Report

From June 29 to July 3, 2025, a delegation of 10 Canadian parliamentarians participated in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s (OSCE PA) 32nd Annual Session, which was held in Porto, Portugal. The delegation comprised:

• The Honourable Dr. Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P., Head of Delegation;

• The Honourable Senator Peter M. Boehm;

• The Honourable Senator Percy E. Downe;

• The Honourable Senator David M. Wells;

• The Honourable Senator Judy White;

• The Honourable Darren Fisher, P.C., M.P.;

• Marilène Gill, M.P.;

• Annie Koutrakis, M.P.;

• Rob Morrison, M.P.; and

• Pierre Paul-Hus, M.P.

The delegation was assisted by Matthieu Boulianne, the Association’s Secretary, Brian Hermon, Advisor, and Anne-Marie Therrien-Tremblay, Advisor.

2025 OSCE PA ANNUAL SESSION

More than 200 parliamentarians from across the OSCE region met in Porto for the OSCE PA’s 32nd Annual Session. The theme of the Annual Session was “Commemorating 50 Years of the Helsinki Final Act: Responding to a New Reality in the OSCE.”

The Annual Session included a meeting of the Standing Committee and three plenary sessions, as well as meetings of the three OSCE PA General Committees: Political Affairs and Security; Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and the Environment; and Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions. Various OSCE PA Ad hoc committees and working groups – including the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Issues, which has one Canadian member – also met during the Annual Session.[1] As well, over the course of the Annual Session, the Canadian delegation participated in side events, bilateral meetings and a working lunch on gender issues.

The Porto Declaration was adopted during the closing plenary.[2] The declaration contains the resolutions of the three General Committees as well as 21 supplementary items (SIs) which were proposed by individual delegates. Elections for the OSCE PA President, Vice-Presidents, Treasurer, and committee officers, including the Chairs, Vice-Chairs and Rapporteurs, also took place during the 32nd Annual Session.[3]

STANDING COMMITTEE

A. OVERVIEW   

The Standing Committee – which comprises OSCE PA heads of delegation, the Assembly’s President, Vice-Presidents and Treasurer, as well as the officers of the General Committees – met on June 29, 2025. The Standing Committee approved the allocation of the 21 SIs to the Plenary and the three General Committees. OSCE PA President, Ms. Pia Kauma (Finland), and OSCE PA Secretary General, Roberto Montella, also presented their annual reports.[4]

The OSCE PA Treasurer, Johan Büser (Sweden), presented a budget proposal for 2025–26 in the amount of €4,373,000 – the same total as the previous year.[5] Canada’s national contribution for 2025–26 is €241,840,[6] or 5.53% of the budget, a level that reflects Canada’s assessed contribution at the OSCE intergovernmental level. Mr. Büser explained that, while the budget ensured a unified approach among participating delegations, the continuation of the practice of zero nominal budget growth would impose constraints on various OSCE PA activities, including election observation. The budget was adopted without amendments.

B. ACTIVITIES OF THE CANADIAN DELEGATION   

Dr. Fry represented the Canadian delegation at the Standing Committee.

OPENING OF THE ANNUAL SESSION

A. OVERVIEW   

The Opening of the Annual Session featured remarks by President Kauma, Ms. Paula Cardoso, Head of the Portuguese delegation to the OSCE PA, His Excellency José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, Speaker of the Portuguese Parliament, as well as His Excellency Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of the Portuguese Republic. The Assembly also heard a recorded video address by Mr. António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, who underlined the importance of parliamentary diplomacy is solving global challenges.

B. ACTIVITIES OF THE CANADIAN DELEGATION   

All members of the Canadian delegation attended the Opening of the Annual Session.

GENERAL COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL AFFAIRS AND SECURITY

A. OVERVIEW   

Chair: Vacant

Vice-Chair: Mr. Costel Neculai Dunava (Romania)

Rapporteur: Mr. Tobias Winkler (Germany)

The First General Committee considered and debated a draft resolution by the Rapporteur, Mr. Winkler. The resolution focused on the war in Ukraine and other regional security issues, including in Moldova and Georgia. It also touched on various security threats outside the OSCE region, including the conflict in Gaza and the situation in Syria.

• Supporting the Recognition of the State of Palestine as a Means of Ensuring Peace, Regional Stability and Compliance with International Law (Ms. Anna Bilotti, Italy)

• Preventing Youth Radicalization to Violent Extremism and Terrorism through Education and Media and Information Literacy (Mr. Kamil Aydin, Türkiye)

• Maritime Security: An Integral Part of the OSCE’s Comprehensive Security (Mr. Ville Kaunisto, Finland)

• Supporting Moldova’s Independence and Democracy (Mr. Pawel Zalewski, Poland)

• Supporting Multilingualism Within the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (Mr. Pascal Allizard, France)

During the last meeting of the First General Committee, the following individuals were elected or re-elected as officers of the First General Committee for 2025–26:

Chair: Mr. Marc Veasey (United States)

Vice-Chair: Ms. Jevrosima Pejović (Montenegro)

Rapporteur: Ms. Karina Odebrink (Sweden)

B. ACTIVITIES OF THE CANADIAN DELEGATION   

Dr. Fry spoke in response to the Rapporteur’s report on the topic of accountability for war crimes. In her remarks, Dr. Fry underlined the connection between criminal accountability for war crimes and ending cycles of violence and preventing conflict relapse.

Ms. Gill sponsored an amendment to the SI presented by Mr. Allizard. The amendment, which asked the OSCE PA International Secretariat to consider the possible risks of artificial intelligence-based translation tools and recommended that AI-produced translations of official OSCE PA documents be subject to professional review, was adopted.

Senator Wells spoke in support of the SI presented by Mr. Kaunisto on maritime security. His comments focused on the need to enhance maritime safety and security and to improve maritime surveillance and defence in the OSCE region. Ms. Koutrakis also spoke in support of Mr. Kuanisto’s SI. In her remarks, Ms. Koutrakis spoke about Canadian efforts to enhance maritime security, including in its Arctic and northern waters, and the importance of increasing cooperation to address maritime threats in the OSCE region. In an intervention in support of the same SI, Mr. Paul Hus spoke about the threats to Canada’s maritime security and the importance of increasing the surveillance of Canada’s Arctic waters.

Finally, Senator Downe spoke in support of Mr. Zalewski’s SI on Moldovan independence and democracy. Senator Downe’s comments focused on the need to support Moldova’s political reforms and to combat Russian interference in Moldova’s democratic processes.

GENERAL COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

A. OVERVIEW   

Chair: Mr. Azay Guliyev (Azerbaijan)

Vice-Chair: Mr. Artur Gerasymov (Ukraine)

Rapporteur: Ms. Paula Cardoso (Portugal)

The Second General Committee considered and debated a report and a draft resolution submitted by the Rapporteur, Ms. Cardoso. The resolution had a strong focus on the socio-economic and environmental impacts of Russia’s war in Ukraine. It also addressed issues relating to the fight against climate change, recent trade barriers and trade disputes, energy security and new technologies.

• Youth Perspectives on Facilitating Brain Circulation and Preventing Brain Drain in the OSCE Area (Ms. Lucija Tacer, Slovenia)

• Responding to the Demographic Winter (Ms. Gudrun Kugler, Austria)

• Promoting the Recovery and Safekeeping of Assets Confiscated from Organized Crime (Mr. Eugenio Zoffili, Italy)

• Addressing the Nexus Between Corruption, Organized Crime and Terrorism (Ms. Irene Charalambides, Cyprus)

• Climate Change, Corruption and Security: Addressing Interlinked Threats in the OSCE Region (Mr. Pere Joan Pons, Spain)

• Strengthening Parliamentary Diplomacy and Co-operation to Safeguard Future Generations (Ms. Farah Karimi, Netherlands)

The following individuals were re-elected as officers of the Second General Committee for 2025–26:

Chair: Mr. Azay Guliyev (Azerbaijan)

Vice-Chair: Mr. Artur Gerasymov (Ukraine)

Rapporteur: Ms. Paula Cardoso (Portugal)

B. ACTIVITIES OF THE CANADIAN DELEGATION   

Dr. Fry proposed three amendments to the SI on Responding to the Demographic Winter sponsored by Ms. Kugler. The first highlighted the importance of policies aimed at supporting maternal and newborn health. The second called on OSCE participating States to adopt policies relating to parental leave, early childhood education and care services. The amendment also added language that recognizes the diversity of family structures. The third amendment removed the mention of “cultural proximity” as a criterion for the design of targeted immigration policies. All three amendments were adopted.

Senator Downe spoke in support of the SI sponsored by Ms. Charalambides. His remarks focused on the links between corruption, organized crime and terrorism, stressing that these issues undermine public trust in democratic institutions and pose a significant threat to the economic stability of the OSCE region. In speaking in support of the same SI, Ms. Koutrakis underlined some of the recommendations made by the SI, including to adopt anti-corruption strategies as part of counter-terrorism efforts.

GENERAL COMMITTEE ON DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN QUESTIONS

A. OVERVIEW   

Chair: Ms. Lucie Potuckova (Czech Republic)

Vice-Chair: Mr. Sargis Khandanyan (Armenia)

Rapporteur: Ms. Carina Ödebrink (Sweden)

The Third General Committee considered and debated a draft resolution by the Rapporteur, Ms. Carina Ödebrink. The resolution focused primarily on the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine. It also addressed other regional situations affecting freedoms and human rights in the OSCE region and touched on issues related to youth participating in political life, the risks posed by artificial intelligence and laws affecting the LGBTI community. Outside the OSCE region, the resolution devoted several paragraphs to the situation in Gaza.

• Strengthening Gender Equality and Protecting Women (Ms. Catia Polidori, Italy)

• Repercussions for Failure to Comply with Democratic and Electoral Standards (Mr. Ulrik Nilsson, Sweden)

• Countering Russian Disinformation Regarding World War II and the Rewriting of History (Mr. Ruslanas Baranovas, Lithuania)

• Strengthening Support for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the OSCE Region (Dr. Hedy Fry, Canada)

• Strengthening Actions to Prevent Child Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children (Mr. Chris Smith, USA)

• Supporting Democracy and OSCE Values in Georgia (Mr. Pawel Zalewski, Poland)

The following individuals were elected as officers for the Third General Committee for 2025–26:

Chair: Mr. Sargis Khandanyan (Armenia)

Vice-Chair: Baroness Christine Blower (United Kingdom)

Rapporteur: Ms. Carina Ödebrink (Sweden)

Mr. Fisher served as one of the tellers for the elections in the Third General Committee.

B. ACTIVITIES OF THE CANADIAN DELEGATION

During the general debate on the Rapporteur’s report, Dr. Fry spoke about the issue of political prisoners. In her remarks, she drew particular attention to the fate of political prisoners held in Russia and to the case of Jimmy Lai, who is imprisoned in Hong Kong. Dr. Fry also presented an amendment to the committee’s draft resolution that acknowledged the disproportionately negative impact that foreign aid cuts have on women-led and women’s rights organizations, and which called on OSCE participating States to increase their foreign aid commitments for gender equality. The amendment was adopted.

In addition, Dr. Fry spoke in support of the SI presented by Ms. Polidori of Italy. In her remarks, Dr. Fry echoed the SI’s call on the Parliamentary Assembly to prioritize matters relating to gender-based violence.

Dr. Fry also presented her SI entitled Strengthening Support for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the OSCE Region, which was adopted without amendments.Ms. Koutrakis made an intervention in support of Dr. Fry’s SI, highlighting the SI’s call for participating States to support human rights defenders, civil society representatives and healthcare providers working to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Senator Downe spoke in support of the SI presented by Mr. Baranovas on countering Russian disinformation. Senator Downe’s remarks highlighted the need for OSCE governments to actively counter Russian and other foreign disinformation through educational initiatives, as well as by promoting media and digital literacy. Senator Wells also spoke in support of Mr. Baranovas’ SI, highlighting the role that parliamentarians can play within their respective legislatures to raise awareness about the threat posed by disinformation.

Finally, Mr. Morrison presented the SI entitled Strengthening Actions to Prevent Child Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children on behalf of Mr. Chris Smith (U.S.) who was unable to attend the Annual Session. In his presentation, Mr. Smith urged the Assembly to support the SI’s recommendations on improving coordination to better identify victims of human trafficking and ensure their protection. The SI was adopted without amendments.

FIRST, SECOND AND FINAL PLENARIES

• Strengthening a Positive Agenda for Co-operation in the Western Balkans (Mr. Kyriakos Hadjiyianni, Cyprus)

• 50th Anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act: Global Challenges for Peace and Security in the OSCE Region (Mr. Mykyta Poturaiev, Ukraine)

• The Helsinki Process Fifty Years On (Ms. Pia Kauma, Finland)

Following the adoption of these SIs, the Assembly heard reports about recent OSCE PA election observation missions in Albania (May 2025) and Romania (May 2025).

During the Second Plenary on July 2, 2025, delegates considered and adopted the following SI:

• Securing the Stability of the Parliamentary Assembly’s Financial Situation (Mr. Johan Büser, Sweden)

During the Second Plenary and the Final Plenary, delegates were also addressed by members of the OSCE leadership. The Secretary General of the OSCE, Ambassador Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Maria Telalian, and the Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE and Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Ambassador Jouni Laaksonen, made presentations followed by question-and-answer sessions. Delegates also heard addresses by the President of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly, Marcos Perestrello, and the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Theodoros Rousopoulos, who offered perspectives on European security.

General debates on the situation in the Middle East and the state of “The OSCE 50 Years After Helsinki” took place during the Second Plenary and continued into the Final Plenary.

During the Final Plenary, delegates heard reports on various OSCE PA activities. Delegates were addressed by the Chair, Co-Chair and the three special rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Support Team for Ukraine. Delegates also heard from the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism and the Vice-Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration. OSCE PA Secretary General Montella reported on the recent activities of the OSCE PA secretariat. As well, the vice-president of the Portuguese Delegation delivered closing remarks and President Kauma addressed the assembly, highlighting activities she had undertaken during her term as president.

The Porto Declaration was adopted during the Final Plenary and the results of the elections for officers of the OSCE PA were announced. The following individuals were elected or re-elected as OSCE PA officers:

• Mr. Pere Joan Pons (Spain) was elected President to the end of the 2027 Annual Session;

• Mr. Eugenio Zoffili (Italy) was elected Vice-President to the end of the 2028 Annual Session;

• Gábor Hajdu (Romania) was elected Vice-President to the end of the 2028 Annual Session;

• Lucie Potůčková (Czechia) was elected Vice-President to the end of the 2028 Annual Session.

• Irene Charalambides (Cyprus) was re-elected Vice-President to the end of the 2026 Annual Session.

Having run unopposed, Mr. Büser was re-elected Treasurer by acclamation to serve until the end of the 2027 Annual Session.

B. ACTIVITIES OF THE CANADIAN DELEGATION   

During the First Plenary, Senator White spoke in support of the SI by Mr. Poturaiev entitled 50th Anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act: Global Challenges for Peace and Security in the OSCE Region. Senator White’s remarks focused on the impact of the war in Ukraine on children and the need to support Ukraine in establishing a just and lasting peace.

Following the address by Secretary General of the OSCE, Ambassador Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, Senator Boehm asked a question about how the budgetary impasse at the OSCE is affecting the organization’s operations and field missions. Secretary General Sinirlioğlu noted that budgetary challenges, if not rectified, could affect the OSCE’s ability to compete with other major international organizations in attracting expert staff.

During the Second Plenary, Dr. Fry spoke during the special debate on the “Situation in the Middle East.” In her remarks, Dr. Fry underlined the many challenges facing countries across the Middle East, including in Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Syria, and emphasized the need to support peace and reconciliation in the region.

Senator Boehm and Mr. Fisher intervened during the open debate, which took place during the Second and Final Plenaries. Senator Boehm’s comments focused on the challenges facing multilateralism, which he said have accelerated in the last decade. Mr. Fisher talked about information manipulation, including the rapid dissemination of false, misleading and unverified information, and its effect on democracies.

WORKING LUNCH ON GENDER ISSUES

Every year, in her capacity as OSCE PA Special Representative on Gender Issues, Dr. Fry hosts a working lunch on gender issues during the OSCE PA Annual Session. The theme of the 2025 annual working lunch on gender issues was “Strengthening Support for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the OSCE Region.” The event was co-hosted by Dr. Fry and the Head of the Romanian Delegation to the OSCE PA, Ms. Paula Cardoso. Canadian delegates attended the working lunch on gender issues.

Dr. Fry presented the main findings of her 2025 Annual Report on Gender Issues entitled Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the OSCE Region – Protecting Gains, Countering Threats. The report discusses recent threats to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in the OSCE region and provides recommendations to governments and parliamentarians of OSCE participating States on ways to implement and reinforce SRHR services and protections. In her remarks, Dr. Fry stressed that a lack of SRHR services lead to higher rates of unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, maternal death and disability, sexually transmitted infections, gender‑based violence, and various problems in pregnancy and childbirth. She also drew attention to specific barriers to access to sexual and reproductive health services facing certain marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ individuals. For example, she noted, trans people face significant challenges in receiving trans-specific healthcare.

Participants heard a presentation by Ms. Mónica Ferro, Director of the United Nations Population Fund Representation Office in London. Ms. Ferro spoke about the work carried out by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in providing population data and supporting SRHR globally. She discussed the findings of a UNFPA 2025 report entitled The Real Fertility Crisis: The Pursuit of Reproductive Agency in a Changing World, highlighting that many people cannot exercise their reproductive rights and choices and face barriers in creating the family they want.[7]

In speaking to attendees, President Kauma acknowledged that new challenges and barriers to gender equality and SRHR are being observed across the OSCE region. She underlined the role of parliamentarians in ensuring previous gains made in those areas are protected. In his comments, Secretary General Montella highlighted the importance of gender representation in OSCE PA leadership and gender balance in the OSCE PA International Secretariat. He welcomed the work of Dr. Fry as Special Representative on Gender Issues, noting the activities of the Informal Gender Network she is leading.

Ms. Cardoso’s remarks and the address by Ms. Ferro were followed by an open discussion among parliamentarians on the challenges and progress in advancing SRHR. Participants were encouraged to discuss the following two questions:

• What are the main obstacles that parliaments and governments of OSCE participating States face in trying to strengthen support for sexual and reproductive health and rights?

• What are some examples of recent parliamentary work and best practices to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights in your country?

OSCE PA members took the floor to discuss these questions as well as other issues relating to gender equality in their country. Participants identified several obstacles, including disinformation and misinformation regarding SRHR and societal resistance to gender-related policies. Concerns were raised about the affordability of childcare, gender disparities in employment, and domestic violence. Despite these challenges, participants shared examples of good practices, such as expanded access to contraceptives, the establishment of parliamentary committees focused on gender issues, and legislative efforts to support individuals experiencing stillbirth. Overall, the discussions underscored a shared commitment to parliamentary cooperation to advance SRHR and gender equality.

SIDE EVENTS AND BILATERAL MEETINGS

Canadian delegates attended the following side events over the course of the 32nd Annual Session:

• A side event on “Countering propaganda, misinformation, disinformation and interference in the internal affairs of OSCE participating States” co-hosted by the delegations of Ukraine, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Sweden on June 30, 2025.

• A side event on the “International Year of Peace and Trust: Empowering Multilateralism for a Secure and Sustainable Future” hosted by the delegation of Turkmenistan on June 30, 2025.

• A side event on “Demographic Winter – A Documentary Perspective” hosted by Ms. Gudrun Kugler (Austria), OSCE PA Special Representative on Demographic Change and Security on July 1, 2025.

• A side event on “Youth during armed conflicts: the role of youth in the rebuilding and formation of resilience of the country” co-hosted by the delegations of Ukraine, Estonia and Norway on July 1, 2025.

• A side event on “Strengthening the legislative response to human trafficking risks for Ukrainian refugees” co-hosted by the United Kingdom Delegation, the Human Trafficking Foundation, and the OSCE Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Being on July 1, 2025.

• A side event on “Digitalization of election campaigns: The role of OSCE PA observers” hosted by Ms. Carina Ödebrink (Sweden) on July 2, 2025.

• A side event on “Meaningful Participation of Young Mediators in Peace, Democracy Building, and Conflict Resolution” hosted by Ms. Federica Onori (Italy) on July 2, 2025.

Canadian delegates participated in bilateral meetings with:

• Members of the Delegation of Ukraine on July 2, 2025, during which they discussed international and Canadian support to Ukraine, with a focus on financial and military support to Ukraine, Russian sanctions evasion, and forfeiture and repurposing of assets belonging to sanctioned Russian individuals and entities. Discussions also touched on recent developments in Ukraine and the prospect of negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire.

• Mr. Pere Joan Pons (Spain), Head of the Spanish Delegation and candidate for the position of OSCE PA president, on July 1, 2025.

• Mr. Mark Pritchard (United Kingdom), Deputy Head of the U.K. Delegation and candidate for the position of OSCE PA president, on July 1, 2025.

OTHER ACTIVITIES OF THE HONOURABLE DR. HEDY FRY, OSCE PA REPRESENTATIVE ON GENDER ISSUES

On June 29, 2025, in her capacity as OSCE PA Special Representative on Gender Issues, Dr. Fry hosted a meeting with Portuguese civil society organizations in Porto, Portugal. The discussions focused on various issues relating to gender equality in Portugal, such as women’s political representation, education and the inclusion of gender equality in school curricula, online violence against women, the inclusion of an intersectional perspective in discussions relating to gender equality, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender equality. Participants also underlined some of the operational challenges they face in conducting their work, including in relation to accessing long-term and stable funding.

On July 2, 2025, in her capacity of Special Representative on Gender Issues, Dr. Fry met with Ms. Loredana Teodorescuthe, President of Women in International Security Italy and Head of the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network, and Ms. Laura Pistarini Teixeira Nunes, regional coordinator of the United Network of Young Peacebuilders. Ms. Teodorescuthe and Ms. Pistarini Teixeira Nune presented their work to implement the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, the Youth Peace and Security Agenda and to promote the role of women in mediation and peacebuilding. They discussed current and future cooperation between the OSCE, the OSCE PA and the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network.

Travel Expenses

Travel expenses associated with this activity can be found in the delegation’s financial report. This report is available in the Financial Disclosure section of the Parliamentary Diplomacy website.

Respectfully submitted,

The Honourable Dr. Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P.
Director, Canadian Delegation to the OSCE PA