Report

From 5 to 9 July 2012, five Canadian parliamentarians travelled to Monaco to attend the 21st Annual Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).  Mr. Dean Allison, M.P. led the delegation that included the Honourable Senator Ghislain Maltais, Mr. Dave Van Kesteren, M.P., Ms Nycole Turmel, M.P., and the Honourable Hedy Fry, M.P.  The delegation was accompanied by Andrew Lauzon, Association Secretary, and Natalie Mychajlyszyn, Advisor.

OVERVIEW OF THE OSCE

Established in 1975 as the “Conference on Security and Co‑operation in Europe” (CSCE), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) was given its current name at the Budapest Summit in December 1994.  The OSCE participating countries, currently 56 in number, are “all the European states, the United States and Canada.” [1]  Eleven other states from the Mediterranean area and Asia joined as observers and are known as “Partners for Cooperation.”  The organization is defined as a primary instrument for early warning, conflict prevention and crisis management.  It is also recognized as a regional arrangement under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, which requires that participating United Nations Member States “make every effort to achieve pacific settlement of local disputes through such regional arrangements or by such regional agencies before referring them to the Security Council.”[2]  However, the OSCE is not an international organization in the strict sense of international law, in that its resolutions are not legally binding on the signatory countries.

The OSCE’s 2012 budget is €148,055,400 million (C$192 million), a decrease of €2.7 million from the 2011 budget.  Canada’s 2012 contribution is €8 million (C$10.4 million).  Approximately 65% of the OSCE’s budget is dedicated to 17 field missions and other field activities in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia. The OSCE employs approximately 2800 individuals, the vast majority of whom are assigned to field missions. One quarter of the OSCE employees are seconded by the participating countries.

A.   An Inclusive, Global and Cooperative Approach to Security

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

The OSCE’s resolutions and activities stem from a comprehensive understanding of security that extends beyond the political-military model.  In the Charter for European Security, adopted at the November 1999 Istanbul Summit, the heads of state and of government of the participating countries agreed to “address the human, economic, political and military dimensions of security as an integral whole.”[3]  All forms of peaceful cooperation between the participating countries are considered as having the potential to reduce the risks of conflict in the region.  The OSCE’s cooperative approach is confirmed by the fact that all 56 states have equal status.  Decisions are made by consensus rather than majority vote.[4]

B.   Operational Capacity

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

Field activities account for almost 65% of the OSCE budget.  The fact that it has no missions in Western Europe or North America is a point frequently raised by the Commonwealth of Independent States to argue that, although it claims to be cooperative and egalitarian, the OSCE applies a double standard in its relations with the participating countries.  The OSCE’s reply is that its operations stem from commitments made in a consensual manner and at the invitation of the countries themselves. 

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

On 1 January 2012, Ireland succeeded Lithuania as the chair of the organization. Mr. Eamon Gilmore, Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, is serving as Chairman-in-Office. Ukraine will succeed Ireland as chair of the organization on 1 January 2013, followed by Switzerland in 2014 and Serbia in 2015.

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

C.   The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

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

·         To assess the implementation of OSCE objectives by participating States:

·         To discuss subjects addressed during meetings of the OSCE;

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

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

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

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

It is managed by a Bureau and a Standing Committee.  The Bureau comprises a President, nine Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, the Chair, Vice-Chair and Rapporteur for each of the three General Committees, and the President Emeritus.  The Bureau is responsible for ensuring that the decisions of the Standing Committee are carried out and takes decisions by majority vote.  The Standing Committee of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly comprises the members of the Bureau and the 56 heads of delegation of the participating states.  The Standing Committee guides the work of the Assembly, approves its budget and appoints the Secretary General.  It uses the “consensus minus one” rule when voting on decisions, except in the case of the appointment of the Secretary General, which is done by a majority vote. 

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

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

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

The General Committees meet at the Annual Session to debate and adopt resolutions, and elect Committee officers; they also convene jointly and separately at the Winter Meeting in February in Vienna, where the OSCE’s headquarters are located, to discuss and debate issues of importance, receive briefings by senior OSCE officials, and hear presentations by the Rapporteurs on their draft resolutions for the Annual Session.

The Bureau meets at the Annual Session as well as in April and December.  The Standing Committee meets at the Annual Session, the Fall Meetings, and at the Winter Meeting.  

The OSCE PA also convenes to discuss more specific topics either on the margins of these regular annual meetings or at other times. For instance, the Parliamentary Forum on the Mediterranean is held during the Fall Meetings of the OSCE PA, and the Economic Conference is hosted by the parliament of a participating State every second spring.

The OSCE PA is highly active in election monitoring, having observed over one hundred presidential and parliamentary elections in the OSCE region since 1993. It cooperates with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in its election observation missions. Canadian parliamentarians have participated in many of the OSCE PA election observation missions, including most recently the 2010 presidential election in Ukraine, the 2010 parliamentary election in Azerbaijan, the 2011 parliamentary election in Russia and Turkey, and the 2012 parliamentary elections in Serbia, Armenia and Kazakhstan, among others.

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

The PA’s budget is approved at the Annual Session; the 2012-13 budget, approved at the 2012 Annual Session, is €2.86 million, the same amount as in previous years. For 2012–2013 Canada’s budgeted contribution is C$196,709.89.

Petros Efthymiou (Greece) has been president of the PA since July 2010, succeeding Joao Soares (Portugal). [5] Spencer Oliver (United States) has served as Secretary General since January 1993. Dr. Hedy Fry (Canada) was appointed by the OSCE PA President in October 2010 as the Special Representative on Gender Issues. Bruce Hyer (Canada) has been Vice-Chair of the Second Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment since the 2011 OSCE PA Annual Session in Belgrade, having been elected for a one-year term.

2012 ANNUAL SESSION OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

For five days from 5 to 9 July 2012, more than 250 parliamentarians from 54 of the 56 OSCE participating States, together with representatives of the “Partners for Cooperation” states, met in Monaco to discuss the topic, “The OSCE: Region of Change,” and a variety of other issues of importance. 

The programme of the Annual Session consisted of a meeting of the Standing Committee; an Inaugural Plenary Session; three days devoted to the work of the three General Committees; a working lunch on gender issues;  a meeting of the Bureau; and a Closing Plenary Session.

On the fifth and last day of the Annual Session, the Monaco Declaration, which contains all of the resolutions adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly at this Annual Session, was adopted.  Riccardo Migliori (Italy) was acclaimed president of the Assembly for a one-year term for 2012-13.

A.   Standing Committee

The Standing Committee was chaired by Jean-Charles Gardetto, head of the host delegation and a Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly.

The Standing Committee heard the report of the Assembly’s Treasurer, Mr. Roberto Battelli (Slovenia), who indicated that the PA’s budget for 2012-13 was frozen for another year. The Standing Committee unanimously approved the budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year which begins 1 October 2012.  While the treasurer noted that the PA’s finances continue to balance, he indicated that in future years the budget will need to accommodate a high level of activity and increase costs, including increased staff salaries in order that they be competitive. 

The Secretary General reported to the Standing Committee about the Assembly’s activities over the last twelve months, including election observation missions to Tunisia, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Armenia and Serbia.  He emphasized that the PA has received clean audits and has been on budget for the last twenty years.  He also noted that the number of activities, meetings, election observation missions, and participants have been growing, thereby underlining the role the PA plays in advancing comprehensive security in the region.

The Standing Committee voted on and approved 26 of the 28 supplementary items sponsored for consideration at the Annual Session.  The supplementary item on asbestos did not receive the necessary 2/3 majority of the Standing Committee to be placed on the Annual Session’s agenda, and the Russian sponsor of the supplementary item on countering aggressive nationalism and neo-Nazism withdrew the item.

The Standing Committee heard reports by Special Representatives, Chairs of Ad Hoc Committees and leaders of recent OSCE PA election observation missions to Russia, Serbia, Armenia, and Kazakhstan. 

Canadian participation

As head of the Canadian delegation, Dean Allison attended the Standing Committee meeting. 

B.   Plenary Sessions

At the plenary sessions, participants heard a number of presentations: 

·Prime Minister Michel Roger of Monaco underlined the value of the OSCE’s mandate in strengthening regional security.  He highlighted recent initiatives undertaken in this regard to reflect the changing security context, including combating human trafficking and strengthening relations with Mediterranean countries.

·The Speaker of the National Council of Monaco, Jean-François Robillon, emphasized the fundamental security challenges, as well as the challenges of protecting and implementing human rights and freedoms, that cross all political, economic, and human dimension spheres and touch all countries, particularly in an era of globalisation.  He highlighted parliamentary diplomacy as a vital instrument in helping countries face these challenges by providing a forum of exchange, reflection and debate among diverse groups, values and backgrounds.  He also noted that Monaco’s hosting of the OSCE PA Annual Session exemplifies the principles of the proposed supplementary item on the role of small states in promoting security and stability.

·In his first address to the OSCE PA, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Irish Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore, paid tribute to the PA and noted his interest in working with the OSCE PA to meet common objectives.  He summarised the priorities of the Irish chairmanship, including finalising  several decisions at the upcoming Ministerial Council to break the stalemate of drafts not adopted in previous years, holding governments accountable regarding their commitments, combating racial discrimination and human trafficking, promoting internet freedom, strengthening cybersecurity, and resolving the unsettled conflicts in the region.  He also anticipated that Mongolia’s membership application to the OSCE will be approved at the next Ministerial Council meeting in December 2012.  He also hoped that movement on reform of the OSCE will have progressed in time for the fortieth anniversary of the OSCE in 2015.

·President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Jean-Claude Mignon, focused on the violation of human rights in the region, including the situation in Ukraine and the treatment of former prime minister and presidential candidate, Yulia Tymoshenko, in that country, as well as the recent adoption in Russia of laws against public protests.  He also raised concerns about the progress and challenges of democratization in the Mediterranean region and implications for the OSCE region in general.

·The OSCE Secretary General, Lamberto Zannier, noted that the work of the committees of the OSCE PA and OSCE are better coordinated than in past years.  He provided an update to his February report to the Assembly on OSCE efforts to strengthen its instruments regarding conflict prevention and preventive diplomacy, to better coordinate with other international and regional organizations, and to address the various elements of the conflict cycle.

The Assembly debated four supplementary items in plenary:  Ukraine, Rule of Law in Russia: Case of Sergei Magnitsky, Equal Participation of Women in OSCE Decision-making, and Gender and Minorities in the OSCE Region, the first two of which generated considerable debate among parliamentarians.  These supplementary items were adopted and included in the Monaco Declaration.

The Plenary Session continued with the report by the Treasurer, Roberto Battelli (Slovenia), who informed the Assembly that the Standing Committee approved the Assembly’s budget for 2012/13 with no increases, but also that future budgets will need to accommodate higher costs.  He noted that goodwill and support from the participating parliaments will be required in order to meet these challenges.

Spencer Oliver, Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, delivered his report on the activities of the Assembly over the past year. 

The Monaco Declaration, which consists of the three resolutions and 25 supplementary items passed by the General Committees, was then adopted.[6]

Finally, the results of the elections for President and Vice-Presidents were announced:  Riccardo Migliori (Italy) was acclaimed as President; Jean-Charles Gardetto (Monaco), Robert Aderholt (United States), Uta Zapf (Germany), George Tsereteli (Georgia), Alain Neri (France) were elected Vice-Presidents.

The next Annual Session will be held in July 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Canadian participation:

Every member of the Canadian delegation attended the Plenary Sessions.

·Mr. Allison participated in the debate on the supplementary item on Rule of Law in Russia: the Case of Sergei Magnitsky, in particular raising questions about his posthumous prosecution, the limited number of suspects charged in this case, and the Russian Investigative Committee’s efforts to examine the circumstances of his treatment and death.

·Mr. Van Kesteren participated in the debate on the supplementary item on Ukraine. He emphasised in particular the conclusions of the report on Ukraine by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, including that close and positive relations between Canada and Ukraine will depend on real progress in key areas such as rule of law, free and fair elections and human rights, themes which were addressed in the supplementary item.  He noted that the resolution’s adoption would help underline the standards that all of the participating States, including Ukraine, have promised to uphold.

·The Special Representative on Gender Issues, Dr. Fry, presented her annual Gender Balance Report to the Assembly on the theme of Women as National, Ethnic, Linguistic, Racial and Religious Minorities in the OSCE region.[7]  Separately, Dr. Fry also spoke to her supplementary item on Gender and Minorities in the OSCE Region and participated in the debate on the item on Sergei Magnitsky.  During the latter, she highlighted the importance of carrying out objective investigations into his death and of enhancing the standards of rule of law in Russia.

C.   General Committee on Political Affairs and Security

Chair: Karl-Georg Wellmann (Germany)

Vice-Chair: Susanne Bratli (Norway)

Rapporteur: Vilija Aleknaite Abramikiene (Lithuania)

1.    Report and Principal Resolution

The Committee considered the report submitted by its Rapporteur, which dealt with issues facing the OSCE and OSCE PA relating to the Committee’s mandate, including protracted conflicts in the OSCE region, the sharing of military information, confidence- and security-building measures, and cyber-security among others.  It emphasised in particular the importance of political pluralism and democracy and reaffirmed that systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the OSCE region represent a serious threat to security and stability.[8]

The Committee debated the Rapporteur’s draft resolution on these themes and amendments proposed by Committee members.  The amended and adopted resolution in part calls on participating states to fully implement the provisions of the Vienna Document 2011 as well as to continue to update this Document with a view to further increasing military transparency and predictability, to undertake the necessary internal reforms of the OSCE to enable an effective response to the new security related environment whilst reflecting current financial restrictions, and to deepen contact and cooperation between the OSCE and Afghanistan.  The resolution is included in the Monaco Declaration.

2.  Supplementary Items

The Committee also debated the following twelve Supplementary Items and any proposed amendments: 

·         Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalisation that Lead to Terrorism

·         Strengthening Security in the OSCE Region

·         Moldova

·         Development of OSCE Cooperation with Afghanistan by 2014 and Beyond

·         The OSCE and Emerging Democracies in the Arab World

·         Iran’s Nuclear Programme

·         The Situation in Georgia

·         Enhancing Cross-Border Cooperation Policies in Post-Conflict Scenarios

·         Helsinki +40

·         The Impact of Small States in the OSCE

·         Support for the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy

·         Enlarging the Partnership with Non Member Mediterranean States to Include the Palestinian National Authority

The last item was defeated following a heated debate, while the remaining eleven were adopted and included in the Monaco Declaration.

At the end of its meetings, Committee members elected Asa Lindestam (Sweden) Chair, and by acclamation re-elected Susanne Bratli (Norway) Vice-Chair, and Vilija Aleknaite Abramikiene (Lithuania) Rapporteur.

Canadian participation:

·Mr. Allison participated in the debate on three supplementary items:  Iran’s Nuclear Programme; Support for the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy; and the Development of OSCE Cooperation with Afghanistan by 2014 and Beyond.  Notably, the resolution on Iran was hotly debated, and Mr. Allison’s motion to remove a paragraph that called on states to refrain from drastic measures in response to the threats posed by Iran’s nuclear programme was successful.  With respect to the other two supplementary items, Mr. Allison noted Canada’s international support of and contributions to global counter-terrorism capacity-building and Canada’s commitments to supporting Afghanistan’s priorities and progress in terms of Afghan children and youth, security, human rights, rule of law, humanitarian assistance and regional diplomacy.

·Mr. Van Kesteren participated in the debate on Enlarging the Partnership with Non Member Mediterranean States to Include the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), noting in particular that a settlement between Israel and Palestine needs to be reached before the PNA could be admitted as a Partner for Cooperation of the OSCE.

·Dr. Fry proposed two amendments to the principal resolution, both of which were adopted.

Due to the distribution of votes across the committees, the delegation was allocated four votes for this committee, which were used interchangeably by Mr. Allison, Senator Maltais, Mr. Van Kesteren, Ms Turmel, and Dr. Fry.

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

Chair: Mr. Serhiy Shevchuk (Ukraine)

Vice-Chair: Mr. Bruce Hyer (Canada)

Rapporteur: Mr. Tony Lloyd (United Kingdom)

1. Report and Principal Resolution

The Committee considered the report submitted by its Rapporteur, which dealt with the current financial crisis, the impact of credit rating agencies on the formulation of economic policies, the range of government responses to overcome these challenges and enhance economic growth, including initially stimulus spending followed by spending cuts, and the importance of coordinating policies between OSCE participating States. [9]

The Committee debated the Rapporteur’s draft resolution on this topic and amendments proposed by Committee members.  The amended and adopted resolution in part calls on parliamentarians to play a greater role in overseeing and debating economic policies implemented by governments across the OSCE region, as well as calls on participating States to increase support to small- and medium-sized enterprises, to ensure that the burden of an economic recovery is fairly shared, and to encourage greater transparency of the credit rating system. The resolution is included in the Monaco Declaration.

2. Supplementary Items

The Committee also debated the following four Supplementary Items and any proposed validated amendments: 

·         Promotion and Use of New and Renewable Sources of Energy

·         Sharing Experience in Reclaiming Water Resources in Order to Strengthen Global Food Security

·         Assistance for Children in the Aftermath of Crisis Situations

·         Freedom of Movement in the OSCE Region

These were adopted and are included in the Monaco Declaration.

At the end of the meetings, Committee members elected by acclamation Serhiy Shevchuk (Ukraine) Chair,  Roza Aknazarova (Kyrgyzstan) Vice-Chair, and Christos Stylianides (Cyprus) Rapporteur.

Canadian participation:

·Mr. Van Kesteren, Ms Turmel, and Dr. Fry participated in the debate on the Committee’s principal resolution.  Dr. Fry also proposed two amendments, both of which were adopted.

·Mr. Van Kesteren participated in the debate on the Promotion and Use of New and Renewable Sources of Energy, emphasising Canada’s global leadership in and commitment to building green infrastructure, investments in renewable energy and clean fuels, improving energy efficiency, and developing the use of clean energy technologies. 

·Dr. Fry participated in the debate on Assistance for Children in the Aftermath of Crisis Situations, noting that children are not only among the most vulnerable, but also the most helpless among victims of disasters and wars, thereby requiring particular attention and support to overcome their immediate effects and to ensure that the disruption to their social and educational development, as well as health, is minimised as much as possible.

Due to the distribution of votes across the committees, the delegation was allocated three votes for this committee, which were used interchangeably by Mr. Allison, Mr. van Kesteren, Ms Turmel, and Dr. Fry.

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

Chair: Matteo Meccaci (Italy)

Vice-Chair: Alain Neri (France)

Rapporteur: Coskun Coruz (the Netherlands)

1. Report and Principal Resolution

The Committee considered the report submitted by its Rapporteur, which dealt with the OSCE’s human dimension commitments and various mechanisms available in situations of human rights violations, progress and challenges in implementing these commitments, particularly in Ukraine which will Chair the OSCE in 2013, the state of judicial independence and fair trial rights in the region, and prison conditions and treatment of prisoners.[10]

The Committee debated the Rapporteur’s draft resolution on this topic and amendments proposed by Committee members.  The amended and adopted resolution in part calls on participating States to apply more frequently and effectively existing procedures in cases of violations of OSCE human dimension commitments, to set the standard for exemplary observance of commitments when a participating State holds the Chairmanship of the OSCE, and to ensure that conditions in detention centres conform with United Nations standards.  The resolution is included in the Monaco Declaration.

2.  Supplementary Items

The Committee also debated the following six Supplementary Items and any proposed validated amendments: 

·Protecting Vulnerable Populations from Human Trafficking

·Belarus

·Addressing Racism and Xenophobia Affecting People of African Descent in the OSCE Region

·Extraordinary Rendition Investigations

·Improving Election Observation in OSCE Participating States

·Transnational Fugitive Offenders

These were adopted and are included in the Monaco Declaration.

At the end of the meetings, Committee members elected by acclamation Matteo Mecacci (Italy) Chair, Isabel Santos (Portugal) Vice-Chair, and Ann Phelan (Ireland) Rapporteur.

Canadian participation:

·Ms Turmel participated in the debate on the supplementary item on Human Trafficking, noting that an effective response to the problem requires the implementation of international obligations and domestic mechanisms.  She called on states that have not yet ratified key international instruments to do so and highlighted recent all-party legislation adopted in Canada to strengthen the legal basis for addressing these offences.

·Dr. Fry participated in the debate on the Committee’s resolution, noting in particular the danger of regressive trends and the necessity of the implementation of its recommendations by the participating states in order to strengthen rule of law and judicial independence in the OSCE region.  She also proposed four amendments to the principal resolution, all of which were adopted.  Dr. Fry also participated in the debates on the supplementary items on Human Trafficking and Addressing Racism and Xenophobia Affecting People of African Descent.  With respect to these items, she recalled the contributions made by people of African descent to the political, economic and social spheres of their countries and also highlighted the challenges of domestic trafficking.

Due to the distribution of votes across the committees, the three votes allocated to the delegation for this committee were used by Mr. Allison, Senator Maltais, Mr. Van Kesteren, Ms Turmel, and Dr. Fry.

F.    Working Lunch on Gender Issues

As the Special Representative on Gender Issues, Dr. Fry, together with Ms Nicola Manzone-Saquet, Chairwoman of the Family and Women’s Rights Committee, National Council of Monaco, Mr. Guillaume Rose, Chairman of the Social Affairs Committee, National Council of Monaco, Mr. Matteo Mecacci (Italy), Chair of the Third Committee of the OSCE PA, and Mr. Akhtar Chaudry (Norway), Head of Delegation, addressed the over 100 parliamentarians who attended the Annual Session’s Gender Lunch.  The theme discussed was diversity and gender.  Following break-out discussions at each table, more than ten rapporteurs from each table reported on the priority areas identified in the discussions for capacity building on the part of governments, parliaments, and political institutions in order to improve the political, economic and social participation of women minorities.  The responses overwhelmingly focused on education of women minorities, support to political parties, and greater access to child care.   

Canadian participation:

In addition to Dr. Fry, the working lunch on gender issues was attended by Senator Maltais and Ms Turmel, accompanied by Andrew Lauzon and Natalie Mychajlyszyn.

G.   OSCE PA Mediterranean Forum

The Mediterranean Forum was held during the OSCE PA’s Annual Session rather than during its Fall Meeting as normally occurs.  Presentations were made by Ambassador Ihor Prokopchuk (Ukraine), Chair of the OSCE Contact Group with the Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation, Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and Francesco Amorusoi, Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), as well as Mohamed Abdulaziz, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation of Libya, and Khaled Ghellali, Spokesperson for the Libyan National Democratic Alliance.  Panelists highlighted the challenges facing democratizing countries of the Middle East and North Africa, including border security, absorption of ‘freedom fighters’ into the national government, containing internal tensions, advancing judicial co-operation with neighbouring countries and ensuring free and fair elections.   They also emphasized the different experiences of these countries, underlining the need to find strategies appropriate to the unique circumstances of each state.  In light of support from organizations such as the European Commission, the African Union, the Gulf Cooperation Council, they noted the opportunity for greater inter-organizational and cross-regional co-operation, stressing the wealth of relevant experience on these matters shared by the OSCE, Council of Europe and PAM.

Canadian participation:

The Mediterranean Forum was attended by Mr. Allison, Senator Maltais, Mr. Van Kesteren, and Ms Turmel.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE CANADIAN DELEGATION

·Members of the delegation had individual discussions with members of several delegations including Israel, Norway, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and the United States.

·The delegation attended an invitation-only lunch meeting hosted by the German Delegation and attended by the British and American delegations, the OSCE PA Secretary General, Spencer Oliver, the incoming OSCE PA president, Riccardo Migliori, and Head of the OSCE PA Liaison Office in Vienna, Andreas Nothelle.  Discussions centred among other topics on the weaknesses and challenges of recent efforts to reform the OSCE, particularly increasing resource and financial demands as the mandate and level of activity of the organisation grows, the quality of dialogue and exchange in Vienna among participating States, and the perception of overlapping and competing mandates among security and human rights institutions.  Participants considered ways by which the OSCE PA could become more involved in the OSCE’s activities, parliamentarians could consider drafting supplementary items that are directly relevant to the current agenda of the OSCE, and the value and profile of election observation missions.

·Mr. Allison met with William Browder, CEO, Hermitage Capital Management, the firm for whom Sergei Magnitsky was working as a lawyer in Russia when he was arrested and died in prison. Dr. Fry co-hosted a side event on Sergei Magnitsky together with Walburga Habsburg-Douglas (Sweden), Matteo Mecacci (Italy), Tony Lloyd (United Kingdom), Doris Barnett (Germany), and Oleh Bilorus (Ukraine) that was attended by over thirty-five parliamentarians in order to raise awareness of the key issues involved.

The Annual Session addressed many important topics, several of which resonate with Canadians.  The Canadian delegation distinguished itself with its high quality and frequent participation; most notably, the Canadian delegation actively participated in nearly half (48%) of the debates on the three committee resolutions and 26 supplementary items considered. The active presence of the Canadian delegation ensured that the views of Canadians on a range of issues were heard and that Canada has a role to play in inter-parliamentary debate.

Respectfully submitted,

Mr. Dean Allison, M.P.

Director

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