Report

From 18 to 19 February 2010, six Canadian parliamentarians travelled to Vienna, Austria to attend the 2010 Winter Meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE.  The Honourable Senator Consiglio Di Nino led the delegation, which included the Honourable Senator Robert Peterson, the Honourable Senator Michel Rivard, Mr. Robert Oliphant, Member of Parliament, Mr. Daniel Petit, Member of Parliament, and Madame Francine Lalonde, Member of Parliament.  The delegation was accompanied by François Michaud, 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 2009 budget is €158.7 million, a decrease from the 2008 budget which was €164.2 million.^[3]  Approximately 75% of the OSCE’s budget is dedicated to 25 field missions and other field activities. The OSCE employs approximately 3,020 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.”^([4])  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.^([5])

 

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” (CiO) selected to serve a one-year term from among the foreign ministers of the participating countries.  As the organization’s senior diplomat, the chairman-in-office is supported by the Secretariat and its secretary general who are based in Vienna.

 

On 1 January 2010, Kazakhstan succeeded Greece as the chair of the organization.  Mr. Kanat Saudabayev, Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister, is serving as Chairman-in-Office.  Lithuania will succeed Kazakhstan as chair of the organization on 1 January 2011. 

 

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 Assembly’s budget is approved at the Annual Session; the 2009–2010 budget, approved at the 2009 Annual Session, is €2.86 million, the same amount as in the previous year.  In 2009–2010 Canada’s budgeted contribution is C$250,155.

 

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

 

João Soares (Portugal) has been president of the PA since July 2008, succeeding Göran Lennmarker (Sweden).  Spencer Oliver (United States) has served as secretary general since January 1993.  The Honourable Senator Consiglio Di Nino, head of the Canadian delegation since February 2005, has been chair of the General Committee on Political Affairs and Security since July 2009, having served as its vice-chair from July 2007.

 

2010 WINTER MEETING OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY^[6]

 

For two days from 18 to 19 February 2010, approximately 225 parliamentarians from 52 of the 56 OSCE participating States, together with parliamentarians from three Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation states, met in Vienna, Austria for the 9^th Winter Meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.  The program comprised a meeting of the Standing Committee, an opening plenary session, separate meetings of the three general committees, a plenary session which featured a special debate on Afghanistan, and a closing plenary session.

 

A. Standing Committee

 

At the meeting of the Standing Committee, the Bureau members and the heads of delegation heard the following presentations:

 

1. President Soares reported on his activities since the 2009 Fall Meetings in Athens, which included:

- a meeting with the in-coming CiO in Kazakhstan in November 2009 during which the OSCE PA’s cooperation with the Kazakh CiO was emphasized as was the CiO’s priorities for 2010, including resolving the frozen conflicts in the OSCE area;

- a meeting with the OSCE Permanent Council in November 2009 during which the President emphasized the importance of accountability and transparency on the part of the inter-governmental side of the OSCE;

- meetings in Moscow in November 2009 with Boris Gryzlov, Chairman of the Russian State Duma and President of the Parliament Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Co-operation (PABSEC), and with members of the Russian delegation to the OSCE PA, including its head, Aleksander Kozlovskiy;

- participation in the OSCE Ministerial Council in December 2009 in Athens; and

- heading the OSCE PA observation mission to the Ukrainian presidential elections in January and February 2010;

 

2. Roberto Battelli (Slovenia) presented his Treasurer’s report.  He indicated that the financial year ending 30 September 2009 ended very positively and the OSCE PA remained within budget, finishing the financial year 4% below approved levels.  This was due to lower than anticipated costs at the Annual Session in Vilnius in 2009; lower travel expenses on the part of the Secretariat.  At the same time, the OSCE PA was able to maintain a high level of activities notwithstanding that it has among the smallest budgets of international organizations. He repeated the positive assessment of the OSCE PA’s financial management as provided by the Auditor’s report at the December 2009 Bureau meeting.  He indicated that as the budget for the next financial year is being considered, the delegations’ contributionse are expected to remain at the same levels.

 

3. Secretary-General Spencer Oliver presented his report, noting in particular that the last year saw a remarkable turnover in the delegations of the PA due to the results of parliamentary elections that had been conducted over that period of time.  He emphasized that the OSCE PA meetings provided an invaluable opportunity to meet new parliamentary members. Upcoming activities include finalizing the preparations for the Bureau Meeting in April 2010 in Copenhagen and the 2010 Annual Session in Oslo, Norway.

 

4. Deputy Secretary-General Tina Schøn reported on the OSCE PA election observation mission to Ukraine, the only one carried out since the October 2009 OSCE PA Fall Meetings.  The OSCE PA played a key role among other organizations monitoring that election and included more than 130 parliamentarians from more than 30 countries participating as observers.  The OSCE PA mission staff met with a number of other delegations, including with Senator Raynell Andreychuk of Canada, Head of the Mission Canada – Ukraine Election 2010 observation mission.  The next OSCE PA election observation mission was being planned for the parliamentary elections in Tajikistan at the end of February 2010.  Many parliamentarians participated in an open discussion about the Ukrainian presidential elections and the relationship between the OSCE PA and ODIHR during election observation missions.

 

5. Reports were also presented on the work of various ad hoc committees of the OSCE PA and Special Representatives:

- Cecilia Wigstrom (Sweden) reported on behalf of the Working Group on Belarus, specifically its visit to Minsk in December 2009 and meetings held with the OSCE Minsk office, Belarusian parliamentarians and extra-parliamentary political parties, as well as members of the media and civil society. 

- Walburga Hapsburg Douglas (Sweden) reported on behalf of the Parliamentary Team on Moldova and its work which is complementing that of the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the CiO to promote a restart of the negotiations to resolve the situation in Trans-Dniester; meetings were held in January 2010 with various political forces and parliamentary groups in Chisinau and Tiraspol.

- Kathleen Ferrier (The Netherlands) was appointed Special Representative on Migration  in October 2009 and has since held meetings on the topic with OSCE officials in Vienna, particularly focusing on the economic and environmental dimensions of the issue. She is also examining the trafficking of human beings and met with the OSCE representative on this topic.

- Alcee Hastings (USA) reported on his activities as Special Representative on the Mediterranean and pointed to the need to develop concrete proposals to empower the Mediterranean partners in the PA in the coming months;  a proposal for future cooperation between the OSCE and its Mediterranean partners is being developed.

 

The Standing Committee also heard reports and preparations for upcoming meetings of the OSCE PA:

- the Bureau meeting in Copenhagen, 18-19 April 2010;

- a Trans-Asian parliamentary forum organized by Kazakhstan as CiO in Astana, Kazakhstan, 14-16 May 2010, which will discuss regional security issues, including Afghanistan, economic development in the region, human trafficking among others;

- the 19^th Annual Session in Oslo, Norway, 6-10 July 2010, with the theme, “Rule of Law: Combating Translational Crime and Corruption;”

- the Fall meetings in Palermo, Italy, 8-10 October 2010, with the theme, “Fighting Organized International Crime and Corruption;” and,

- the 20^th Annual session in Belgrade, Serbia in 2011 (theme TBD).

 

Activities of the Canadian Delegation:

 

As Head of the Canadian Delegation and Chair of the First General Committee on Political Affairs and Security, Senator Di Nino attended the meeting of the Standing Committee.  He commented on the recent Ukrainian presidential elections of which he was an observer.  He noted that the conclusions reached by the OSCE PA and partner organizations about the quality of the elections were the same as those of the Mission Canada – Ukraine Election 2010 observation mission.  He noted in particular that the election results show how Ukrainians have embraced democracy, as demonstrated in a 70% turnout under bad weather conditions.

 

B. Opening Plenary

 

At the first joint session of the three General Committees, the OSCE PA heard the following presentations:

- President Soares welcomed the plenary to the Winter Meeting.  He highlighted recent activities of the OSCE PA, particularly with respect to election observation missions, and noted the important role it plays as a democratically-functioning organization.  He welcomed the opportunity for the PA to be addressed at the Winter Meeting by the new CiO, the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Mr. Kanat Saudabayev and congratulated the CiO on priorities identified for the Chairmanship, which include Afghanistan and resolving frozen conflicts in the OSCE region. He reviewed the challenges facing the OSCE community and the world, including the global economic crisis, organized crime and corruption.

- Ms. Barbara Prammer, President of the Austrian Parliament, noted that as the OSCE considers how to strengthen itself as an institution, the PA should be given a greater role at OSCE meetings, including any upcoming Summits.  She emphasized the role the OSCE PA plays in representing the contribution of parliamentary diplomacy in international cooperation.  She also congratulated the OSCE PA for its work in election observation missions.

- Mr. Kanat Saudabayev, OSCE CiO for 2010, addressed the PA for the first time.  He emphasized the role that parliamentarians play in a wide range of issues and in particular regarding diplomacy.  He noted the importance of cooperation between the OSCE and the OSCE PA.  He reviewed the priorities of the Kazakhstan Chairmanship:  Tolerance, Transparency, Tradition and Trust, which will be applied against such priority issues as the Corfu process for strengthening European security institutions under the auspices of the OSCE, resolving the frozen conflicts in the OSCE region, Afghanistan and regional security, and the promotion of an OSCE Summit meeting for the first time since 1999.

 

Activities of the Canadian Delegation:

 

The Opening Plenary was attended by all members of the Delegation, except for Mr. Petit who was in Croatia for the day to represent the Delegation at the inauguration of the newly elected president.

 

Senator Di Nino posed a question to the CIO about the Chairmanship’s plans to hold an OSCE Summit in 2010 and prospective items on the Summit agenda.

 

C.  General Committee on Political Affairs and Security

 

Chair: Senator Consiglio Di Nino (Canada)

Vice-Chair: Canan Kalsin (Turkey)

Rapporteur: Mr. Riccardo Migliori (Italy)

 

Parliamentarians attending the meeting of this Committee heard the following presentations and reports:

- The High Commissioner on National Minorities, Ambassador Knut Vollebaek, spoke about the need for OSCE states to take more seriously the challenge of making their diverse societies more cohesive and integrated in order to overcome extreme nationalism and intolerance.  The Ambassador invited submissions from parliamentarians from countries with experience in these areas, as he prepares a draft of such a strategy.  He also called on parliamentarians to guard against passing legislation that promoted intolerance and extremism;

- The Director of the Conflict Prevention Centre, Ambassador Herbert Salber, described the work of the Centre in supporting the numerous OSCE field missions and reviewed the activities of some field missions, including Moldova.  He highlighted the creation of institutions by some of the field missions, including the OSCE Academy in Bishkek and a Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe.  He invited the OSCE PA to become more involved in the work of the field missions.  He also highlighted the work of the CPC regarding Afghanistan, in which it has become increasingly engaged since 2005 in order to promote standards and strengthen peace and stability in the region.

- The Rapporteur of the Committee, Mr. Migliori, provided an overview of the report and draft resolution being prepared for the Committee’s next meeting at the upcoming Annual Session in Oslo.  The report and draft resolution will focus on organized crime and its relationship to security and emphasise the need to better coordinate anti-organized crime legislation among the various states and for the six OSCE states that have not yet ratified the UN human trafficking protocol to do so.

- The Vice-Chair of the Committee, Ms. Kalsin, provided an interim report on the follow-up to the Vilnius Declaration.  The report focused on activities undertaken by the OSCE as they pertain to the First Committee resolutions, including the priorities of the Kazakh Chairmanship, the role of food security in the OSCE’s 2010 programming, Afghanistan, small arms and light weapons, the Corfu process, and labour migration.

 

Activities of the Canadian Delegation:

 

- Senator Di Nino chaired this meeting.

- The meeting was held concurrently with the meeting of the General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and the Environment. As a result, some members of the delegation attended either one or the other. This meeting was attended by Mr. Oliphant and Madame Lalonde.

- Madame Lalonde shared views in response to the address by Ambassador Vollbaek about Canada’s experience with integration and official bilingualism, and commented on the role of the media in the integration of linguistic groups.  She also invited the Ambassador to visit Canada as part of his integration initiative.

 

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

 

Chair: Mr. Roland Blum (France)

Vice-Chair: Mr. Ivor Callely (Ireland)

Rapporteur: Mr. Serhiy Shevchuk (Ukraine)

 

Parliamentarians attending the meeting of this Committee heard the following presentations and reports:

- The Rapporteur of the Committee, Mr. Shevchuk, provided an overview of the report and draft resolution being prepared for the Committee’s next meeting at the upcoming Annual Session in Oslo.  The draft report and resolution will focus on the economic dimension of international crime and corruption, its relationship with drug trafficking, financial crime, the role of diaspora groups, and cybercrime.

- The Vice-Chair of the Committee, Mr. Callely, provided an interim report on the follow-up to the Vilnius Declaration.  The interim report focused on activities undertaken by the OSCE as they pertain to the Second Committee resolutions, including the work of the OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum, the OSCE Coordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities, the various OSCE field missions, a Chairmanship Conference on Security Implications of Climate Change, and water management as a project theme by the OSCE Project Coordinator in Ukraine. 

 

The Committee also heard from the Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, Mr. Goran Svilanovic, who spoke about the need to strengthen the oversight of financial regulations in light of the financial crisis and the need to invest more money into an environmentally friendly energy security industry.  In addition, parliamentarians heard a presentation on the Energy Community for South East Europe by Mr. Fatmir Besimi, Minister of Economy of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Slavtcho Neykov, Director of the Energy Community for South East Europe Secretariat.

 

Activities of the Canadian Delegation:

 

- This meeting was held concurrently with the meeting of the General Committee on Political Affairs and Security.  As a result, some members of the delegation attended either one or the other;  this meeting was attended by Senator Rivard and Senator Peterson.

- In response to the presentation on the interim follow-up report, Senator Rivard made remarks pertaining to Canada’s participation at the December 2009 climate change conference in Copenhagen and recent initiatives undertaken by Canada internationally, including its support for the Copenhagen Accord, and the value of for a such as the OSCE PA to maintain momentum on ongoing negotiations relating to climate change.

 

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

 

Chair: Ms. Walburga Habsburg-Douglas (Sweden)

Vice-Chair: Mr. Robert Aderholt (USA)

Rapporteur: Mr. Matteo Mecacci (Italy)

 

Parliamentarians attending the meeting of this Committee heard the following presentations and reports:

- The Rapporteur of the Committee, Mr. Mecacci, provided an overview of the report and draft resolution being prepared for the Committee’s next meeting at the Annual Session in Oslo.  The report and draft resolution will focus on the implementation of the 2000 UN Convention Against Transnational Crime and the need to apply international standards in combating transnational crime across the OSCE region.

- The Vice-Chair of the Committee, Mr. Aderholt, provided an interim report on the follow-up to the Vilnius Declaration.  The interim report focused on activities undertaken by the OSCE as they pertain to the Third Committee resolutions, including the work of the OSCE Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, election observation, moratorium on the death penalty, gaps in the OSCE concerning refugees and displaced peoples, anti-Semitism, and freedom of expression and opinion.

- The Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, Ambassador Philip Remler, provided an overview of the recent work carried out by the Mission with respect to promoting progress on negotiations among the key parties to settle the Trans-Dniester situation in that country.  He summarised the challenges relating to the military and political framework for such a settlement.  He emphasised the need to build trust and confidence among the parties whose positions have hardened over time in order for negotiations to move forward.

- The Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Mr. Janez Lenarcic, discussed the role that rule of law plays in combating terrorism, as well as the dilemma in respecting human rights while combating terrorism.  He also discussed the relationship between the OSCE PA and ODIHR regarding election observation missions.

- The OSCE Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Ms. Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, reviewed the problem of trafficking in detail, in particular where women and girls are concerned.  She reviewed the contents of the OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, which is based on coherent, comprehensive and co-ordinated initiatives that are human rights based and that build on a strategic partnership with civil society organizations.  She also called for better coordination internationally and nationally of anti-trafficking measures which respond to the multiple sides of the problem such as organized crime, migration, human rights protection, gender equality, development, economic and labour market issues, while also protecting the victims.

 

Activities of the Canadian Delegation:

 

- This Committee meeting was attended by all six members of the Canadian delegation.

- Mr. Petit made remarks in response to the presentation on the interim follow-up report.  He urged greater attention and action by parliamentarians to protect children and provided a summary of recent legislation and studies carried out by the Parliament of Canada as they relate to child protection.  He also noted that the protection of children will be a focused theme of the upcoming 2010 G-8 and G-20 Summits being held in Canada.

- Mr. Petit also made remarks in response to the Rapporteur’s presentation, noting in particular that organized crime includes a human trafficking dimension and this needs to be included in the Rapporteur’s report to be presented at the Annual Session in Oslo.

 

F.  Plenary: Special Debate on Afghanistan

 

The Special Debate on Afghanistan was led off by the following addresses:

- Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (Head of Delegation, Kazakhstan) emphasised that Afghanistan was a critical situation for the region and for the OSCE in light of the challenges it poses regarding drug-trafficking and religious extremism.  As a result, while the OSCE countries of Central Asia are very involved in order to address the threats Afghanistan poses to regional security, it is not an Asia-specific challenge.  The 2010 Chairmanship of the OSCE has made Afghanistan a priority and intends to increase the OSCE’s role in Afghanistan’s reconstruction.  In particular, the reintegration of the Taliban and Afghanistan’s political reconciliation will require the support of the OSCE in cooperation with other organizations.

- Michel Voisin (Head of Delegation, France; Special Representative on Afghanistan) reviewed the challenges that remain to be addressed in Afghanistan, including security sector reform, training of security forces, and the development of a securitisation strategy for Afghanistan that includes the protection of civilians.  He indicated that the optimism felt after the London Conference was not unanimously shared and there remains for international organizations and actors to improve their coordination and cooperation.  Other challenges in Afghanistan include improving its governance and rule of law, and addressing the criminal elements that remain in government and corruption.  The rights of women in Afghanistan also need to be addressed.

 

In the two hours allotted, nearly 50 parliamentarians participated in the special debate, which covered the following themes:

- the transition of the country and its security to Afghan control;

- the electoral process and the need to strengthen democratic institutions, including the Afghan parliament;

- the need to reduce unrealistic expectations;

- the role of parliamentarians in the London Conference and in implementing its declaration;

- challenges such as border security issues, drug trafficking, and the lack of protection of women’s rights;

- regional insecurity and the role of Pakistan; and,

- the added value of the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to addressing Afghanistan’s challenges.

 

Activities of the Canadian Delegation :

 

All members of the delegation attended the Special Debate on Afghanistan. 

Senator Di Nino participated in the debate and emphasised the importance of Afghanistan to Canadian policy, as demonstrated in the country receiving the largest amount of bilateral aid.  He also noted that Canada’s contribution has involved the ultimate sacrifice:  the loss of Canadian soldiers and civilians, the highest proportion of among allies.  He also congratulated Kazakhstan for making Afghanistan a priority during its Chairmanship and urged fellow parliamentarians to support the initiative. 

Madame Lalonde participated in the debate and emphasised the need to increase the education of women in Afghanistan, to address drug-trafficking and to strengthen anti-corruption efforts in order to ensure that aid is distributed to benefit the Afghan people. 

 

G.  Closing Plenary

 

During the closing session, the three General Committees heard the following presentations:

- The Secretary-General of the OSCE, Ambassador Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, spoke about the unique role the OSCE is playing in the Corfu Process and the welcome support given by the Kazakhstan Chairmanship to continue the initiative.  He reviewed the OSCE’s activities in Afghanistan and announced that Australia has become the newest OSCE Partner in Asia.

- The Norwegian Head of Delegation reviewed the program for the 19^th Annual Session to be held in Oslo, 6-10 July 2010.

- Tone Tingsgaard (Sweden), Special Representative on Gender Issues, reminded the parliamentarians that gender representation in decision-making bodies is crucial to reach gender equality and that the OSCE needs improvement. She noted that women made up only 20% of the parliamentarians present at the Winter Meeting. 

- Carlo Vizzini (Italy), Special Representative on Transnational Organised Crime, reviewed the evolution of the problem and the challenges that have arisen.  He discussed the impact of transnational organised crime on security, public health, economic stability and development, and social stability.  He also discussed its relationship with drug-trafficking, money laundering and cyber crime.  He noted that judicial solutions as they are currently available are not effective

The Closing Plenary also included reports of the Committee meetings held at the Winter Meeting and that were presented by the respective Chairs.  President Soares closed the Winter Meeting.

 

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE CANADIAN DELEGATION

 

Senator Di Nino campaigned for the presidency of the OSCE PA in between sessions of the Winter Meeting and met with numerous heads of delegation and parliamentarians.

 

On arrival in Vienna on Wednesday, 17 February, the delegation met with the Canadian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the OSCE, Fredericka Gregory; senior military advisor, Lt. Col. Pierre Linteau; counsellor - OSCE Political-Military Dimension, John Gosal; counsellor – OSCE Budget, OSCE Economic and Environment Dimension, Alexandre-Etienne Michon; counsellor – Political/Economic and Public Affairs (bilateral), Jennifer May, for a briefing session at the Canadian embassy on the main issues in Canada-OSCE relations.  The briefing also included a discussion about proposals for a new European Security architecture and the OSCE’s activities in Afghanistan.  It should be noted that members of the parliamentary delegation strongly supported the value of such briefings by the Canadian embassy and should continue to be part of future programs related to the Winter Meeting.

 

The Winter Meeting of the OSCE PA addressed many topics which resonate with Canadians and which feature prominently in the work of the Parliament of Canada, including regional security, the global financial crisis, Afghanistan, climate change, human trafficking, and the protection of children among others.  In this respect, the Canadian delegation to the OSCE PA met one of its key objectives in attending these meetings: exchanging views and experiences with parliamentarians from other countries on areas of common interest and concern.  Its participation in each session of the Winter Meeting, including the Special Debate on Afghanistan, also raised Canada’s profile.  Moreover, given the importance of the OSCE and the OSCE PA to Canada’s trans-Atlantic relations, particularly given the role the OSCE is playing in the Corfu Process and the implications for the future of trans-Atlantic security architecture, members of the delegation also enhanced their understanding of the OSCE, its institutions, its activities and priorities in the region.

 

The Canadian delegation distinguished itself with its high quality and frequent participation by all members; this was acknowledged by many other delegations.  The Canadian delegation to the OSCE PA is well-respected by its fellow delegates.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

 

The Honourable Consiglio Di Nino, Senator

Director

Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA)