie a common vision and future of the region, rather than focusing on political survival, when discussing integration policies with stakeholders.  In this respect, membership to the European Union must remain a real possibility to other countries in the region following Croatia’s accession in 2013, which can sustain momentum for others in the region.  At the same time, the preferences of the citizenry must be respected.

C. Special Presentation on “The Role of the OSCE in Conflict Resolution: Nagorno-Karabakh”

This was the first time that the OSCE PA held a Special Presentation at its Fall Meetings.  The presentation’s keynote speakers were the three Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group:  Ambassador Robert A. Bradtke (United States), Ambassador Igor Popov (Russia), and Ambassador Bernard Fassier (France).  In addition to providing an overview of the history of the OSCE’s involvement in the conflict’s resolution process and the mandates of these key avenues of activity, the speakers emphasised the sensitivities and particular interests that have prevented the conflict from being resolved.  Notwithstanding the opposing positions of the stakeholders, progress has been achieved in recent years and the objective of the process is to manage the situation in such a way that hostilities are not provoked.  In this respect, agreement by the two presidents of a set of principles in a final outcome was a large step forward.  The Russian co-chair also noted the efforts undertaken by Russia to advance the resolution process. Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, who has served as Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on the conflict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference since 1996, also delivered a keynote address.  He emphasised the role that he plays in building confidence among the stakeholders given his presence in the region and mandate to monitor the cease-fire line.  During their debate, in which the heads of the Azeri and Armenian delegations played a prominent role, parliamentarians called for the political will among the stakeholders to be invigorated and for a robust diplomatic effort to be carried out given the unacceptability of a twenty year frozen conflict in the region.  The session was moderated by Joao Soares (Portugal), President Emeritus and newly-appointed OSCE PA Special Representative on the South Caucasus.

D.  Mediterranean Forum, “Making the Mediterranean a Safer Place: Creating an Area of Freedom, Security and Justice”

The Mediterranean Forum featured presentations by the Secretary General of the OSCE, Ambassador Lamberto Zannier (Italy), the Chairman of the OSCE Contact Group with the Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation, Ambassador Eoin O’Leary (Ireland), and Predrag Matvejevic, a Croatian expert on Mediterranean issues.  The speakers noted the OSCE’s longstanding interests in Mediterranean issues and the important role that the organisation can play in the context of recent events in the region.  They also emphasised that the key to assisting the Mediterranean partners in consolidating democracy and economic development was respecting the domestic integrity of the reform pressures and sharing best practices from the transitions from communism of the 1990s.  Parliamentary representatives from the five OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation attending the Fall Meetings - Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Jordan and Israel - also addressed the Forum.  In their remarks, they noted that the OSCE was well-suited to offering positive support in the region and that the consolidation of democracy, human rights, social and economic development in the region was a step forward toward regional stability.  They emphasised that the OSCE PA had a particular role to play given the scope of its parliamentary networks and support of parliaments in the region.

E. Standing Committee

During the meeting of the Standing Committee, the president, the treasurer and the secretary-general of the OSCE PA, and the secretary-general of the OSCE gave reports on activities since the last meeting at the Annual Session in July.  For instance, the president reported on his recent visits to Ukraine and Spain, and a future meeting with legislators in China.  Of note is that the OSCE PA’s fiscal year ended with a balanced budget for the nineteenth year in a row.  The OSCE secretary-general reported that the OSCE budget process has begun for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.  Although every effort will be made to respect the policy of zero nominal growth, the scope of the OSCE’s activities means that a one per cent nominal increase is being considered, in addition to realignment of costs due to closures of missions.  In this context, he called on parliamentarians to consider in their national debates the higher expense of dealing with conflicts after they erupt than preventing them.

The Standing Committee was also briefed on upcoming election observation missions to Tunisia, Kyrgyzstan, and on efforts to finalise agreement on a mission to Russia.  Concerns were raised by some parliamentarians about the relationship between the OSCE PA and the OSCE’s observation missions for these elections and the hope for positive cooperation.

The head of the parliamentary group on Moldova reported on a recent agreement reached among key stakeholders to re-start the negotiation process in that frozen conflict.  The Special Representatives on South East Europe and on Migration also gave reports on recent activities.

The Standing Committee was briefed on future meetings of the OSCE PA, notably the Bureau meeting as part of the Ministerial Council meeting in Lithuania in December 2011 and the winter meeting in Vienna in February 2012.  An economic conference of the OSCE PA has also been scheduled to take place in May 2012 in Batumi, Georgia.

ACTIVITIES OF THE CANADIAN DELEGATION

Senator Consiglio Di Nino attended all of the sessions and debates of the Fall Meetings, as well as the meeting of the Standing Committee.  In light of his work with various stakeholders in Kazakhstan, he also attended a meeting of a dozen parliamentarians organised by the Kazakhstan delegation to discuss opportunities and relationships among various countries.  He also attended the briefing session on the upcoming election observation mission to Kyrgyzstan.  Moreover, he had individual discussions with members of several delegations, notably Sweden, Azerbaijan, Andorra, the Netherlands and Italy. 

Hedy Fry, M.P. participated in the debate on Regional Development in South-East Europe. Noting that the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize had been awarded to three women because of their role in promoting democracy and peace, she argued that stability in the region will only be fully attained when political and economic opportunities for women are the same as those for men.  She also intervened during the Mediterranean Forum’s debate, highlighting the role that parliamentarians are already playing in fostering democratic consolidation and economic development in the region as demonstrated by the recent vote taken in the House of Commons on extending Canada’s participation in the NATO mission for Libya.  She also emphasised the role that women played in the protests and the necessity of meaningfully including them in any rebuilding efforts.

In her capacity as Special Representative on Gender Issues, Dr. Fry organised an informal meeting of parliamentarians (including from Lithuania, Sweden, Germany, Canada, Albania, Norway, Serbia and Turkey) with a shared interest in promoting gender issues at the OSCE PA in order to share ideas about current issues, priorities for discussion and practical activities to raise awareness of gender issues.  She also reported to the Standing Committee about the discussions held at this information meeting and her plans to carry out further inquiries among the delegations about women’s economic independence.

Bruce Hyer, M.P., attended the sessions and the Standing Committee meeting.  In his capacity as Vice-Chair of the Second Committee on Economic and Environmental Affairs, he also met with the Chair and Rapporteur as well as Gustavo Pallares of the Secretariat to consider the committee’s plans and priorities for the coming months.  In this respect, they discussed possible themes for the rapporteur’s report and resolution at the upcoming Annual Session, and the input that can be provided by members of the executive.  He was also briefed on his role in presenting the preliminary follow-up report from the Belgrade Declaration at the upcoming Winter Meeting. 

The Fall Meetings and its theme of Mediterranean issues resonate with Canadians.  The Canadian delegation distinguished itself with high quality and active participation, ensuring that the views of Canadians on these important issues were heard and that Canada has a role to play in inter-parliamentary debate.

Respectfully submitted,