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On April 23, 2007, in his capacity as Treasurer of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Senator Jerahmiel S. Grafstein participated in the Expanded Bureau Meeting held in Copenhagen, Denmark. In preparation for the upcoming Annual Session to be held in Kyiv, Ukraine, in July, the Expanded Bureau of the Assembly met in Copenhagen on April 23. Chaired by OSCE Parliamentary Association’s President Göran Lennmarker, the meeting brought together all of the elected officials of the Assembly: the PA’s Vice-Presidents, Treasurer, and Officers of the three General Committees to discuss Assembly activities and to prepare for upcoming events. President Lennmarker reported on his activities since the Assembly’s Winter Meeting in February, including his meetings with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, with the President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, and with President of the Council of Europe PA, René van der Linden. Hosted by the Danish Parliament, the meeting provided an opportunity to review and discuss Assembly activities. In particular, there was a discussion about election observation activities and preparations for the upcoming election observation mission in Armenia, to be led by Vice-President Tone Tingsgaard. The Rapporteurs of the General Committees presented their draft Reports and Resolutions, which they are preparing for the Annual Session. Members of the Bureau provided comments and feedback on the drafts. The Rapporteurs will now finalize their work, which will be distributed to all OSCE PA delegations. Members were also briefed on preparations for upcoming meetings in Andorra, Kyiv, and Portoroz. The Assembly Treasurer, Senator Jerahmiel S. Grafstein, reported to the Expanded Bureau that the International Secretariat continues to function well within budget, and that the independent auditors remain fully satisfied with the financial running of the Secretariat. Senator Grafstein also presented his proposed budget, to be approved during the Annual Session in Kyiv, for the next fiscal year. Secretary General Spencer Oliver reported on the work of the International Secretariat in supporting the activities of the President, Special Representatives, Ad Hoc Committees and Assembly Members. The Deputy Secretary General also informed the Expanded Bureau that preparations for the Kyiv Session are proceeding very well. The OSCE PA is the parliamentary dimension of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, whose 56 participating States span the geographical area from Vancouver to Vladivostok. The primary task of the 317 member Assembly is to facilitate Interparliamentary dialogue, an important aspect of the overall effort to meet the challenges of democracy throughout the OSCE area. Recognized as a regional arrangement under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, the OSCE is a primary instrument for early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post conflict rehabilitation in its area. The Parliamentary Assembly, originally established by the 1990 Paris Summit to promote greater involvement in the OSCE by national parliaments, has grown into a very active and esteemed member of the OSCE family. Respectfully submitted, The
Honourable Senator Consiglio Di Nino
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