Report

From 29 June to 3 July 2013, a delegation of seven Canadian parliamentarians attended the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Annual Session in Istanbul, Turkey. Mr. Dean Allison, M.P., led the delegation, which included from the Senate the Honourable Senator Ghislain Maltais and from the House of Commons the Honourable Hedy Fry, M.P., Mr. Phil McColeman, M.P., Mr. Larry Miller, M.P., Mr. Pierre Nantel, M.P. and Ms. Nicole Turmel, M.P., Alexandre Roger, Delegation Secretary, and Erin Shaw, Advisor, accompanied the delegation.

Overview of the OSCE and Its Parliamentary Assembly

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

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

A.   An Inclusive, Global and Cooperative Approach to Security

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

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

B.   Operational Capacity

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

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

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

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

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

C.   The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

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

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

·         to discuss subjects addressed during meetings of the OSCE;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2013 Annual Session[9]

For five days from 29 June – 3 July 2013, parliamentarians from across the OSCE area, together with representatives of the “Partners for Cooperation” states met in Istanbul, Turkey for the 2013 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Annual Session. The theme of the Annual Session was “Helsinki + 40,” referring to the process currently underway to strengthen the OSCE as it approaches the 40th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act in 2015.

The program began with a meeting of the OSCE PA Standing Committee and two plenary sessions, followed by three days of work in each of the General Committees, a working lunch on gender issues, and a meeting of the Bureau. The final day of the Session was devoted to a closing plenary session.

During the closing plenary on the fifth day of the meeting, delegates adopted the Istanbul Declaration, which contains all of the resolutions adopted during the course of this annual session. Mr. Ranko Krivocapic (Montenegro) was elected as the President of the Assembly for a two-year term.

A.   Standing Committee

The outgoing OSCE PA President, Wolfgang Grossruck, chaired the Standing Committee meeting. Mr. Emin Onen, Head of the Turkish Delegation to the OSCE PA, welcomed the other heads of delegations to the meeting. During its meeting, the Standing Committee heard reports from the PA’s Treasurer, Mr. Roberto Battelli (Slovenia), the Chair of the Subcommittee on the Rules of Procedure, Mr. João Soares (Portugal), and the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Transparency and Reform, Mr. Francois-Xavier de Donnea (Belgium). The Standing Committee approved an increase in the PA’s 2013-2014 budget, the first increase in four years. It also approved changes to the rules of procedure that are expected to reduce the number of supplementary items that can be submitted for consideration at the next annual session. Mr. de Donnea also reported to the Standing Committee on his meeting with the director of the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Mr. Janez Lenarčič, regarding cooperation between the PA and ODIHR in election observations. At the meeting, the Standing Committee decided to resume cooperation with ODIHR under the 1997 Co-Operation Agreement, following the decision of the OSCE PA Bureau to declare the agreement inoperative in December 2012.The locations of the 2014 Fall Meeting (Geneva) and 2015 Annual Session (Helsinki) were also announced.

The Standing Committee approved 24 of 28 supplementary items for debate at the Annual Session. Supplementary items are resolutions brought forward by parliamentarians to supplement the principal resolution to be debated in each General Committee. The Standing Committee did not approve the following supplementary items for debate:

·         Resolution on Kazakhstan;

·         Resolution on human rights in Russia;

·         Resolution on the Yogyakarta Principles on sexual orientation and human rights; and,

·         Resolution on Kurds in Turkey.

Canadian Participation

Senator Ghislain Maltais represented the Canadian delegation at the Standing Committee meeting. As required by the PA’s rules of procedure, the 2014 budget increase was adopted by consensus of all heads of delegation voting at the meeting. Over objections from Senator Maltais and the Heads of some other delegations, two resolutions relating to the status of the Palestinian Territories were approved for debate.

B.   Plenary Sessions

A number of presentations were given at the Plenary Sessions, held on the first and last days of the Annual Session. To begin, delegates were welcomed to the Annual Session by President Wolfgang Grossruck.[10] The OSCE Chairman-in-Office. Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara of Ukraine presented the priorities of the Ukrainian chairmanship and emphasized the role that parliamentarians can play in bringing the OSCE’s work to the attention of the public and the media.[11] OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier discussed the work of OSCE field operations and the financial situation of the organization, amongst other topics.[12] Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu of Turkey and the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Cemil Çiçek, welcomed parliamentarians on behalf of the host nation and discussed the key priorities for Turkey in the work of the OSCE, including the humanitarian crisis in Syria. 

The following supplementary items proposed by OSCE parliamentarians were debated and adopted in the closing plenary session:

·         Resolution on Enhancing Trust, Transparency and Accountability within the OSCE Institutions;

·         Resolution on Trafficking Victim Watchfulness: Planes, Trains Buses, and Hotels;

·         Resolution on the Humanitarian Crisis in Syria;

·         Resolution on Intercountry Adoptions; and,

·         Resolution on Freedom of the Media.

Canadian Participation

The Canadian delegation attended each of the four Plenary Sessions.

The Hon. Hedy Fry, M.P., addressed the Plenary Session on 29 June in her capacity as the President’s Special Representative on Gender Issues. In her address, Dr. Fry called on OSCE participating states and the OSCE itself to redouble efforts to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. Dr. Fry also intervened in support of a supplementary item on human trafficking, highlighting recent Canadian initiatives that aim to increase the involvement of private businesses in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking. In addition, she spoke in support of a supplementary item on the protection of journalists.

Ms Nicole Turmel, M.P., addressed the plenary during the open debate to denounce discrimination and persecution based on sexual orientation and gender identity. She called for parliamentarians to support the implementation of the Yogyakarta Principles on sexual orientation and human rights in their national legislatures.[13] In addition, Ms Turmel spoke in support of the supplementary item on human trafficking; urging delegates to pay closer attention to the needs of victims. She also intervened in support of a supplementary item on the protection of journalists, emphasizing that freedom of expression and freedom of the media are essential to democracy. Ms Turmel also raised the case of two Canadian journalists who had been detained and subsequently released by Turkish authorities while covering protests in Istanbul.

Senator Ghislain Maltais intervened during the plenary debate. The Senator spoke about the humanitarian crisis in Syria. During this debate, parliamentarians from NATO states and Russian parliamentarians attempted to find compromise language that all delegates could support. In his intervention, Senator Maltais emphasized that neighbouring countries could not be expected to bear the burden of the Syrian refugee crisis alone. He called on delegates to press their governments to do more to address the suffering of the Syrian people and the plight of refugees and stressed the need for urgent action. In his remarks, Senator Maltais also highlighted Canadian contributions to international humanitarian relief efforts in Syria. 

During the closing Plenary Session on 3 July 2013, delegates voted to adopt the Istanbul Declaration, which includes the resolutions of the three General Committees and 23 resolutions (one resolution, on the protection of the environment in the Baltic Sea, was withdrawn from consideration).

C.   General Committee on Political Affairs and Security

Chair: Ms Asa Lindestam (Sweden)

Vice-Chair: Susanne Bratli (Norway)

Rapporteur: Vilija Aleknaite Abramikiene (Lithuania)

The Committee considered and debated a draft report and resolution on the Helsinki + 40 process submitted by the Rapporteur, Ms Vilija Aleknaite Abramikiene of Lithuania. The Committee also debated and adopted the following supplementary items proposed by OSCE parliamentarians:

·         Resolution on the Role of Local and Regional Authorities in Post-Conflict Rehabilitation Scenarios;

·         Resolution on Transdniestrian Settlement Process;

·         Resolution on Enlarging the Partnership with Non-Member Mediterranean States to Include the Palestinian National Authority;

·         Resolution on Cyber Security;

·         Resolution on the Arctic;

·         Resolution on Guantanamo; and

·         Resolution on the Situation in the Middle East and its Effect on the OSCE Area. 

The Committee also elected the following new officers for 2014:

·         Makis Voridis (Greece) – Chair;

·         Azay Guliyev (Azerbaijan) - Vice-Chair; and

·         Pia Kauma (Finland) – Rapporteur.

Canadian Participation

A supplementary item entitled, The Situation in the Middle East and its Effect on the OSCE Area, was narrowly adopted following a heated debate. Mr. Dean Allison, M.P., Head of the Canadian Delegation, proposed two amendments to this draft resolution. Mr. Allison’s first amendment proposed the deletion of a clause in the resolution’s preamble that referenced “the need for Palestine to enjoy an adequate status with the OSCE allowing it to actively engage in the activities both of the OSCE and of its Parliamentary Assembly.” His second amendment proposed removing a recommendation that the OSCE develop contacts with Lebanon with a view to it becoming a Mediterranean partner country. The majority of OSCE parliamentarians voted in favour of Mr. Allison’s amendments and the draft resolution was modified accordingly. The American delegation proposed amendments to two additional operative paragraphs relating to the status of a Palestinian state and the status of representatives of the Palestinian Authority within the OSCE and OSCE PA; however, the amendments proposed by the American delegation were not adopted.

Senator Ghislain Maltais intervened during the debate to speak to a separate resolution on enlarging the partnership with non-member Mediterranean states to include the Palestinian Authority. Reiterating the position taken by John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs, before the UN General Assembly in November 2012, Senator Maltais opposed the resolution on the grounds that it would undermine the core foundations of a decades-long commitment by the international community and the parties themselves to a two-state solution, arrived at through direct negotiations. The Senator stressed that the Government of Canada supports Israel’s right to live in peace with its neighbours within secure boundaries and recognizes Israel's right to assure its own security. He also highlighted the fact that the Government of Canada recognizes the Palestinian right to self-determination and supports the creation of a sovereign, independent, viable, and democratic Palestinian state, as part of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace settlement. 

The Hon. Hedy Fry, M.P., in her capacity as OSCE PA Special Representative on Gender Issues, proposed amendments to the rapporteur’s draft resolution for the third general committee. Her amendments called upon the OSCE Secretary General to: fulfill the OSCE’s 2004 Gender Action Plan; draw attention to the vulnerability of women to human trafficking in conflict and post-conflict situations; and, promote the full participation of women in the maintenance, restoration and re-establishment of peace and security in the OSCE region, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Dr. Fry also proposed amendments to a supplementary item on the role of local and regional authorities in post-conflict rehabilitation scenarios. These amendments, all of which were adopted by the Committee, incorporated a reference to UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security and a recommendation that OSCE participating states and structures take women’s opinions, needs and contributions into account and encourage women’s full and active participation in post conflict rehabilitation. The Head of the Turkish delegation, Mr. Emin Onen, moved certain amendments to the First Committee resolution submitted by Dr. Fry because her presence was required simultaneously in the meeting of the Second General Committee.

Mr. Larry Miller, M.P. intervened in the debate on a supplementary item on cybersecurity. In his remarks, Mr. Miller highlighted recent incidents of cyber-bullying in Canada and stressed the need to ensure that there is an adequate legal regime in place to punish crimes committed on the internet. He also noted the importance of balancing these concerns with the need to preserve freedom of expression and other rights.

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

Chair: Vacant

Vice-Chair: Ms Roza Aknazarova (Kyrgyzstan)

Rapporteur: Ms Doris Barnett (Germany)

The Committee considered and debated a draft report and resolution submitted by the Rapporteur, Ms Doris Barnett of Germany. The draft resolution stressed the need for greater international cooperation to address environmental and economic challenges in the context of the Helsinki +40 process. The Committee also debated and adopted the following supplementary items proposed by OSCE parliamentarians:

·         Resolution on Water Management as a Priority for the OSCE CiO in 2014;

·         Resolution on Promoting Energy Saving and Energy Efficiency;

·         Resolution on Environmental Dimension of Energy Security;

·         Resolution on Strengthening Security in the Border Areas of the OSCE Region;

·         Resolution on Gender Aspects of Labour Migration;

·         Resolution on Ensuring that Children have the Right to be Protected from Economic Exploitation; and,

·         Resolution on Co-operation on the Transition to a Green Economy in the Context of Sustainable Development.

The Committee also elected the following new officers for 2014:

·         Roza Aknazarova (Kyrgyzstan) - Chair

·         Nilza Sena (Portugal) - Vice-Chair

·         Roger Williams (United Kingdom) - Rapporteur

Canadian Participation

Mr. Dean Allison, M.P. intervened following the presentation of the Rapporteur’s report to stress the important role of free trade and investment in increasing prosperity across the OSCE region. In his remarks, Mr. Allison highlighted the benefits that the Canada-European Union (EU) Comprehensive Trade and Investment Agreement is expected to bring to the economies of Canada and EU countries.

The Hon. Hedy Fry, M.P., in her capacity as the OSCE PA’s Special Representative on Gender Issues, proposed amendments to the resolution of the Second General Committee. Dr. Fry’s amendments noted the negative effect of austerity-driven economic policies on vulnerable populations, in particular women, minorities and migrants and highlighted the need to introduce specific policies to promote women’s economic autonomy.

Mr. Larry Miller, M.P. intervened in the debate on the supplementary item on water management. In his remarks, Mr Miller told delegates about recent initiatives relating to Canada’s management of trans-boundary water resources. In particular, he discussed a private members’ bill that he brought forward in Canada’s Parliament, The Transboundary Waters Protections Act,[14] and updates to the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

Mr. Pierre Nantel, M.P. highlighted the importance of generating political will and fostering international cooperation in order to deal with environmental problems and emergencies. He stressed that climate change is one of the most pressing challenges faced by global society and highlighted the need to take concrete steps to address the problem.

E.   General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian questions

Chair: Vacant

Vice-Chair: Ms Isabel Santos (Portugal)

Rapporteur : Ms Ann Phelan (Ireland)

The Committee considered and debated a draft report and resolution submitted by the Rapporteur, Ms Ann Phelan of Ireland. The draft report took stock of challenges facing the OSCE area in the human dimension 40 years following the adoption of the Helsinki Final Act. The Committee also debated and adopted the following resolutions proposed by OSCE parliamentarians:

·         Resolution on Strengthening Civil Society Institutions in the OSCE Region;

·         Resolution on Belarus;

·         Resolution on Promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief in the OSCE Region;

·         Resolution on Strengthening the Role of Education in Combating Racism; and,

·         Xenophobia and Other Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination.

The Committee also elected the following new officers for 2014:

·         Isabel Santos (Portugal) - Chair

·         Mehmet Sevki Kulkuloglu (Turkey) - Vice-Chair

·         Gordana Comic (Serbia) - Rapporteur

Canadian Participation

Mr. Dean Allison, M.P. introduced a supplementary item on promoting freedom of religion and belief in the OSCE region for debate by the Committee. In his remarks, Mr. Allison stressed that tensions and conflicts arise from intolerance, xenophobia, extremism, distrust and hate. He reminded parliamentary delegates that promoting freedom of religion or belief, as well as acknowledging and protecting diversity, serves to strengthen the democratic foundations on which are built peace, stability and prosperity. Mr. Allison urged the Committee to adopt the supplementary item. 

Mr. Phil McColeman, M.P. spoke in support of Mr. Allison’s supplementary item on religious freedom. He told OSCE parliamentarians about the establishment of Canada’s Office of Religious Freedom and stressed that parliamentarians must commit themselves to ensuring that their governments do even more to uphold freedom of religion and belief. 

The Hon. Hedy Fry, M.P. proposed amendments to a supplementary item on strengthening civil society institutions in the OSCE region. Dr. Fry’s amendments strengthened the resolution’s call for participating states to remove restrictions on access to information by civil society; recommended that participating states improve the legal environment in their countries to permit greater civil society participation; and, stressed the need for civil society organizations to retain access to both foreign and domestic sources of funding. The Committee adopted all of these amendments.

F.    Additional Activities of the Canadian Delegation

The Hon. Hedy Fry, M.P., in her capacity as the OSCE PA’s Special Representative on Gender Issues, co-hosted the OSCE PA’s annual gender lunch, in cooperation with the Parliament of Turkey and the OSCE PA Secretariat. The theme of the gender lunch was “UN Security Council Resolution 1325: the impact of armed conflict and post conflict on women and girls.” Participants were welcomed to the luncheon by Turkish parliamentarians Ms. Bihlun Tamaylıgil, Ms. Azize Sibel Gönü, Ms. Sedef Küçük and Ms. Sabahat Tuncel. Mr. Nick Smith, M.P. (UK), gave the keynote address, which focused on preventing sexual violence in conflict.  At the luncheon, OSCE parliamentarians discussed new strategies to improve gender equality in the OSCE region. The Canadian delegation also held a side meeting with Israeli diplomats during the Annual Session.

Mr. Dean Allison, M.P. ran for the position of rapporteur of the Second General Committee. In addition, Canadian delegates participated in the election of a new President and officers of the OSCE PA. In addition to the officers of the three General Committees, the following parliamentarians were elected to the OSCE PA Bureau in Istanbul:

·         Roberto Batelli (Slovenia) – re-elected Treasurer;

·         Isabel Pozuelo (Spain) – re-elected as a Vice-President;

·         Alain Neri (France) – re-elected as a Vice-President;

·         Vilija Aleknaite Abramikiene (Lithuania) – elected as a Vice-President;

·         Doris Barnett (Germany) – elected as a Vice-President;

·         Emin Onen (Turkey) – elected as a Vice-President; and

·         Ilkka Kanerva (Finland) – elected as a Vice-President.

 

Respectfully submitted,