Brochure for the OSCE PA Annual Session in Washington, DC 1-5 July 2005

0 Ce
OSCE's parlamentariske Forsamling
(2. samling)
OSCE alm. del - Bilag 79
Offentligt
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
PARLIAMENTARYASSEMBLY
14th Annual Session
30 Years Since Helsinki:
Challenges Ahead
1-5 July 2005
Washington, DC
Offentligt
OSCE Alm.del - Bilag 79
OSCE's parlamentariske Forsamling 2004-05 (2. samling)
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 osce PA
Welcome to Washington, D
(Congress of Unite!) *tale
tflas4iscgtins, DC 211313
Dear Colleagues:
We are delighted to welcome you to the 14th Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly in Washington, DC, from 1-5 July 2005.
While our capital city is relatively young, it has a great deal to offer and we look forward to
sharing many of our most cherished and traditional sites, sounds and taste treats during your visit. The
Fourth of July — the birthdate of our nation's independence — is a wonderful time to be in Washington
as the city celebrates with great fanfare. We are very proud of our capital and welcome this opportu-
nity to share its beauty and grandeur with you.
We are also pleased that the theme for thisAnnual Session is "30 Years Since Helsinki: Chal-
lenges Ahead."As we have stated previously, the Members of the United States Congress have played
a key role in advancing the principles enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act and we have been pleased to
contribute to the debates in the OSCE PA on the important issues of human rights and the rule of law.
As we look to the future, we are reminded on a daily basis of the importance of redoubling our efforts
to advance and strengthen democracies around the world.
Again, we look forward to welcoming you to Washington, DC!
J. Dennis Hastert lliam H. Frist, M.D.
Speaker jority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives United States Senate
1
ce PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
Message from the President
It is a great pleasure to
welcome the Members of the
OSCE Parliamentary Assem-
bly to our Fourteenth Annual
Session — held this year in my
country's capital of Washing-
ton, D.C.I would like to extend
the collective gratitude of the
OSCE Parliamentary Assem-
bly to the United States House
of Representatives and to the
United States Senate for their generous assistance to
our Annual Session and to the City of Washington for
its warm and courteous hospitality.
I am very proud to preside over the Annual Session
here in Washington, where I have worked for my con-
stituents for more than 12 years.
As the first American to serve as President of the
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, I have focused my
efforts as President on strengthening the links that
bring together the OSCE participating States from both
shores of the Atlantic.
The United States and Europe need each other, and
in order to strengthen the transatlantic relationship we
must work to rebuild that foundation of confidence
on which our partnership once rested. Never have
we failed to assist each other in our time of need. We
cannot forget that after the tragic events of September
11, our transatlantic partners expressed their support
and sympathy for America in the strongest terms. The
US and Europe must continue to work together, to pro-
mote peace and stability, not only in the Trans-Atlantic
theater, but throughout the world.
Since we last convened in Edinburgh, the OSCE Par-
liamentary Assembly, as the parliamentary dimension
of the OSCE, has continued to promote parliamentary
involvement in the activities of the Organization. The
Assembly has also facilitated inter-parliamentary dia-
logue and co-operation, providing a vital link between
the governmental side of the OSCE and elected repre-
sentatives of the participating States.
The OSCE has faced important problems this past
year. The Assembly has reiterated the need for reform,
especially in the decision making mechanisms. We
should remember that the OSCE is an indispensable
Organization. The OSCE continues to be a necessary
organization for the tasks we face in the politico-secu-
rity field of the 21st century. In our approach, we must
remember that the OSCE remains the most flexible and
responsive Euro-Atlantic foreign policy instrument for
non-military contingencies. It is the primary instrument
for early warning, conflict prevention, crisis manage-
ment, and post-conflict rehabilitation in our region. The
OSCE is able to contribute to these tasks and reforms
are underway. However, they will not be success-
ful unless policy makers on both sides of the Atlantic
are prepared to make better use of the most effective
regional security organization in Europe.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE contrib-
utes greatly to the process of adapting the Organiza-
tion to the new challenges by making public opinion
more aware of the OSCE and its activities. The Assem-
bly will also continue its important work supporting
democratic reforms throughout the OSCE region. The
various ad hoc committees of the Assembly and the
election observation missions are an important input in
this process.
I am particularly proud that under my leadership
the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has continued to
develop a particularly active program for observing
parliamentary elections. During my mandate we have
observed the electoral processes in Kazakhstan, Bela-
rus, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Moldova.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly also observed
for the first time the Presidential and Congressional
elections in my country last November. I believe that
our presence in established democracies demonstrates
our determination to apply uniform standards to all
OSCE participating States, be they located East or
West of Vienna.
In conclusion, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
— as a unique link between citizens and governments —
will continue to be a reliable partner contributing to the
success of the OSCE. Many challenges still lie ahead.
I am sure this WashingtonAnnual Session of the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly will be very productive in
providing our input as parliamentarians to the OSCE.
I would like to conclude by thanking all Members of
the Assembly for entrusting me with the important task
of leading the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and to
all the National Parliaments for their continuous sup-
port during my mandate.
Alcee L. Hastings
President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
2
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 PA
Message from the OSCE Chairman-in-Office
The OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly meets in Wash-
ington at an historic time for
the OSCE. Not only is this a
year of anniversaries for the
Organization — marking thirty
years since the signing of the
historic Helsinki Final Act and
fifteen years since the Char-
ter of Paris. It is also a year
of vital renewal, as we take
steps to enable the OSCE to deal more effectively with
Europe's contemporary security challenges.
Some say that the OSCE is in crisis. The lack of
a budget or scales has not been helpful, but this is a
minor issue compared to the challenge of fostering
security through co-operation in Europe.Any disagree-
ments over figures are marginal compared to the more
fundamental differences of view over the application of
OSCE standards, perceptions of bias, and the threat of
new dividing lines being drawn in Europe.
Accusations that the OSCE is becoming irrelevant
ring hollow when one considers the important role that
we are playing in Kyrgzystan or in Ukraine, assist-
ing in conflict settlement in Moldova, Georgia, and
between Armenia and Azerbaijan, or assisting States
in a range of security-related activities from policing
to national minorities, from election monitoring to
counter-terrorism.
It used to be the case that most people were either
complacent about the OSCE or had never even heard of
it. Now the OSCE is discussed at a high political level,
it is in the news, and people are talking about its future.
This is healthy and exciting.
We have an opportunity to better define the OSCE's
role in the European security network, to evaluate — and
concentrate on — what we do best, and improve what
needs fixing.
We need to channel the political energy being gener-
ated around the OSCE and focus it into improving the
ability of the 55 States to use this instrument for what
it was designed to do — contribute to peace, security,
justice and co-operation in Europe.
We have heeded the calls for reform. At the end of
June, a Panel of Eminent Persons presented their rec-
ommendations for strengthening the effectiveness of
the OSCE. I hope that some of their views may already
be a topic for discussion here in Washington. After
all, the Parliamentary Assembly is an ideal forum for
exchanging new ideas.
High level consultations will be held this autumn
to drive forward the reform debate, and I hope that a
number of important decisions can be taken at the Min-
isterial Council in Ljubljana in December.
Maybe it is also the right time to consider holding
another OSCE Summit. There is a great deal for our
Heads of State and Government to discuss, and there
has not been an OSCE Summit since Istanbul in 1999.
Europe is being transformed, sometimes at a pace
which catches us by surprise. We were just coming to
terms with EU and NATO enlargement, when we had
to shift gears and look at developments in Ukraine,
Georgia and Kyrgyzstan as well as seeking a sustain-
able future for Kosovo.
At the same time Europe, like the rest of the world,
is being forced to come to terms with new threats to
security, particularly those posed by extremism and ter-
rorism.
These are not only challenges for the OSCE, they are
challenges for the whole continent and all participating
States, as well as our neighbours. That is why change
within the OSCE (like the UN and European Union) is
both necessary and logical. It should not be reform for
reform's sake, rather an improvement of our ability to
deal with real world issues.
Thirtyyears ago, the original Conference on Security
and Co-operation in Europe had an immediate impact
on people's lives, as did the OSCE when it was created
20 years later, particularly in countries undergoing a
period of post-Communist transition. Today, people in
Bishkek, Kyiv or Tbilisi will certainly be able to tell
you what the OSCE is and why it remains important.
However, we need you, as Parliamentarians, to
spread the word among your constituents, to enable
people to better appreciate the merits of this Organiza-
tion and to encourage their political leaders to invest
the political will so necessary to enable the OSCE to
reach its full potential.
I look forward to actively participating in this Four-
teenth Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly and to hear your views on how we can face
the challenges ahead.
/(\
Dimitrij Rupel
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia,
OSCE Chairman-in-Office
3
osce PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
Report of the Secretary General
As we convene in Washington for the 14th Session
of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, I am pleased
to report that the Assembly is in very good condition.
Parliamentariansaremoreactivethaneverbefore inthe
work of the Assembly and in support of the multi-fac-
eted activities of the OSCE. We have recently had the
largest number ofpartici-
pants ever in our Annual
Session,Fall Conference/
Mediterranean Forum,
the Winter Meeting, and
the Sub-Regional Con-
ference. During this past
year, nearly a thousand
Parliamentarians par-
ticipated in our regular
meetings, and more than
five hundred OSCE PA
election observers were
deployed in eight elections in the OSCE area. Our
Ad Hoc Committees and Special Representatives, the
largest number ever appointed, have also been very
active. We have also continued to maintain close col-
laboration with the governmental side of the OSCE,
as well as with our partner parliamentary institutions,
particularly in the field of election observation.
President Alcee L. Hastings has been one of the
most active and effective Presidents in our history,
crossing the Atlantic more than ten times during his
first year as President of the Assembly. Gustavo Pal-
lares, our Presidential Advisor, who has worked with
us for nearly nine years, continues to do an outstand-
ing job supporting the work of Mr. Hastings, as he has
done for all recent PA Presidents.
The weeklyNewsfrom Copenhagen keeps all those
involved or interested inthe work oftheAssemblywell
informed. The PA website, which contains extensive
information about theAssembly, including archives of
past Declarations and Resolutions, as well as current
information, also serves as an important information
tool which is consulted regularly by virtually everyone
associated with and interested in the OSCE PA.
I am particularly proud of the professional support
that thestaffofthePAInternational Secretariathaspro-
vided to the OSCE Parliamentarians who have given
their valuable time and considerable influence to their
OSCE PA responsibilities. With a small permanent
staff of only 14 persons, supplemented by two senior
seconded officers and a six-person research assistant/
intern team, the Secretariat has assisted all PA activi-
ties. The current professional staffcomes from Russia,
Slovakia, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, the United
Kingdom,Canada,the U.S.A.andDenmark,represent-
ing North, South, East and West of Vienna, and as for
gender balance, there are seven women and seven men
on the permanent staff. I was also pleased to recently
announce the appointment of Tina Schøn of Denmark
asthenewDeputySecretaryGeneraltojoinwithVitaly
Evseyev of Russia, who
has given great service
to the Assembly for more
than twelve years as my
trusted Deputy.
This year also marks
the tenth anniversary of
the Research Fellow-
ship programme, which
continues to be a great
success, providing sub-
stantial research and lin-
guistic capability. Many
of the 140 bright young researchers from 25 countries
who have served in the Copenhagen Secretariat have
moved on to work in OSCE field missions and the
OSCE Secretariat in Vienna, as well as in their Parlia-
ments and Diplomatic Services.
The Assembly continues to be in excellent financial
condition. As in all previous years, our expenditures
have remained within the approved budget, and we
have received a perfect audit report by our outside
auditors. This is due to the extraordinary oversight and
diligence ofour Treasurer, Senator JerryGrafstein, and
ourFinancialAssistant, Per-Henrik Diirr, aswellasour
professional outside auditors at KPMG Jespersen.
Sincethe International Secretariat wasestablished in
Copenhagen 12 years ago, the Parliamentary Assem-
bly has successfully developed into a major interna-
tional parliamentary organization. I would like to take
this opportunity to thank the Delegations and National
Parliaments that have invited and hosted Assembly
events, particularly the Secretaries of delegations and
staff. Without the generosity, involvement and hard
work of national Parliaments the work of our Assem-
bly would not be possible. We are very proud of our
accomplishments and very grateful for the extraordi-
nary contributions ofhundreds ofOSCE Parliamentar-
ians to the success of the Assembly.
R. Spencer Oliver
Secretary General
4
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 ce PA
_
OSCE Parliamentary Assem
WM,
A Unique OSCE Institution
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly gathers over
300 parliamentarians from the OSCE participat-
ing States with the aim of promoting parliamentary
involvement in the activities of the OSCE and facili-
tatinginter-parliamentarydialogueandco-operation.
The Assembly occupies a unique place in the struc-
ture of the OSCE by providing a vital link between
the governmental side of the OSCE and parliamen-
tarians from the OSCE countries.
Parliaments of all OSCE States are entitled to be
represented in the Parliamentary Assembly, which
comprises 317 representatives. In addition, the Par-
liamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the
AssemblyoftheWestern EuropeanUnion,theNATO
Parliamentary Assembly, the Inter-Parliamentary
Union, the European Parliament, and the Inter-Par-
liamentary Assembly of the CIS all have observer
status in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
Short History
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly was estab-
lished by the leaders of the Parliaments of all States
signatory to the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, and the
1990 Charter of Paris for a New Europe. The Char-
ter of Paris, signed by the Heads of State or Gov-
ernment of 34 states meeting in Paris in November
1990, stated:
"Recognizing the important role parliamentari-
ans can play in the CSCE process, we call for greater
parliamentary involvement in the CSCE, in particu-
lar through the creation of a CSCE parliamentary
assembly, involving members of parliaments from
all participating States. To this end, we urge that
contacts be pursued at parliamentary level to discuss
the field of activities, working methods and rules of
procedure of such a CSCE parliamentary structure,
drawing on existing experience and work already
undertaken in this field."
At the invitation of the Spanish Cortes, leading
parliamentarians from all CSCE signatory countries
gathered in Madrid in early April 1991 to establish
the modalities of a CSCE Parliamentary Assembly
as requested by their respective Heads of State or
Government.
The Madrid meeting, attended by parliamentary
leaders from all CSCE States, encountered several
challenges from the very beginning due to the wide
variety of views among the 34 delegations. These
included whether to maintain the consensus proce-
dure used by the governmental CSCE, the determi-
nation of the frequency of Assembly meetings, the
role and number of committees, and the number of
votes to be assigned to each parliament. Compro-
mises were eventually reached, and a document, the
Madrid Declaration, was adopted by consensus.
The Madrid Declaration set forth the basic rules
of procedure, working methods, size, mandate, and
distribution of votes for the first official meeting of
5
osCe PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
the CSCE Assembly, scheduled for Budapest in July
1992. The Declaration also called for the Assembly
to meet once a year, at a time when most parliaments
would be out of session, enabling leaders and key
members of the various parliaments to attend.
At the Budapest Session, the Assembly decided
to establish a small permanent secretariat and to
appoint a Director, now Secretary General, with
two Deputies. The International Secretariat provides
administrative support for the Assembly in its vari-
ous activities.
The ParliamentaryAssembly's Objectives
The Assembly's primary task is to facilitate inter-
parliamentary dialogue, an increasingly important
aspect of the overall effort to meet the challenges of
democracy throughout the OSCE area. The OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly may also pursue other
important objectives that are stated in the preamble
of the Assembly's Rules of Procedure:
• To assess the implementation of OSCE objec-
tives by participating States;
• To discuss subjects addressed during meetings
of the Ministerial Council and the summits of
Heads of State or Government;
• To develop and promote mechanisms for the
prevention and resolution of conflicts;
• To support the strengthening and consolidation
of democratic institutions in OSCE participat-
ing States;
• To contribute to the development of OSCE
institutional structures and of relations
and co-operation between existing OSCE
Institutions.
To pursue these objectives, the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly employs a variety of means:
• A Final Declaration and a number of resolu-
tions and recommendations are adopted each
year at the Annual Session;
• Committee work addresses important contem-
porary international issues;
• Programmes and Seminars designed to develop
and strengthen democracy including an exten-
sive election observation programme;
• Special parliamentary missions to areas of
latent or active crisis.
Speaker of the USHouse ofRepresentatives, Mr. Dennis Hastert, and OSCE PA President Alcee L. Hastings
signedthe hostAgreementfor the14th AnnualSession ofthe OSCEPA. Secretary GeneralSpencer Oliver was
alsopresent at the ceremony which tookplace on April 5 2005 on CapitolHill.
6
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 Sc
O e PA
Assembly Bodies
The main elements of the Parliamentary Assembly
are the Plenary Assembly, the Standing Committee of
Heads ofDelegation, the Bureau,the Expanded Bureau,
and the three General Committees. The Standing Com-
mittee and the Bureau prepare the work of the Assem-
bly between Sessions, ensuring the efficient operation
of the Assembly. The three General Committees cor-
respond to the three main baskets of the Helsinki Final
Act: the General Committee on Political Affairs and
Security; the General Committee on Economic Affairs,
Science, Technology and Environment; and the Gen-
eral Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and
Humanitarian Questions.
The Standing Committee makes decisions accord-
ing to the principle of "consensus-minus-one". The
Bureau, the General Committees and the Assembly
Plenary take decisions by majority vote.
Annual Sessions
One of the most important events in the OSCE Parlia-
mentary Assembly calendar is the Annual Session held in the
beginning ofJuly. During each Annual Sessionthe Assembly
Plenary adopts a Final Declaration addressing contemporary
issues within the fields of Political Affairs, Economic Devel-
opment and Human Rights. The Final Declarations contain
specific calls on participating States to adhere to their OSCE
commitments as well as recommendations on strengthening
OSCE institutional structures. Annual Sessions of the OSCE
ParliamentaryAssemblyhavetaken placeinBudapest(1992),
Helsinki (1993), Vienna (1994), Ottawa (1995), Stockholm
(1996), Warsaw (1997), Copenhagen (1998), St. Petersburg
(1999), Bucharest (2000), Paris (2001), Berlin (2002), Rotter-
dam (2003), Edinburgh (2004). Washington DC will host the
2005 Session, and Brussels will follow as the host for 2006.
Summary Reports of Annual Sessions (as of 1998) are
available at wwwoseepa.org
Winter Meetings
In February 2001 the Standing Committee approved
the holding of an annual OSCE PA Winter Meeting in
Vienna. The Winter Meetings allow the three General
Committees to have additional discussions and debates
amongst themselves as well as to be briefed by high-
level OSCE officials who have responsibilities related to
the work of each of the three General Committees. The
Winter Meeting also serves as an opportunity for par-
liamentarians to hear presentations by the three General
Committee Rapporteurs and to discuss their draft reports
for the Annual Session. Winter Meetings have now
been held in February 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. In
all of these cases, parliamentary interest in the event far
exceeded initial expectations. The Winter Meeting is the
second largest event in the OSCE PA calendar, topped
only by the Annual Session.
Summary Reports of Winter Meetings are available at
www.oseepa.org
7
osce PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
Ad Hoc Committees
The Standing Committee of the OSCE Parliamen-
tary Assembly may appoint Ad Hoc Committees or
Working Groups, sometimes called Democracy Teams
or Parliamentary Teams, to address particular issues of
concern.
The OSCE PA, the EuropeanParliament and the Coun-
cil of Europe Parliamentary Assembly sometimes work
together as a Parliamentary Troika to address issues of
common concern to the three institutions.
Ad Hoc Working Group on Belarus
4
4
Uta Zapf
Chair
The OSCE Parliamentary Assem-
bly Ad Hoc Working Group on Bela-
rus was appointed in October 1998 in
order to assist in the development of
democracy in Belarus and facilitate
national reconciliation. The main aim
of the Working Group has been to
facilitate dialogue between the Gov-
ernment and opposition of Belarus in
an attempt to promote free and fair election processes
and aid in the development of democracy. Following
parliamentary elections in October 2004, the Group
has visited Belarus on several occasions and has been
moving forward with the first in a series of seminars
as agreed with the Belarusian Delegation to the OSCE
PA in the July 2004 Edinburgh Joint Declaration. In
all of its meetings, the Group has stressed the impor-
tance of participation in the OSCE process and the
need to find peaceful, inclusive solutions to the coun-
try's various political problems.
Parliamentary Team on Moldova
Kiinni Kiljunen
Chair
The Parliamentary Team on
Moldova was established in early
2000. The Team's mandate calls on
it to promote peace, stability and
the rule of law in Moldova, while
affirming the unity of the State, by
engaging in and promoting dialogue
between parties and organizations
representing different sections of
the Moldovan population. Resolving the status
of Transdniestria is a particular priority of the
Parliamentary Team. Following parliamentary
elections in March 2005, for which Mr. Kiljunen
was appointed the Chair-in-Office's Special Co-
ordinator for the Election Observation Mission,
the Team has sought ways to continue engage-
ment with its partners in Moldova by promoting
dialogue on the course of the negotiations on the
status of Transdniestria.
Ad Hoc Committee on Abkhazia (Georgia)
Tone Tingsgår' d
Chair
Committee has paid several visits to
Georgia and has held meetings with Members of the
Georgian Parliament and Government. In addition,
the Committee has worked with the OSCE Mission
to Georgia and the UN Observer Mission in Geor-
gia to try to establish contact with Representatives
of Abkhazia. However, no opening has been found
for direct contact between the Ad Hoc Committee
and Abkhaz Representatives.
In February 2001, the Standing
Committee decided to establish an
Ad Hoc Committee on Abkhazia
(Georgia) in order to promote the
creation of a political framework
which could help facilitate recon-
ciliation and a resolution of the
conflict in Abkhazia (Georgia). The
Ad Hoc Committee on Transparency
and Accountability in the OSCE
Steny Hoyer
Chair
In order to institutionalize the
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's
efforts to enhance transparency and
parliamentary involvement within
the Organization, the Standing
Committee decided to set up an Ad
Hoc Committee on Transparency
and Accountability during its meet-
ing in July 2001. Key priorities of the
Committee have been to change the use of the secret
single country veto in the decision-making proce-
dure of the OSCE, to improve the level of feedback
from the Governmental side on the Assembly's
recommendations and Declarations, to establish
regular contacts between the leaderships of the
OSCE and its Parliamentary Assembly and to open
a liaison office in Vienna. Although progress has
been achieved on some of these points, the Com-
mittee continues to push for increased interaction
and feedback and in addition it has continuously
criticized the strict use of consensus in the OSCE
8
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 S ce PA
decision-making process. As a direct result of the
Committee's work, in 2003, the OSCE PA Secretar-
iat opened a liaison office in Vienna which provides
a direct link to the governmental structures. Fur-
thermore, the OSCE Secretary General now reports
to the Assembly's Standing Committee during the
Autumn Conference where he presents the Draft
OSCE Budget for the upcoming year, allowing an
opportunity for PA Members to discuss the budget
and the political priorities of the Organization. The
Committee continues to follow the situation in the
OSCE and provides regular input to the leadership
on possible improvements.
0
Working Group on the OSCE Budget
Nebal~rak
Chair
In the Edinburgh Declaration, the
OSCE PA decided to create a Working
Group to review the OSCE draft budgets
in order for theAssembly to be better pre-
pared to respond and provide information
to national parliaments on the budgetary
situation of the OSCE. The budget group
has met on a number of occasions and
discussed how to proceed with its tasks.
MembersoftheGrouphavealsorequested
informationconcerningthebudgetfromthe OSCE Secretary
General as well as from their national Foreign Ministries.
0
Special Representatives
The President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly may appoint Special Representatives on areas of particular
interest to assist or act on his or her behalf.
TheSpecial Representativeon Gender Issues
The Special Representative on
Gender Issues, Ms. Tone Tingsgård, who
is also a Vice-President of the OSCE
PA, was appointed by the PA President
to strengthen the Assembly's efforts
to promote gender equality within the
OSCE and the ParliamentaryAssembly. Ms. Tingsgård
has continued to gather information and statistics and
presented her Gender-Plan as well as the OSCE PA
Gender Report to the Annual Session in Edinburgh in
2004. She continues to promote dialogue on the issue of
equality between men and women and has established
an informal network of parliamentarians in the OSCE
who take an interest in the promotion of this issue. The
Special Representative on Gender Issues is assisted by
the Gender Unit at the OSCE PA Secretariat and works
in close contact with the Gender related structures in
the rest of the OSCE.
The Special Representativeon Mediterranean Affairs
Considering the need to develop
stronger links between the OSCE Par-
liamentary Assembly and the Mediter-
ranean Partners for Co-operation, the
President of the OSCE PA appointed a
Special Representative on Mediterra-
nean Affairs, Mr. Bruce George, to report to him on
developments in this field.
The SpecialRepresentativeon the Nagorno Karabakh Conflict
In July 2002, the OSCE PA President appointed
Mr. G6ran Lennmarker as Special Representative on
the Nagorno Karabakh Conflict in order to encour-
age reconciliation and rehabilitation
in the area though parliamentary dia-
logue. After having visited Armenia and
Azerbaijan and the region of Nagorno
Karabakh, Mr. Lennmarker organized
a joint visit to Brussels for representa-
tives of the OSCE PA Delegations of
Azerbaijan and Armenia to discuss the future of the
two countries within the framework of European and
Transatlantic institutions. The Special Representative
on the Nagorno Karabakh Conflict works closely with
the Co-Chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group and
the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-
Office on this conflict.
TheSpecialRepresentativeon HumanTraffickingIssues
During the February 2004 Winter
Meeting in Vienna, the President of
the OSCE PA appointed Congressman
Christopher Smith, Deputy Head of the
US Delegation to the OSCE PA, his
Special Representative on Human Traf-
ficking Issues to promote dialogue in the
OSCE, and in its Parliamentary Assembly in particular,
on how to combat human trafficking.
The Special Representative on Guantånamo
In February 2005 Senator Anne
Marie Lizin, President of the Belgian
Senate, was appointed by President
Alcee L. Hastings as his Special Repre-
sentative on Guantånamo, to follow up
and report to the Assembly on the situa-
tion of detainees from OSCE participating States in the
American facility in Guantånamo.
9
osice 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
Interaction with other OSCE Institutions
In 1991, at its Berlin Meeting, the CSCE Ministerial
Council welcomed the establishment ofthe Parliamentary
Assembly and stated that the Ministers looked forward to
the "collective expression" of the views of the Parliamen-
tary Assembly on security and co-operation in Europe as
well as on the future development of the CSCE. The next
year, at its Prague Meeting, the CSCE took a direct step
towards active dialogue by announcing that the Chair-
man-in-Office would be prepared to make himselfavaila-
ble to report to the Assembly on the work ofthe CSCE, to
answer parliamentarians' questions in this regard and to
take note ofparliamentarians' views for subsequent trans-
mission to the Ministerial Council. It has since become a
tradition for the Chairman-in-Office to address the Par-
liamentary Assembly and answer direct questions from
the floor. The CSCE-OSCE Summits in Helsinki (1992),
Budapest (1994) and Istanbul (1999) reaffirmed the par-
ticipating States' interest in the active participation of
parliamentarians in the OSCE process and mandated the
Chairman-in-Office to maintain close contacts with the
ParliamentaryAssembly, to draw its recommendations to
the attention of the Permanent Council and to inform the
parliamentarians ofOSCE activities.
Although the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has
its own independent budget and may take unilateral,
independent initiatives, it has developed regular and
formalized high-level interaction with the other OSCE
Institutions. The Assembly is represented at every level
ofofficial OSCE meetings and maintains a close working
relationship with the OSCE Chair-in-Office, the Troika,
the OSCE Secretary General, as well as the other OSCE
Institutions in Vienna, Prague, Warsaw and The Hague.
All decisions and reports from the Assembly's Annual
Sessions, visits and election observation missions are
transmitted to the Chairman-in-Office and toother OSCE
Institutions. The President of the Assembly presents the
annual OSCE PA Declarations to the Permanent Council
and receives commentsfrom national OSCE Delegations.
The Parliamentary Assembly participates in the OSCE's
senior and Permanent Councils, OSCE Ministerial Coun-
cil Meetings, as well as the OSCE Summits. In addition,
leadersofotherOSCE Institutionsareperiodicallyinvited
II()kill
tospeakandanswerquestions at the Assembly's Standing
Committee Meetings, Winter Meetings and Annual Ses-
sions. It has become standard practice since 2002 that the
OSCE Secretary General briefs the Standing Committee
on the next year's proposed OSCE budget at the Assem-
bly's Fall Meetings. This provides the Assembly with an
opportunity to give comments on the draft budget to the
OSCE. In order to further strengthen co-operation and
co-ordination between the OSCE and the OSCE PA, the
OSCE PA Secretary General opened a Liaison Office in
Vienna in February2003. HeadingthisOffice,the Special
Representative ofthe OSCE PA to the OSCE participates
in Permanent Council Meetings and other formal as well
as informal OSCE meetings ofinterest to the Assembly.
Interparliamentary co-operation
311
00000~111111MININF
Council of Eurcpe C3osed de rEurope
At the 1991 Madrid Conference, during which the
modalities for the CSCE Parliamentary Assembly were
established, it was decided that the CSCE Parliamen-
tary Assembly would co-operate with other European
parliamentary institutions. Since then, the OSCE Par-
liamentary Assembly has developed extensive co-oper-
ation with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe, the Assembly of the Western European
Union, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the Inter-
parliamentary Union, the European Parliament and the
Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS. These parlia-
mentary institutions have official observer status at the
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and representatives of
the OSCE PA are invited to attend their main meetings.
In addition, the OSCE PA co-operates with the Nordic
Council and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organ-
ization of the Black Sea Economic Co-operation.
10
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 O sce PA
wnt
SSE LY
COMM
OF EUROPE
her
'immo
I
"
At the Secretariat level, there is regular contact
between the Secretaries General as well as the staff
of the international parliamentary institutions. In this
way, co-ordination and coherence are strengthened.
During election observation missions, the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly co-operates closely with
other international parliamentary institutions, partic-
ularly the European Parliament and the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe. In co-operation
with the OSCE/ODIHR, a joint preliminary state-
ment is issued after the elections, ensuring that a
co-ordinated and unified international assessment is
presented to authorities and the general public in the
given country.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has in several
projects joined "Parliamentary Troikas" consisting of
the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assem-
bly of the Council of Europe and the OSCE PA in
order to increase the co-ordination and strength of
international parliamentary projects. In Belarus, a
Parliamentary Troika, including the OSCE PA Ad Hoc
Committee on Belarus, has been engaged in an effort
to promote dialogue and democratic development. In
South Eastern Europe, the Parliamentary bodies have
joined efforts in order to establish a parliamentary
dimension within the Stability Pact for South East-
ern Europe. The Chairmanship of the Troika rotates
between the three institutions, and the OSCE PA held
the Chairmanship in 2004. Furthermore, the OSCE
PA Ad Hoc Committee on Moldova co-ordinates
with and keeps the other international parliamentary
bodies informed about its activities.
Budget
The Assembly's budget covers most of the organi-
zational and staff expenses relating to the Annual Ses-
sion, Winter Meeting, Standing Committee and Bureau
Meetings, official visits, the election observation pro-
gramme, as well as the costs of the International Sec-
retariat. Host Parliaments of the Annual Sessions have
all contributed significantly by providing considerable
support to these regular events, ensuring their success
and contributing substantive cost savings. The Danish
Folketing has very generously provided excellent office
facilities free of charge for the Assembly's Interna-
tional Secretariat, and the Netherlands and Germany
have seconded our Press Counsellor in Copenhagen
and our Ambassador in Vienna, respectively.
11
C e PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
e ficers of the Assem
sP s
The Officers oftheAssembly, also known as the Bureau, include the President, Vice-Presidents, the Treasurer and the
President Emeritus.The Bureau is responsible for ensuringthat the decisions ofthe StandingCommittee are carriedout, as
well as ensuring the efficient operation oftheAssembly between meetings ofthe Standing Committee. The Bureau takes
decisions by majority vote.
Alcee L. Hastings (USA)
was elected President of the Assembly at the 2004 Annual Session in Edinburgh after having served as Vice-
President, Chair and Vice-Chair ofthe First General Committee, as well as two terms as Committee Rapporteur.
First elected to the U.S. Congress in 1992, he has been re-electedsix times. He is a member ofthe House Rules
Committee, and a senior member of the Select Committee on Intelligence. Mr. Hastings is also Vice-Chairman
ofthe Democratic Select Committee on Election Reform, and isVice-Chairman ofthe Florida Delegation.As an
attorney,judge and civil rights activist, he has championed the rightsofminorities, women and the elderly.
Ihor Ostash (Ukraine)
was elected Vice-President oftheAssembly at the 1999 St. Petersburg Session and re-elected for a second term of
threeyearsatthe2002BerlinSession.HeservesasamemberoftheOSCEPAAdHocWorkingGrouponBelarus.A
scholarwhohasheldseveralsenioracademicpositions, hehasbeenaMemberoftheUkraineParliamentsince 1994.
He is Co-Leader of the parliamentary faction "Reforms-Congress" and has served as Chair of the Foreign Affairs
CommitteeintheParliamentofUkraine.HeisHeadoftheUkrainian-ItalianInter-ParliamentaryGrowandMember
ofthe Executive Committee ofthe IPU.
Nino Burjanadze (Georgia)
was elected Vice-President at the 2000 Annual Session in Bucharest and re-elected in 2003. She served
two terms as Rapporteur of the Third Committee. She is a former legal expert for the Ministry of Envi-
ronmental Protection and in the International Affairs Commission of the Parliament in 1994-1995. She
was elected member of the Georgian Parliament in 1995 and has served as President of the Georgian
Parliament since 2001. From end November 2003 to early January 2004 she served asActing President
of Georgia. She is an Associate Professor of International Relations at Tbilisi State University.
Barbara Haering (Switzerland)
was elected Vice-President oftheAssemblyat the 2002Annual Session in Berlin, havingservedas Second
Committee Rapporteur since July 1999. A member of Parliament since 1990, Ms. Haering serves on the
Defence Committee and has served as Rapporteur of the Committee on Science, Education and Culture.
Ms. Haering sits on the Governing Board of the University of Ztirich. Since 1998 she has been managing
partner of a private consultancy in the field of sustainable development and new public management.
Gert Weisskirchen (Germany)
waselectedVice-President in 2002 at theAnnual Session in Berlin after havingserved as Chair ofthe Commit-
tee on Democracy, Human Rightsand Humanitarian Questionssince February 1998.Asa Professor ofApplied
Cultural Studies, he has held teaching positions at Humboldt University in Berlin and the Potsdam Polytech-
nic. A Social Democrat, he has been a member of the German Bundestag since 1976 where he has served on
numerous committees focusing on educational and international issues. Mr. Weisskirchen was also recently
appointed as the Personal Representative ofthe OSCE Chairman-in-Office on Combating anti-Semitism.
Tone Tingsgård (Sweden)
was elected Vice-President ofthe OSCE ParliamentaryAssembly at the 2003Annual Session in Rotterdam,
where she was also appointed as the OSCE PA President's Special Representative on Gender Issues. She
serves as Chair ofthe OSCE PAAd Hoc Committee onAbkhazia and is a Member ofthe OSCE PAAd Hoc
Committee on Moldova. She has participated in and led numerous OSCE PAelection observation missions.
She has beenaMemberofParliament since1994andisDeputyChair oftheCommittee onDefence.ABoard
Member of the Uppsala University, Ms. Tingsgård is also a Lecturer in Russian at its Slavic Institute.
12
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 ce PA
Nevzat Yalcintas (Turkey)
was elected as Vice-President of the Assembly at the 2003 Annual Session in Rotterdam. Before
becoming a Member of Parliament from Istanbul in 1999, he held positions as Chief Columnist of
Daily Tecuman and Daily Turkiye, Lecturer at the Faculty of Economic Sciences at Istanbul Univer-
sity and Director of Turkish State Radio and Television Broadcasting Company. He is the Head of the
Turkish-Russian Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group and also serves as Member of the Constitu-
tional Committee of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
Giovanni Kessler (Italy)
was re-elected as Vice-President of the OSCE PA during the 2004 Annual Session in Edinburgh after
having served as Vice-President for one year. A lawyer and former public prosecutor, Giovanni Kes-
sler is a Member of the Justice Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and Vice President
of the Italian Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Association. In 1998 and 1999, he was the Deputy
Head of Mission of the OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission in Pristina. He has participated in several
parliamentary visits to OSCE Field Missions and has participated in and led election observation
missions.
Panos Kammenos (Greece)
was elected as Vice-President at the 2004 Annual Session in Edinburgh after having served two years
as Vice-Chair of the First General Committee. Panos Kammenos has been a Member of the Hellenic
Parliament since 1993 and is in his fifth term. He served as the Secretary of the Greek Parliament
from 1993-1996 and currently serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Permanent Committee on National
Defense and External Affairs and is an active member of the Permanent Committee on Public Order
and Justice.
Nebahat Albayrak (Netherlands)
was elected as Vice-President at the 2004 Annual Session in Edinburgh after having served as Rap-
porteur of the Third General Committee for two years. Nebahat Albayrak has a degree in law, and
worked for several years in the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Directorate for Co-
ordination of Integration Policy of Minorities at the Ministry of Internal Affairs before being elected
to parliament in 1998. She is currently the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on
Defence.
Jerry Grafstein (Canada)
was re-elected Treasurer of the Assembly at the Annual Session in Rotterdam after having served one
term as Treasurer, and two terms as Vice-Chair of the Second Committee. He was appointed Senator
in 1984, while continuing his law practice in corporate and communications law. In 1966 he founded
and edited the Journal of Liberal Thought and is a co-founder of a range of media companies in
Canada, South America, Europe and elsewhere. He has written and edited numerous articles, papers
and books on various topics within communications and politics.
Bruce George (United Kingdom)
is President Emeritus, having served two one-year terms as President of the Assembly from July 2002
to July 2004. Mr. George is Chairman of the House of Commons Defence Committee. During his
presidency Bruce George strongly emphasized the enhanced co-operation between the governmental
and parliamentary dimensions of the OSCE, thus furthering the effectiveness of the Organization. In
addition he further developed relations with the Mediterranean and Asian Partners for Co-operation,
and now also serves as the OSCE PA Special Representative on Mediterranean Affairs.
13
osceIPA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
he General Committ
One of the most important aspects of the work
of the Annual Session is the deliberation that takes
place in the three General Committees. Following
the Madrid Declaration, three committees were
established along the lines of the three main "bas-
kets" or sections of the Helsinki Final Act: 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. The Rapporteur of each Committee is
responsible for preparing a report and a draft res-
olution to be presented to the Committee. Other
speakers and experts mayalso be invited to address
the Committees. After debate and discussion, a
draft resolution is adopted by each Committee
for presentation to the Annual Plenary Session of
the Assembly, which is then included in the Final
Declaration.
The Staff of the International Secretariat
receives invaluable assistance from the British
House of Commons, adding experience and exper-
tise to the General Committees, the plenary ses-
sions, and the drafting Committees. In addition,
international Research Fellows at the International
Secretariat have also provided invaluable research
assistance to the Committee Rapporteurs.
Officers of the General Committee
on Political Affairs and Security
Gilran Lennmarker (Sweden)
was elected Chair of the First Committee at the Annual Session in Berlin having previously
served as Committee Vice-Chair. Mr. Lennmarker has been a Member of the Swedish Par-
liament since 1992 and has since 1995 served as Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee
on Foreign Affairs. Formerly a member of the Swedish delegations to the European Union
and EFTA, he has also beenAdviser to the Minister of Health, and Adviser to the Minister of
Foreign Affairs. G6ran Lennmarker is an Assistant Chairman of the International Democrat
Union and Member of the Board of the European Democrat Union.
Jean-Charles Gardetto (Monaco)
was elected as Vice-Chair of the First Committee at the 2004 Annual Session in Edinburgh.
Mr. Gardetto has been a Member of the National Council of Monaco since 2003. He is
Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and a Member of the Legislative, Finance,
Education & Youth and Women's Rights Committees.As an attorney he is active in interna-
tional legal organizations and associations.
Pieter De Crem (Belgium)
was elected Rapporteur of the First Committee at the 2004 Annual Session in Edinburgh.
Pieter De Crem is a member of the Domestic, Foreign and Defence Committees of the Bel-
gian Parliament. Mr. De Crem is the Leader of the Flemish Christian Democrats.
14
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 ce PA
Officers of the General Committee on Economic Affairs,
Science, Technology and Environment
Benjamin L. Cardin (USA)
was elected Chair of the Second Committee at the 2003 Annual Session in Rotterdam. He
has represented Maryland's Third Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representa-
tives since 1987. He currently is Ranking Member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission on
Security and Co-operation in Europe. He is also a member of the Ways & Means Committee
and the Homeland Security Committee. Prior to Congress, he served in the Maryland House
of Delegates from 1967-1986, where he was Speaker of the House from 1979-1986.
Leonid Ivanchenko (Russian Federation)
was elected Rapporteur of the Second Committee at the 2002 Annual Session in Berlin.
An economist and Professor of Management, Leonid Ivanchenko has had over 60 articles
on federate inter-budgetary relations and regional policy published. Previously Mayor of
Rostov-on-Don City, he has been elected to legislative authorities in the Russian Federa-
tion since 1985. Leonid Ivanchenko is also the Chair of the Management Department of the
Rostov Institute.
Officers of the General Committee on Democracy,
Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions
Claudia Nolte (Germany)
was elected Chair of the Third Committee at the 2004 Annual Session in Edinburgh. Clau-
dia Nolte has been a Member of the German Bundestag since 1990 and is the member
of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. She has been a member of the German Delegation
to the OSCE PA since 2002 and works in the OSCE PA Ad Hoc Parliamentary Team on
Moldova.
Cecilia Wigstriim (Sweden)
was elected Vice-Chair of the Third Committee at the 2004 Annual Session in Edinburgh.
She is a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Deputy Member of the Commit-
tee on Justice in the Swedish Riksdag.
Anne-Marie Lizin (Belgium)
4t.
was elected Rapporteur of the Third Committee at the 2004 Annual Session in Edinburgh.
Anne-Ms. Lizin, elected Speaker of the Belgian Senate in the end of July 2004, has a long
history of involvement in women's rights organizations. For several years she also worked
as external professor at the University of Liege. Ms. Lizin, a former Secretary of State for
European Affairs, is Chair of the Foreign Relations and Defence Committee of the Belgian
Senate. She has participated in several OSCE PA Election Observation Missions and has
been a Member of the OSCE PAAd Hoc Parliamentary Team on Moldova since 2003.
15
S ce PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
Assembly Declaration
First Annual Session in Budapest, 1992 Second Annual Session in Helsinki, 1993
Budapest was the venue for theFirstAnnual Session
of the CSCE Parliamentary Assembly in July 1992.
The Assembly passed the Budapest Declaration which
addressed issues relating to European security, peace-
keeping, environmental co-operation, human rights
and the crisis in the former Yugoslavia. The Declara-
tion also urged parliaments and parliamentarians of the
CSCE to participate more actively in the prevention,
management and settlement of conflicts:
"When regional tensions arise, multilateral
meetings ofparliamentarians ofcounrtries con-
cernedshould be arranged tofoster democratic
andpeacefulsolutions."
In addition, all national parliaments were invited to
participte in a session or a debate each year to discuss
the state of progress in CSCE co-operation. Further-
more, the Budapest Declaration recommended that
the CSCE send observers, including parliamentarians
active in CSCE matters, to Kosovo and Vojvodina
and other threatened regions to monitor the protection
of minorities. The Budapest Session also resolved to
accept the invitation of the Danish Parliament (Folket-
ing) to locate the International Secretariat of the CSCE
PA in Copenhagen, Denmark.
"It is the task oftheAssem-
bly to bring the views and
suggestions of democratically
elected Parliaments and Par-
liamentarians to the govern-
ments ofthe CSCE. It is equally
important that in each national
Parliament there are members
who know and understand the CSCE and can
support and influence itspolicies anddirection".
Former CSCE PA President llkka Suominen
The SecondAnnual Session ofthe CSCE Parliamen-
tary Assembly was held in Helsinki on 6-9 July 1993.
A full chapter on the crisis in the Former Yugoslavia in
the adopted Helsinki Declaration illustrated the impor-
tance attached to this issue. The Declaration further-
more called for the establishment of a CSCE Security
Committee and a CSCE decision-making procedure
which no longer requires consensus or "consensus-
minus-one". TheAssembly expressed its determination
to emphasize monitoring of elections as an important
task on the CSCE Parliamentary agenda. Also, the
wish was expressed that representatives of the Parlia-
4
k
16
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 osce PA
mentary Assembly will join CSCE missions sent to the
centres of potential conflicts and tension. The Helsinki
Declaration appealed to the parliaments of the CSCE
participating States to intensify their efforts to support
the transformation process in the countries of Central
and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. In
Helsinki, the Assembly decided to call a meeting of the
female members of the CSCE at the next session of the
Parliamentary Assembly.
Third Annual Session in Vienna, 1994
In July 1994, the Assembly's Third Annual Session
was hosted in Vienna by the Austrian Parliament.
Again the adopted Vienna Declaration contained
a chapter on the crisis in the Former Yugoslavia.
Other issues addressed in the Declaration included
the development of a Code of Conduct in the field
of political and military security, the Chernobyl
tragedy, the International War Crimes Tribunal and
the human rights situation in Turkey. The Vienna
Declaration furthermore requested that the CSCE
Budapest Summit Meeting debate the creation of
a formal procedure for considering CSCE PA reso-
lutions and recommendations, so that co-operation
between the CSCE Assembly and the CSCE could be
further strengthened. At the same time, the Assem-
bly also urged national parliaments to consider the
creation of a formal procedure for consideration
of the resolutions adopted by the Parliamentary
Assembly of the CSCE. The Assembly continued
to call for change in the CSCE's consensus rule, in
order to accelerate and streamline the CSCE deci-
sion-making procedures.
Fourth Annual Session in Ottawa,1995
The Fourth Annual Session of the Assembly,
hosted by the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa on
4-8 July 1995, was the first Annual Session to be
held in North America. The Ottawa Declaration
encompassed a series of resolutions and recom-
mendations relating to OSCE activities regard-
ing the Former Yugoslavia, the Baltic region,
Nagorno Karabakh, Chechnya and Moldova.
The Assembly stressed the need for strengthen-
ing the role and Institutions of the OSCE and
called for the development of criteria that would
allow for the suspension of a participating State
if there has been a "flagrant failure to implement
OSCE decisions and commitments." The Ottawa
Declaration urged the OSCE and its participat-
ing States to actively explore decision-making
procedures based on an approximate consensus.
"Ourconstituentssee death
and destruction on television
news every night. They read
everydayaboutpolitical insta-
bility, attempted coups, crime
and terrible human condi-
tions within the borders of the
OSCE world. In many towns
and cities throughout Europe
they come in direct contact
with refugees and theirfamiliesfleeingfrom war
and economic deprivation. As parliamentarians,
we have a responsibility to do all that we can to
support and strengthen OSCE efforts to address
these critical problems and to try to prevent the
occurrence ofeven more crises in thefuture."
Former OSCE PA President Frank Swaelen
The Assembly furthermore called upon participat-
ing States to ensure that equal rights are given to all
individuals as citizens rather than as members of a
particular national or ethnic group. It emphasized that
all persons must be accorded equal consideration and
respect in administrative and legislative decisions. The
Assembly also strongly supported the establishment
of an international criminal court which could hold
accused war criminals accountable for their actions on
the basis of international conventions and other human-
itarian laws.
The Ottawa Declaration also urged the OSCE to
give priority to organizing election monitoring exer-
cises through the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
Fifth Annual Session in Stockholm,1996
The Fifth Annual Session, held in Stockholm on 5-9
July 1996, focused on the discussion of a Comprehen-
sive Security Model for Europe for the 21st Century.
The final Declaration reiterated the Parliamentary
Assembly's support for the adoption ofa broad concept
of security, stressing, inter alia, the importance of eco-
nomic stabilization and environmentally sustainable
development in the security dimension. The Assembly
called for the creation of a common European security
area in which existing OSCE commitments could be
implemented. To carry out these OSCE commitments,
the Declaration also emphasized the need to develop
and strengthen preventive diplomacy, conflict preven-
tion and post-conflict rehabilitation.
The final Declaration expressed concern about con-
flicts within the OSCE region and called on Govern-
17
0 S ce PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
"The OSCE needs you as
representatives ofyour country
to help in thefulfillment of the
tasks we have been assigned:
to monitor elections, the human
rights situation, and the transi-
tion to democracy.
In its own particular way,
and using the means at its dis-
posal, the Assembly upholds the OSCE and the
values it represents, bringing them and the name
ofthe Organization to the knowledge ofthepublic.
Your constructive criticism of the OSCE and its
activities isandalways will bea contribution tofos-
tering thefulfillment ofits role and to the constant
fine-tuningofitscalling".
Former OSCE Chairman-in-Office FlavioCotti
ments to organize and promote campaigns to further
tolerance and fight xenophobia and racism. Further-
more, as proposed in previous sessions, the Assembly
called for the adoption of an approximate-consensus
principle to improve the OSCE decision-making proc-
ess. The Stockholm Assembly also adopted a draft
Code of Conduct on the "Politico-Democratic Aspects
of Co-operation". The Code of Conduct recognized the
increased interdependency of States and stressed that
international conflicts should only be resolved through
peaceful political means. Regarding the dialogue with
the governmental side of the OSCE, the Assembly
expressed satisfaction with the acknowledgement, at
the December 1995 Budapest Ministerial Council, that
the discussions of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
contributed to the work of the Permanent Council.
The Chairman-in-Office was requested to report to the
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on the political action
taken as a result ofAssembly deliberations, discussions
and resolutions.
"Active Parliamentar-
ians, as representatives of the
people, will gradually provide
the work of the OSCE with a
foundation consolidated by the
agreement of our fellow citi-
zens."
Former OSCE PA President Javier Ruperez
Sixth Annual Session in Warsaw, 1997
The Sixth Annual Session, held in Warsaw 5-8
July 1997, focused on enhancing the implementa-
tion of commitments undertaken in the context of the
CSCE and OSCE, including the Helsinki Final Act,
the Charter of Paris and the Budapest and Lisbon
Summit documents. A Declaration containing three
basic resolutions, each corresponding to one of the
three main baskets of the Helsinki Final Act, was
adopted.
The Resolution concerning Political Affairs and
Security focused on implementing the principles
of territorial integrity and the inviolability of State
frontiers. In the field of Economic Affairs, Science,
Technology and the Environment, a Resolution
was passed to promote economic co-operation and
provide assistance to the countries undertaking the
transition to market economies. The Resolution on
Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Ques-
tions focused on the importance of the media in a
democracy, stressing that an independent, pluralistic
and free media can play a decisive role in the resolu-
tion of existing conflicts. Moreover, the 1997 Annual
Session adopted a Resolution condemning system-
atic rape during armed conflict.
SeventhAnnualSessioninCopenhagen,1998
The Seventh Annual Session, held in Copenhagen
7-10 July 1998, focused on structures, Institutions
and particular perspectives of the OSCE. TheAssem-
bly adopted the Copenhagen Declaration recognizing
that, in order to meet the challenge of implement-
ing OSCE principles and commitments with greater
effectiveness, a refinement of existing OSCE tools
and resources should be pursued. The Assembly also
continued to call for revision of OSCE decision-
making procedures and urged the OSCE Ministerial
Council to "consider expanding those circumstances
"In our search to promote
respectfor OSCE commitments,
the recommendations of the
Parliamentary Assembly serve
as asource ofinspirationfor the
Danish Chairmanship to stren-
then contacts and co-opera-
tion between the Parliamentary
Assembly and the other OSCE
bodies."
FormerOSCEChairman-in-OfficeNielsRely
18
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 osce PA'
"Consensus is difficult to
achieve, but it clearlypays off
when it is reached...I would
not discount, however, the
idea of `approximate consen-
sus putforwardandendorsed
by the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly. Such ideas, which
emanate from a parliamen-
tary body, are most welcome, and representposi-
tive elements in the continuing dialogue between
parliamentarians and their governments. It may
be that the time for such a change will come
sooner or later:"
"I am very aware of the enormous contribu-
tion the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has made
to election monitoring in various OSCE coun-
tries during the pastfive years. Thefact that you
have sent nearly seven hundredparliamentarians
to observe more than thirty elections during this
period is strong evidence ofyour valuable contri-
bution, as well as your commitment, to the OSCE
effort to build democratic institutions and demo-
craticparliaments throughout the OSCEarea."
FormerØChairman-hi-OfficeBronislawGeremek
under which the existing consensus-minus-one deci-
sion-making mechanism is utilized to include, inter
alfa, approval of budgets, deployment of missions
and selection of senior personnel".
The Assembly further recommended "taking
concrete steps to set up the early warning system
of social and economic indicators with a direct link
to security, as proposed at the Prague meeting of
the Economic Forum of 1996." A Supplementary
Resolution on Kosovo appealed to all parties in the
Kosovo conflict to return to the principles of non-
violence, and denounced the policies of the Govern-
"Your Assembly gives the
OSCE a direct link to the
people. If we did not have the
OSCE Parliamentary Assem-
bly we would have to invent
one immediately...The OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly
serves as an engine for pro-
moting democratic develop-
ments in Europe."
PrimeMinisterofDenmarkPout NyrupRasmussen
"It is our duty as the prac-
ticing democratic wing of the
OSCE to lead the way in rein-
forcing and developing the
whole Organization's demo-
cratic credentials in order to
strengthen the OSCE for the
important role it will play in
the 21st Century.
Former OSCE PA President, Helle Degn
ment of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY)
for its military aggression against the Albanian
population of Kosovo. The 1998 Annual Assembly
also adopted a Resolution on the Economic Char-
ter, expressing an awareness of the importance of
economic, social and ecological factors for security
and co-operation in Europe.
Regarding the dialogue with the governmental
side of the OSCE, the Assembly called on the Chair-
man -in-Office to send to the Assembly, at least two
months before itsAnnual Session, a report consisting
of a political and financial evaluation of the activities
of the OSCE in the last twelve months and a general
plan of priority activities of the OSCE in the next
twelve months. On election monitoring, the Copen-
hagen Declaration recommended that parliamentary
institutions intensify their co-operation and that an
appropriate division of labour be developed between
the parliamentary and governmental institutions,
including separation of responsibilities between
assistance with the organization of elections and
judgment of the quality and fairness of those elec-
tions. Finally, the Copenhagen Declaration urged the
OSCE to implement gender mainstreaming in all its
activities.
"Again, I would call on the
Parliamentary Assembly and
its members to play your role:
you can - betterthan most-help
convince new political leaders
thatprosperity, integration and
peace can only be achieved
when working methods become
a reality in everyday life. I
urge you to make use of your
privilegedposition in this respect topromote our
common goals."
Former OSCE Chairman-in-Office Knut Vollebaek
19
sce PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
EighthAnnualSessioninSt Petersburg,1999
"The activities of the
Parliamentary Assembly
render a very valuable and
often innovative contri-
bution to the work of the
Organization in promoting
democracy and confidence
buildingwithinandbetween
participatingStates".
lrimnerOl9CE BenitaFerran-
The Eighth Annual Session of the OSCE Parlia-
mentary Assembly was held in St. Petersburg from 6
to 10 July 1999. Looking ahead to the new millennium,
Resolutions corresponding to the main baskets of the
Helsinki Final Act were passed on the general theme of
Common Security and Democracy in the Twenty-First
Century. The St. Petersburg Declaration also included
Resolutions on the situation in Kosovo, the democratic
deficit within the OSCE, the role of the OSCE in crisis
prevention and conflict settlement, the problem of traf-
ficking of women and children, as well as specific reso-
lutions concerning Belarus, Russia and South-Eastern
Europe.
Reiterating the Assembly's commitment to reform-
ing the Institutions of the OSCE and redressing the
democratic deficit in the Organization, the St. Peters-
burg Declaration called for the Parliamentary Assem-
bly to be consulted more widely on issues of major
importance, including developments within the Organ-
ization, such as the appointment of the Secretary Gen-
eral and the budgetary activities of the main OSCE
Institutions. The Declaration also called upon partici-
pating States to give the OSCE greater political weight.
The Declaration reiterated the importance of providing
the Organization with sufficient funding. It also sug-
gested creating a training centre for OSCE personnel
and establishing an approximate-consensus decision-
making process.
The Resolution on the Situation in Kosovo wel-
comed the end of military hostilities, and expressed
support for the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and other
initiatives, such as the Stability Pact for South-
Eastern Europe, which seek to foster co-opera-
tion between States in the region. The Assembly
decided to establish an OSCE PA Democracy Team
on Kosovo, in order to promote the creation of civil
society, development of democracy and the rule of
law with community leaders, political parties, and
representatives of international organizations on
a periodic basis. The Resolution on Belarus called
upon all political forces in the country to co-operate
in order to find a solution to the country's continuing
political and institutional deadlock.
Ninth Annual Session in Bucharest, 2000
The NinthAnnual Session, held in Bucharest from
6 to 10 July 2000, adopted the Bucharest Declaration
which covered a wide range of political, economic
and human rights issues and includes Resolutions
on specific topics. The Resolution on Belarus called
on all sides to pave the way for free, fair and inter-
nationally recognizable parliamentary elections
in Belarus. The Resolution on Moldova expressed
its concern regarding the stalemate in the negotia-
tions on the status of Transdniestra and emphasized
the need for a common State for all the peoples of
Moldova. The Assembly also adopted a Resolution
on developments in the North Caucasus which called
for a political solution to the conflict in Chechnya,
as well as the earliest possible return of the OSCE
Assistance Group to the area. On arms and weapons
trading, the Assembly passed a Resolution calling
for a convention regulating the trade in arms and the
establishment of an international body with jurisdic-
tion over any violations of the convention.
The Assembly also debated the OSCE recruiting
policies and adopted a Resolution calling for reduced
reliance on secondment in the long-term field missions
to ensure the continuity of the important work carried
out in the missions. On economic and environmental
issues, the Assembly appealed to all OSCE partici-
pating States to honour their commitments under the
Kyotoand ÅrhusProtocols.OtherResolutions included
appeals to abolish the death penalty for all crimes; pre-
serve the ABM Treaty; ensure media freedom in the
OSCE region; combat corruption, and fully implement
the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe under OSCE
auspices. On the dialogue with the governmental side
of the OSCE the Assembly repeated its strong rec-
ommendation that greater transparency be applied to
OSCE Institutions, in order to increase awareness of
OSCE activities and capabilities. To that end, Perma-
nent Council meetings must be made open to the public
except under special circumstances and meetings of
the Forum for Security Co-operation should similarly
become open to the public. The Assembly noted with
satisfaction the Istanbul November 1999 decision by
the OSCE Heads of State or Government to recognize
the Assembly as a key component in the efforts of the
OSCE to promote democracy, prosperity and increased
confidence within and between participating States.
20
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 osce PA
_
•
Tenth Annual Session in Paris, 2001
At the conclusion oftheAnnual Session in Paris from
6-10 July 2001 the Paris Declaration was adopted. It
included a unanimously adopted resolution on strength-
ening transparency and accountability in the OSCE. The
Resolution contained the proposal that before making
major decisions, tobe defined in future consultations, the
Ministerial Council should take into account the opinion
of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The Assembly
also recommends that as long as the OSCE complies
with the strict consensus rule it must not be possible to
participate in the decision-making process secretly and
that objections to any proposal must be made known to
any interested OSCE participating State or OSCE Insti-
tution. An Ad Hoc Committee was established to moni-
tor the implementation of the resolution and to promote
transparency and accountability in the OSCE.
The Paris Declaration dealt with political, economic
development and human rights aspects of the central
theme of OSCE PA's Tenth Annual Session: "European
Security and Conflict Prevention: Challenges to the
OSCE in the 21st Century". This included issues such as
the implications of the European Security and Defence
Policy (ESDP) for the OSCE Region, as well as parlia-
mentary oversight of the European Union's emerging
defence capability. Recommendations were also made
regarding women's participation in the labour market, the
interplay between environmental and/or economic factors
and the security ofthe OSCE regionaswell asonbringing
legislation on citizenship up to international standards in
the OSCE area.
Resolutions were also adopted on abolition of the
death penalty; prevention of torture, abuse, extortion
or other unlawful acts; combating trafficking in human
beings; combating corruption and international crime;
freedom of the media as well as resolutions on South
Eastern Europe, the North Caucasus, Moldova and
Ukraine.
f
"The additional influ-
ence which you bring to bear
on governments and parlia-
ments alike is significant. Your
experience as legislators and
elected representatives ofyour
own citizensgivesyou a unique
advantage. Your voice may be
heard in places where those of
your government representa-
tives are disregarded"
FormerOSCEChairman-in-OfficeMircea Dan
21
ce PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
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Eleventh Annual Session in Berlin, 2002
The Berlin Declaration resolutelycondemnedall acts of
terrorism, whatever their motivations or origin, and under-
lined the solidarity of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
in the struggle against terrorism. The Declaration reminded
all OSCE participating States that any measures that
may restrict human rights and fundamental freedoms in
response to terrorismhave to fully respect international law
and relevant OSCE commitments. Parliaments are encour-
aged to actively protect and promote human rights and fun-
damental freedoms during states of emergency and other
times of conflict or threats to national security, exercising
in particular their responsibility for the oversight ofexecu-
tive power and the creation of law. TheAssembly stressed
the need for the international community to look into the
root causes often underlying terrorist acts, these being the
political, economic and social inequalities prevailing in the
world. The Declaration also called upon the governments
ofparticipatingstatesto revise theBucharest PlanofAction
for Combating Terrorism by including provisions relating
to the impact of terrorism on women, and by recognizing
the need for increased participation of women in the proc-
ess ofconflict prevention and conflict resolution.
The Assembly strongly urged the government of
Belarus to co-operate with the OSCE in facilitating
compliance with OSCE commitments. The Declaration
urged the government of Moldova and the Transdnies-
trian leadership to resume their contact and dialogue
and to show the necessary political will to define mutu-
ally acceptable arrangements for a comprehensive
settlement on the status of Transdniestria within the
recognized borders of the Republic of Moldova.
The Resolution on Southeast Europe called upon the
international community to remain actively engaged in
the region, while encouraging governments, particularly in
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, to undertake greater
responsibility for public affairs and administration.
On the issue ofcombating trafficking inhumanbeings,
the Declaration requested that OSCE participating states
take appropriate counter-measures including adoption
and implementation of legislation guaranteeing effective
criminal prosecution.The Resolution on anti-Semitic vio-
lence resolutely condemned the alarming escalation of
anti-Semitic violence in the OSCE region. The Resolu-
tion urged all States to make public statements recogniz-
ing violence against Jews and Jewish cultural properties
as anti-Semitic, as well as to issue strong, public decla-
rations condemning these acts. With regard to Roma
education, the Declaration recognized the urgent need to
"We also need to improve
the visibility of the OSCE and
to develop the public outreach
policy ofthe Organization. This
is an area of primary impor-
tance if we want to further
greater public understanding
and support for OSCE activi-
ties. The ParliamentaryAssem-
bly plays a pivotal role in this
realm as its activities contribute to bringthe OSCE
closer to our citizens."
FonnerOSCEChairman-in-OfficeAntekioMartinsdaCruz
22
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 os ce PA
develop effective educational programmes addressing the
needs ofindividuals belonging to Roma and other groups
traditionally identified as Gypsies and to create conditions
for equal opportunity for full participation in the life of
their respective societies.
TwelfthAnnual Session in Rotterdam,2003
"Your insights and recom-
mendations are of the utmost
importance. They help to keep
the OSCE relevant and, what is
more important, in touch with
the people of its participating
States".
Chairman-hrOfBeeJaapdeHoop&heifer
The TwelfthAnnual Session, held from 5 to 9 July 2003
in Rotterdam, concluded with the adoption ofthe Rotterdam
Declaration focused on the Session's theme, "The Role of
theOSCE intheNewArchitecture ofEurope".TheDeclara-
tion stated that with Europe's ongoing development in secu-
ritystructures, the OSCE'sreal strength lies in its capacity to
respond to security threats and challenges and in its strong
field presence. To uphold the credibility of the OSCE, it
added, it is imperative to provide the OSCE field activities
withadequate funding and high-qualitystaff
TheAssembly,theDeclarationsaid,recommendedthatthe
OSCEPermanentCouncilberequestedtoconsultthePAprior
tomakinga decision toterminateanyOSCE fieldactivity.
The Rotterdam Declaration stresses that the further
enhancement ofthe economic and environmental dimension
oftheOSCE,asanintegralpartofitscomprehensivesecurity
approach,isanessentialprerequisitefortheOSCE'ssubstan-
tial contributionto the newEuropean securityarchitecture.
The Declaration also suggested that the OSCE should
adopt a more balanced regional approach to promoting
the implementation of the participating States' human
dimension commitments, and take into account the differ-
ences between countries and regions, without neglecting
any ofthem. In this regard, the Declaration suggested that
the mandate and resources of the High Commissioner on
National Minorities be strengthened.
The Assembly also adopted a resolution on the parlia-
mentaryfollow-up ofOSCEActivitiesat theNational Level.
NationalParliamentswereencouragedto introduce practices
whereby annual reports on the activities ofthe OSCE PAby
national OSCE PA delegations are regularly debated in an
appropriate manner in national parliaments.
In addition, theAssembly adopted Resolutions on Com-
batingAnti-Semitism, the International Criminal Court, pris-
oners at the Guantanamo Base, Belarus, Moldova and on
CombatingTrafficking in Human Beings.
ThirteenthAnnualSessioninEdinburgh,2004
At the close of their meeting in Edinburgh from
5-9 July 2004, more then 300 parliamentarians from
52 OSCE participating States adopted the Edinburgh
Declaration focusing on the political, economic and
human rights aspects of the central theme of the Ses-
sion: "Co-operation and Partnership: Coping with new
Security Threats."
The Edinburgh Declaration recognized that terror-
ism, as a rule, targets civilian populations, and has as
its central objective to cause instability and fear, and
even incite racism and xenophobia. The Assembly con-
demned terrorism in all forms and manifestations and
called upon the international community to target the
profound political, social, economic and environmental
causes of terrorism and to ensure that the fight against
terrorism be carried out in compliance with the princi-
ples of the UN Charter and international law, including
human rights and refugee protection law.
The Assembly also adopted a Resolution on Co-
operation between the OSCE and the OSCE Parlia-
mentary Assembly. With this Resolution the Assembly
reiterated previous recommendations that the OSCE
carry out the necessary reforms with regard to its con-
sensus decision-making procedure. The Resolution
requested that the OSCE PA be given free access to all
OSCE meetings and events and recommended that the
Special Representative of the OSCE PA in Vienna be
included in consultative processes. The Assembly also
recommended that the OSCE PA response to the draft
OSCE budget be discussed in the Permanent Coun-
cil and the Advisory Committee on Management and
"I believe that the OSCE is in need of transfor-
mation. Moreover, I think that the transformation
processshould start right away. I am a politician like
all of you here and I am convinced that we should
try to humanize the Organization and bring it closer
to the people and our constituencies, thereby better
responding to their needs and expectations....
"Thetransformation processrequiresthe inputof
parliamentarians and foreign ministries, the interest
of the press, and the awareness
of the public. You, the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly, play
a vital role in generating fresh
initiatives and influencing deci-
sion-takers to use the OSCE to
tackle contemporary challenges
and to transform it to be better
equipped in the future".
FormerOSCEChairman-in-OfficeSolomonPassy
23
OS ce PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
ERRe PA
PARLIAMENTARIY
,ASSEMBLI
►
Finance. The Assembly also called on National OSCE
PA Delegations to work to ensure that the OSCE PA's
Declarations are followed up at the national level of
parliaments as well as by governments.
The Assembly also adopted a resolution on tor-
ture calling upon all participating States to abide
by the obligation that no exceptional circumstances
may be invoked as a justification of torture. The
Resolution on fulfilling OSCE commitments
regarding the fight against racism, anti-Semitism
and xenophobia called for sustained attention by
the OSCE in fulfilling commitments in this area.
The Edinburgh Declaration stressed that OSCE par-
ticipating States and the Mediterranean Partners for
Co-operation should enter a comprehensive proc-
ess of active dialogue aimed at mutual economic
growth, modernization and expanded trade among
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all the States of the OSCE region.
In the resolution on Kosovo, the Assembly called
upon participating States to provide the additional
forces necessary to maintain stability and ensure a
secure environment for those persons wishing to return
to their homes in Kosovo. The Assembly passed a reso-
lution calling for all OSCE participating States to main-
tain and sustain efforts to ensure equal opportunities
for national minorities. TheAssembly also discussed as
a matter of urgency the capture and detention of Geor-
gian peace-keepers by South Ossetian armed units and
adopted a resolution calling upon authorities to find an
immediate peaceful solution to the crisis.
The Parliamentary Assembly also adopted resolu-
tions focusing on a total ban on anti-personnel land-
mines; trafficking in human beings; Moldova; Ukraine;
Libya; and peace in the Middle East.
24
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 os ceIPA
g.Y
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Former Presidents
At each Annual Session, the Assembly elects the Presi-
dent ofthe ParliamentaryAssembly who acts as the highest
representative of the Assembly and presides over the meet-
ingsoftheAssembly.
The first President of the Assembly was the Speaker of
the Finnish Parliament, Ilkka Suominen, who was elected
at the 1992 Budapest Session. He led the first OSCE elec-
tionmonitoringdelegationtoRussiain1993andbecamethe
first President toaddress an OSCE Ministerial Meeting. The
President ofthe Belgian Senate Frank Swaelen, was elected
President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly at the
ViennaSessionin1994.Hewasthefirst Presidenttoaddress
an OSCE Summit and initiated the first series of bilateral
Presidential visits, including visits to OSCE field missions.
In 1996 Javier Rup&ez, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Com-
mittee of the Spanish Parliament, became President of the
Assembly. He was the first President to participate in meet-
ings of the Troika. Mrs. Helle Degn, Chair of the Foreign
Policy Committee of the Danish Parliament, was elected
President of the Assembly during the 1998 Copenhagen
Session. Shecontinuedtheworkofherpredecessors,signifi-
cantly increasing the visibility of the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly by visiting all OSCE Institutions and numerous
field missions. Mr.Adrian Severin, a former Foreign Minis-
ter of Romania, was elected President during the 2000 Ses-
sion and was the first President of the Assembly from the
Central and Eastern European region. Mr. Severin made a
particular effort at reaffirming institutional dialogue within
the OSCEto enhance thecontributionofparliamentariansto
OSCE's role in preventing local conflicts.
Mt Bruce George, Chair of the Defence Committee in
the British House ofCommons, was elected President at the
2002 Berlin Annual Session, and was re-elected in 2003.
Duringhis presidencyMr. George hasstrongly emphasized
the enhanced co-operation between the governmental and
parliamentary dimensions of the OSCE, thus furthering the
effectiveness of the Organization. In addition he enhanced
and further developed the relations with the Mediterranean
andAsianPartners forCo-operation. Mr.Georgenowserves
as President Emeritus oftheAssembly.
Bruce George Adrian Severin Helle Degn Javier Rup&ez Frank Swaelen Ilkka Suominen
(2002 - 2004) (2000 - 2002) (1998 - 2000) (1996 - 1998) (1994 - 1996) (1992 - 1994)
25
osice PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
Principal Assembly Activities
Winter Meeting 2005
The OSCE PA Winter Meeting is the second-largest event in the Assemblys' calendar. Every February the PA
meets in Vienna, allowing Members to interact with the Governmental dimension ofthe OSCE,.follow-up onpast
Assembly decisions, andexchange ideas on the reports to bepresentedat the AnnualSession in July.
More than 200 parliamentarians met from 24-25
February 2005 in the OSCE premises in Vienna for the
fourth Annual OSCE PA Winter Meeting. The Winter
Meeting consisted oftwo Joint Sessions as well as sep-
arate meetingsofthe three GeneralCommittees. On the
first day, parliamentarians heard welcoming remarks
by OSCE PA President Alcee L. Hastings, followed by
addresses by the President of the Republic of Austria,
Dr. Heinz Fischer and the OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, who took
questions from the floor. The Chairman-in-Office high-
lighted the importance ofthe election-monitoring work
of the OSCE ParliamentaryAssembly, and encouraged
parliamentarians to contribute actively to the current
debate on reform of the OSCE.
"The OSCE isfacinga difficult moment, or an
opportunity, dependingon howyou lookat it. Sig-
nificant changes in Europe, with EU and NATO
enlargement and new challenges to security,
have changed the way that we look at security in
Europe, and, as a result, the role ofthe OSCE.
"You have the reputation ofbeing an incubator
forfresh ideas.At a time when reform isso high on
the OSCE agenda, I urgeyou to live up to that rep-
utation," he told thegatheredparliamentarians.
The Winter Meeting also served as an opportunity for
parliamentarians to hear presentations by the three Gen-
eral Committee Rapporteurs — Pieter De Crem, Leonid
Ivanchenko andAnne-Marie Lizin —and to discuss ideas
regarding their draft reports for the Session in Wash-
ington, DC. The Second Joint Session of the Winter
Meeting, on 25 February, started with a Report by Tone
Tingsgård, the OSCE PA Special Representative on
Gender Issues, followed by a debate. OSCE Secretary
General Jan Kubi§also addressed the Meeting, followed
by a question and answer session. The parliamentarians
also heard reports byOSCE PATreasurerJerry Grafstein
and OSCE PA Secretary General Spencer Oliver.
A separate brochure on this event is available at
www.oscepa.org
`Copenhagen Plus'
OSCE Chairman-in-Office Rupel said at
the Winter Meeting that he was open
to the idea of building upon OSCE elec-
tion commitments agreed in Copenhagen
in 1990. "Bearing in mind the fact that the
OSCE Copenhagen Document is almost 15
years old, I see merit in considering whether
additional commitments are needed. This is
sometimes referred to as `Copenhagen Plus',"
he said.
"But this process should not roll back
existing commitments, or call into ques-
tion the OSCE's high reputation in election-
monitoring. In other words, no `Copenhagen
Minus'. That being said, we need to talk and
to see if and how things can be improved."
The Copenhagen Document outlines basic
criteria for democratic elections and provides
for all participating States to invite observers
from other countries to determine their com-
pliance with OSCE commitments.
26
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 ce PA
w.
d Kingdom
Armenia
27
0 S ce PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
Standing Committee Meetings
The Standing Committee consists of55 heads of national delegations and members of the Expanded Bureau. The
Standing Committeeprepares the work ofthe Assembly andapproves the budget.
rx
In conjunction with the 2004 Fall Conference in
Rhodes, the Assembly's Standing Committee met
and discussed the general activities of the Assembly
and followed up on the Assembly's Edinburgh
Declaration. The Committee was briefed by OSCE
Secretary General Jan Kubis on the proposed 2005
OSCE Budget, which was followed by a question
and answer session. The new PA Working Group on
the Budget also met for the first time and agreed to
thoroughly review the OSCE Budget proposal and
prepare comments for the Permanent Council.
OSCE PA Secretary General Spencer Oliver and
Treasurer Jerry Grafstein reported on PA activities
and indicated that the Assembly will have worked
within its annual approved budget for the twelth
consecutive fiscal year.
The Standing Committee also met on February
24 2005 in Vienna, prior to the Winter Meeting. The
parliamentarians heard welcoming remarks by the
President of the Austrian Nationalrat Dr. Andreas
Khol, who called upon all participating States to
address the issue of reform of the OSCE and to bear
in mind the changing security environment after
the enlargement of NATO and the European Union.
OSCE PA President Hastings presented a summary of
his activities undertaken since the previous Standing
Committee meeting in Rhodes. He emphasized his
intention to continue working for the development of
the ParliamentaryAssemblyasa reliable contributing
partner to the success of the OSCE.
Treasurer Jerry Grafstein reported that the
Parliamentary Assembly continues to operate well
within budget and to maintain the highest standards of
transparency,accountabilityand efficiency. Secretary
General Spencer Oliver gave a summary of the
activities of the Assembly's International Secretariat
during the past six months. He highlighted the
Assembly's bulletin Newsfrom Copenhagen, which
provides a good overall picture of how much has
been done, and of the efforts of the many Members
of the Assembly who regularly contribute their time
and their talent to the work of the Assembly.
The Standing Committee reviewed the results
of the December 2004 OSCE Ministerial Council
in Sofia. The Members proceeded to approve an
amendment to the Assembly's Rules of Procedure,
simplifying the process for election of the President
of the Assembly.
The parliamentarians heard reports on the
Assembly's recent election observation missions to
Belarus, the United States of America, and Ukraine.
The Standing Committee also heard reports on the
work of the Ad Hoc Committee on Transparency and
Accountability in the OSCE, of the Ad Hoc Working
Group on Belarus, and of the Working Group on the
OSCE Budget.
Considering future work, the Standing Committee
heard reports on preparations for upcoming events,
including the Expanded Bureau in Copenhagen,April
18, the Sub-Regional Conference in Tromsø, May
12-13, the FourteenthAnnual Session in Washington,
DC, July 1-5, and the Fall meetings.
28
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 0 S ce IPA
Rhodes Autumn Meetings
The OSCE PA holds Autumn Meetings even•year at the invitation ofa Member parliament, bringing together
parliamentariansfor a Standing Committee meeting, a Conference examining a topical issue, anda Parliamentary
Forum on the Mediterranean.
More than 130 parliamentarians from 43 States
across the OSCE region gathered in Rhodes, Greece,
for the 2004 OSCE PA Autumn Meetings, from 29
September - 1 October 2004. The two-day Conference
on Trafficking in Human Beings heard a series of
presentations and discussions focusing on trafficking
in human beings as a security challenge, trafficking as
a new form of slavery, and international strategies in
the fight against trafficking.
The Conference was addressed by prominent
officials including OSCE PA President Hastings, Anna
Benaki, Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament and Panos
Kammenos, OSCE PAVice-President and Head of the
Greek Delegation to the OSCE PA. The Conference
was also addressed by senior OSCE officials and
expert speakers including Helga Konrad, OSCE
Special Representative on Combating Trafficking in
Human Beings, Marcin Swiecicki, Co-ordinator of
OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, and
Marjan Wijers, President of the EU Experts Group on
Trafficking in Human Beings.
The Parliamentary Forum on the Mediterranean (1
October), consisted of a series of presentations and
discussions focussing on fighting terrorism in the
Mediterranean and economic security, trade and co-
operation in the Mediterranean. Prominent speakers
included the OSCE PA Special Representative for
the Mediterranean, President Emeritus Bruce George,
OSCESecretaryGeneralJanKubis,andJanezLenarcic,
Chairman of the OSCE Mediterranean Contact Group.
il
A separate brochure on this event is available at
www.oscepa.org
29
osce PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
Parliamentary Conference on Fighting Organized Crime in South Eastern Europe
4‘,
~ 44D'
.4‘,~ ,r;
A Parliamentary Conference on the "Fight Against
Organized Crime in South Eastern Europe"took place
in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 11-12 November 2004. The
Conference was co-hosted by the OSCE PA and the
Bulgarian Parliament, and was held under the aus-
pices of the "Parliamentary Troika on the Stability
Pact," composed of the OSCE PA, the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European
Parliament.
Adrian Severin, former President of the OSCE PA,
addressed the opening session as the Personal Repre-
sentative of PresidentAlcee L. Hastings. Other speak-
ers at the opening session were Professor Ognian
Gerdjikov, Speaker ofthe Bulgarian Parliament, Solo-
mon Passy, Foreign Minister of Bulgaria and OSCE
Chairman-in-Office, Tony Lloyd, Vice-President of
the Council of Europe PA, Ignasi Guardans, Member
of the European Parliament and Dr. Erhard Busek,
Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact.
OSCE PA Vice-President Giovanni Kessler intro-
duced the theme of
the "Fight Against
Organized Crime
— National Legisla-
tion andChallenges
to Legislators".
Other representa-
tives of the OSCE
PA included Arta
Dade, Head of the
Albanian Delega-
tion, who spoke on
the "Fight Against
Organized Crime — International Co-operation", Hugo
Coveliers, Head ofthe Belgian Delegation, who spoke
on the "Fight Against Corruption" and Tosho Peikov,
Head of the Bulgarian Delegation.
The conference agreed on a joint declaration, which
was presented by Adrian Severin at the closing ses-
sion (the full text of this declaration is available at
141,111,17
. oscepa.org). In the declaration, the participants
of the Conference call for increased co-operation in
the fight against organized crime in South Eastern
Europe. They express their support to the efforts of
the Stability Pact and appeal to all States concerned
to ratify the relevant international conventions. In par-
ticular, the declaration emphasizes the responsibilities
of legislators and calls for harmonization of national
legislation and effective parliamentary oversights of
the executive.
The declaration also deals with future activities of
the Troika. It calls for the parliaments of South East-
ern Europe to intensify their regional co-operation and
take a more active
role in the parlia-
mentary dimension
tothe StabilityPact.
It also suggests that
meetingsofspecial-
ized parliamentary
committees of Par-
liaments of South
Eastern Europe
take place in order
to tackle common
issues.
30
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 0 S7iC e PA
Participation in the Twelfth OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Sofia
The President ofthe OSCE PA traditionally addresses the 'Ministerial Council ofthe OSCE in December; which
brings together Foreign Ministersfrom the OSCEparticipatingStates.
On 6 December 2004 in Sofia, OSCE PA Pres-
ident Alcee L. Hastings addressed the Opening
Session of the 12th OSCE Ministerial Council.
In his address, he highlighted the contributions
of the Parliamentary Assembly to the work of the
OSCE, the merits of the Bulgarian Chairman-
ship, the need to reform the OSCE, the important
role of parliamentarians in election observation
missions, the support of the Assembly for the
OSCE Statement on Preventing and Combat-
ing Terrorism and the contributions of the PA
in strengthening relations between the OSCE
and its Mediterranean and Asian partners. Mr.
Hastings emphasized that the OSCE Parliamen-
tary Assembly has continued throughout this
past year to fulfill the task set forth in the Char-
ter of Paris and to provide on the international
level some degree of democratic legitimacy to
the OSCE. He congratulated Bulgaria for the
significant work carried out in the past months
in the difficult and challenging task of guiding
the OSCE. "The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
shares the Chairmanship's views on the need for
reform and adaptation of the OSCE. I hope that
this Ministerial gives a much needed impetus to
the Organisation", he said. President Hastings
reminded the Council that with its Resolution on
Co-operation, the Assembly reiterates its previ-
ous recommendations that the OSCE carry out
the necessary reforms with regard to its decision-
making procedure, both in terms of enhancing its
transparency and looking into the possibility of
differentiating the consensus principle, provid-
ing, for instance, for a consensus minus two or
three for decisions on budget and personnel, par-
ticularly for heads of institutions and missions
and other high-level personnel. President Hast-
ings welcomed Slovenia to the Chairmanship of
the OSCE in 2005. "We very much look forward
to working with our Slovenian friends in promot-
ing the principles that make the OSCE a unique
Organisation", he concluded.
The full text of President Hastings' address is
available at www.oscepa.org
31
OSce 14th AnnualSession, Washington, DC 2005
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32
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 S ce PA
Expanded Bureau Meeting
The OSCE PA ExpandedBureau convenes every Spring in the Danish Parliament, bringing together theAssem-
bly's President, Um-Presidents, Treasurer and Officers ofthe three General Committees topreparefor theAssem-
blys Annual Session in July.
Under the Chairmanship of President Alcee L.
Hastings, the Expanded Bureau met on April 18 2005
in preparation for the Annual Session in Washington,
DC. The Expanded Bureau was warmly welcomed
by the Head of the Danish Delegation, Kristian Pihl
Lorentzen, who expressed his hopes that the crisis
faced by the OSCE Governmental side would soon
be overcome.
In his opening remarks, President Hastings noted
the disturbing situation currently faced by the OSCE
in Vienna. He noted that, considering the difficulties
faced by the Organization, the focus of the Session
in Washington, `30 Years Since Helsinki: Challenges
Ahead', is very timely. Mr. Hastings remarked that
the OSCE region is increasingly faced by non-tra-
ditional security threats, which pose new challenges
and require consideration of new approaches. He also
lauded the OSCE's active work in combating intoler-
ance, and noted the contribution that the Parliamen-
tary Assembly is making in this regard.
Regarding future work, the President also spoke
of a colloquium, being organized jointly by the Par-
liamentary Assembly and the Swiss Foundation for
World Affairs, to consider ways of strengthening the
OSCE. Meeting in June, this colloquium will bring
together OSCE experts, diplomats and politicians
to complement the OSCE Eminent Person's Group
appointed by the Chairman-in-Office.
The Expanded Bureau also heard a Special Report
by Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland) on recent develop-
ments in Kyrgyzstan, and on the results of the recent
election observation there and in Moldova. In his
report, Mr. Kiljunen offered a number of ideas on
how the OSCE PA can support developments and
democratization efforts in Kyrgyzstan.
The Rapporteurs of the three General Commit-
tees presented their draft reports and resolutions for
the upcoming Annual Session. Pieter DeCrem (Bel-
gium), Leonid Ivanchenko (Russia), and Anne-Marie
Lizin (Belgium), briefed on their reports and draft
resolutions, which focus on the central theme for the
Washington Session. Members extensively discussed
the draft reports, and provided feedback on their con-
tent to the Rapporteurs.
The Assembly Treasurer, Senator Jerry Grafstein
(Canada), reported to the Expanded Bureau that the
Assembly continues to function efficiently and within
budget. He praised the International Secretariat's
financial management by Secretary General Spencer
Oliver and his Financial Assistant, Per-Henrik Diirr.
Secretary General Spencer Oliver gave an over-
view of current activities by the International Sec-
retariat, mentioning the News from Copenhagen as
a tool for staying up-to-date on Assembly activi-
ties. The Secretary General informed the Expanded
Bureau that he had appointed Tina Schøn as Deputy
Secretary General. He mentioned work by the Inter-
national Secretariat on compiling a `Members Direc-
tory'of all OSCE PAparliamentarians. The Expanded
Bureau was also informed of preparations for upcom-
ing activities of the Assembly.
Members were also briefed on the work of the
Assembly's Ad Hoc Committees and Special Rep-
resentatives. Supplementary items on several of the
issues addressed by these Members are expected to
be presented at the Annual Session in July.
Members of the Expanded Bureau also discussed
proposed changes to the Rules of Procedure, vig-
orously exchanging views on whether or not any
changes should be considered.
33
Q'iS'C;e PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
Tromso Sub-Regional Conference on the High North
Every two years the OSCE PA organizes a Sub-Regional Conference, providing parliamentarians
with occasions to exchange views with colleagues and international experts and to deepen their under-
standing of OSCE issues.
Meeting for two days in northern Norway, more
than 80 parliamentarians fromacrossthe OSCE region
gathered to debate environmental and security chal-
lenges faced by the northern reaches of the Organiza-
tion. OSCE PA Members from 26 States, including
both northern and southern OSCE regions, met in
Tromsø, on May 12-13, at the invitation of the Nor-
wegian Delegation to the OSCE PA, Headed by Mr.
Bjørn Hernæs. This sub-regional conference, organ-
ized by the Parliamentary Assembly, highlighted the
links between environmental concerns and security
challenges in the Arctic region.
Welcoming participants, Mr. Jørgen Kosmo, Presi-
dent of the Norwegian Parliament, stressed the long
history of co-operation between states in the Arctic
region. He noted, however, that environmental and
security challenges remain and that they continue to
pose a threat to the region. Mr. Kosmo welcomed the
convening of this inter-parliamentary Conference as
an important method of exchanging views and experi-
ences between decision-makers in the Arctic states.
In his opening address to the Conference, Assem-
bly President Alcee L. Hastings noted the increasing
prominence of new security challenges related to the
environment. He stressed the importance of inter-
generational solidarity, and called upon participants
to maintain a long-term perspective in their discus-
sions and debates, reminding Members that economic
development and environmental protection must be
integrally linked.
Addressing the Conference, the Norwegian Minis-
ter for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jan Petersen, highlighted
the many environmental and other challenges faced
by the Arctic, stressing that these would require much
more international attention in the future. He noted the
potential for this increased focus and co-operation in
stating that "Conflict has been replaced by a common
concern about the challenges we face in the Arctic."
Following the opening of the Conference, the
parliamentarians met in four separate sessions deal-
ing with specific themes on Climate Change; Nuclear
Waste;Petroleum Exploration;andResourceManage-
ment and Pollution. The Conference was addressed by
expert speakers and senior government officials who
gave presentations on the primary topics of debate.
Following these presentations, parliamentarians
engaged the speakers on their areas of expertise, dis-
cussing the regional and global consequences of the
challenges addressed by the speakers. These focused
discussions provided Members with comprehensive
information on the topics, which can be reflected in
their legislative work.
In closing the Conference, President Hastings
stressed the duties of all those gathered, from the
Arctic and beyond. He stated that "we are all respon-
sible for trying to find alternatives to the unsustain-
able exploitation ofnatural resources that is leading to
the worrying situations described in this conference."
He further noted that "This conference does not con-
clude here. I invite all of us to work in our respective
parliaments to implement the principles and ideas that
we have shared here in Tromsø."
The Tromsø Conference was the fourth Sub-
Regional Conference organized by the OSCE
PA, following Bern (2003), Nantes (1999), and
Monaco (1997).
A summary report on this event is available at
14.14'14:oscepa.org
34
14th AnnualSession, Washington,DC2005 S ce PA
LITHL 4 \II
35
osce PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
Presidential Activities
U.S. Congressman Alcee L. Hastings was elected
President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in
July 2004 at the 13th Annual Session in Edinburgh,
Scotland.
He has been a Member of U.S. Congress since
1993, representing his native state of Florida and
most recently re-elected in 2004. President Hast-
ings graduated from Fisk University in Nashville,
Tennessee and earned his law degree from Florida
A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida.Appointed
by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, he became the
first African-American Federal Judge in the State of
Florida, and served in that position for ten years.
He has also served as OSCE PA Vice-President,
Chair and Vice-Chair of the First General Commit-
tee, as well as two terms as Committee Rapporteur.
Alcee L. Hastings is a member of the House
Rules Committee, and a senior member of the
Select Committee on Intelligence. He also serves
as one of only four House Democrats on the U.S.
Helsinki Commission. He is Vice-Chairman of the
Democratic Select Committee on Election Reform,
and is Vice-Chairman of the Florida Delegation. As
an attorney, judge and civil rights activist, he has
championed the rights of minorities, women, the
elderly, children and immigrants.
Since his election in Edinburgh, President Hast-
ings has been very active in strengthening the role
of the OSCE ParliamentaryAssembly as a key insti-
tution promoting inter-parliamentary dialogue and
co-operation. As the highest political representa-
tive of the Assembly, the President has addressed
the OSCE Permanent Council, participated in the
OSCE Ministerial Council in Sofia, and has paid
bilateral visits to many OSCE participating States.
(.#
Congressman Hastings has also been the first Presi-
dent of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to have
visited all the OSCE Mediterranean partners for
Co-operation. In addition to appointing, in co-oper-
ation with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, senior
PA Members to lead election observation missions
in six countries, Congressman Hastings was in
Ukraine to help lead the observation mission of the
December 26 Presidential Elections.
In all of his speeches and public statements,
President Hastings has called for the need to reform
the OSCE and adapt the Organization to face new
threats and challenges. To illustrate this point, Pres-
ident Hastings has held numerous contacts during
his mandate with the Chairmen-in-Office of the
OSCE, Foreign Ministers Solomon Passy from
Bulgaria and Dimitrij Rupel from Slovenia.
As President of the Assembly, Congressman
Hastings has also taken the lead in making the
combat of anti-Semitism and other forms of dis-
crimination one of the main priorities of the Assem-
bly. The President has led during the past year two
high level delegations of parliamentarians to the
OSCE conferences on Combating Anti-Semitism
and other forms of discrimination held in Brussels
and C6rdoba.
The President of theAssembly has also continued
to develop close co-operation with other interna-
tional parliamentary assemblies such as the Parlia-
mentaryAssembly of the Council of Europe and the
NATO Parliamentary Assembly. The President has
addressed both Assemblies in the past year.
36
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 0 S ce PA
•
1
14
37
osceIPA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
Election Observation
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has developed a
particularly active programme for observing elections in
the OSCE area. The presence of parliamentary observ-
ersat elections emphasizes the importance oflegislatures
as institutions that must provide a balance to executive
authority. Dueto the fact that parliamentarians are them-
selves directly elected public officials, local and interna-
tional media often greatlyvalue their observations.
In 1997 a Co-operation Agreement between the
OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights(ODIHR)andtheOSCEParliamentaryAssembly
wassigned,definingthe respective rolesofthetwo Insti-
tutions in election observation missions. The ODIHR is
responsible for arranging Needs Assessment Missions,
long-term observation and establishing an OSCE Co-
ordinationOfficepriortoelections.Long-termobservers
are sent into the field several weeks before an election,
so that the OSCE can properly evaluate developments
leading up to the election. The OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly'srole istodeployparliamentarians, primarily
as short-term observers, and to provide political leader-
ship to the OSCE observation operation.
The Co-operation Agreement states that the OSCE
Chair-in-Office may designatea political figure asa Spe-
cial Co-ordinator to lead the OSCE Observation Mission.
Normally, this person, who also acts as a Representative
ofthe Chair-in-Office, will be the President of the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly or another senior official of the
Assembly. The Special Co-ordinator works closely with
the ODIHR on-site Co-ordinator of the election obser-
vation mission who assists the parliamentary delegation
with critical logistical support. The Special Co-ordinator
deliverstheOSCEPost-Election Statementinconjunction
with other appropriate officials.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assemblyhas also devel-
opedcloseco-operationwiththeParliamentaryAssem-
bly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament
and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in observing
elections. Since the programme began,more than 1800
parliamentarians from over forty countries have pro-
vided their expertise to the OSCE in the field of elec-
tion observation.
Kazakhstan
19 September 2004
On 20 September 2004 in Astana, OSCE PA Vice-
President Ihor Ostash, appointed by the C-i-O as Spe-
cialCo-ordinatorforthe short-termobservers,delivered
the preliminary post-election conclusions on the previ-
ous day's parliamentary elections, in conjunction with
Tana de Zulueta, Head of the parliamentary delega-
tion of the Council of Europe, and Ambassador Robert
Barry, Headofthe OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation
Mission. The joint statement concluded that the elec-
tions in Kazakhstan fell short of OSCE and Council of
Europe standards in many respects. Of particular con-
cern were the failure to fully implement improved elec-
tion observation legislation and the manner in which
electronic voting was introduced. "It is disappointing
that the improved election legislation did not result in
a more transparent election than we witnessed yester-
day," concluded Vice-President Ostash. "However, we
did note some improvements from previous elections
and we stand ready to continue the work with the elec-
tion authorities to strengthen both the legislation and
the process."
The OSCE PAdelegation consisted of30 parliamen-
tarians from 15 participating States. Prior to election
day, the parliamentarians attended an extensive brief-
ing programme, during which they heard from leaders
ofthe main political parties, representatives of the mass
media, observers and experts. On election day, parlia-
mentary observer teams were deployed in the Almaty
and Astana areas.
Belarus
17 October 2004
Presenting the preliminary post-election statement
on Belarus' parliamentary elections, Vice-President
Tone Tingsgård, along with AmbassadorAudry Glover,
Head of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mis-
sion, concluded that the elections in Belarus fell sig-
nificantly short of OSCE commitments for democratic
elections.
The Belarusian authorities failed to ensure the fun-
damental conditions necessary for the will ofthe people
toserve asa basis for authorityofgovernment.Freedom
38
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 S ce PA
of expression, association and assembly were seriously
challenged. This calls into question the willingness of
the authorities to respect the concept of political com-
petition on a basis of equal treatment, stated the OSCE
Election Observation Mission. "Democratic principles
were largely disregarded by the authorities. Many can-
didates were actively excluded from registering or were
deregistered, which limited the choice of voters", said
OSCE PAVice-President Tone Tingsgård, appointed by
the OSCE Chairman-in-Office as Special Co-ordinator
for the Short-term Observers.
44 OSCE parliamentarians from 25 States observed
the elections with the OSCE PA delegation. The pre-
liminary statement also stressed that the OSCE and its
institutions represented in the Election Observation
Mission remained prepared and committed to assisting
the national authorities, including the National Assem-
bly, and civil society in Belarus, in overcoming the
noted impediments to the conduct of democratic elec-
tions.
Ukraine
31 October, 21 November, 26 December 2004
From October to December, OSCE PA President
Emeritus Bruce George visited Ukraine three times to
lead OSCE election observation missions as the Spe-
cial Co-ordinator for the presidential elections of the
OSCE Chairman-in-Office.
On 1 November on behalf of the International Elec-
tion Observation Mission (IEOM), which included rep-
resentatives from the OSCE PA, Council of Europe PA,
NATO PA, European Parliament and the ODIHR, Mr.
George announced that "With heavy heart we have to
conclude that the 2004 Presidential elections in Ukraine
did not meet a considerable number of OSCE, Council
of Europe and other international standards for demo-
cratic elections". The preliminary post-election con-
clusions noted that the incumbent Prime Minister and
candidate Mr. Yanukovych's campaign did not make
a clear separation between resources owned or man-
aged by the incumbent political forces and the State
resources. International observers also criticized the
State media and State administration for overwhelming
bias in favour of Mr. Yanukovych. Senator Jerry Graf-
stein, Treasurer of the OSCE PA, was Deputy Head of
the OSCE PA delegation of 46 observers.
23 parliamentarians returned to Ukraine as part of
the OSCE PA delegation to observe the second round
ofthe presidential elections on 21 November.At a press
conference the following day, Mr. George reminded his
audiencethat threeweeks agotheIEOM hadappealedto
the Ukrainian authorities to use the interim three weeks
between the two rounds of elections to improve on the
shortcomings of the first round. "Today I announce that
it is with an even heavier heart that we have to con-
clude that the authorities did not respond positively to
our appeal." The IEOM preliminary statement lists a
number of significant shortcomings. They include the
abuse of state resources in favour of the incumbent
Prime Minister, demonstrating a widespread disregard
for the fundamental distinction between the State and
partisan political interests.
On 27 December, Mr. George was able to announce
a significantly different conclusion on the repeat of
second round. "I cannot express to you how delighted
I am to say that in our collective view Ukraine's elec-
39
SC e PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
tions have moved substantially closer to meetingOSCE
and other European standards in such a short period of
time. In our judgment the people of this great country
can be truly proud that yesterday they took a great step
towards free and democratic elections, by electing the
next President of Ukraine", concluded President Emer-
itus Bruce George.
The International Election Observation Mission
(IEOM), composed ofthe OSCE PA, Council ofEurope
PA, European Parliament, NATO PA and the OSCE /
ODIHR concluded that there had been great improve-
ment in the work of the election administration, in
particular, the Central Election Commission. Other
positive elements included fewer examples of abuse
of state resources, respect for freedom of association,
media coverage was significantly more balanced, edi-
torial instructions issued to journalists disappeared and
there were far fewer reports of people dependent on the
State for their livelihood being pressured in their choice
of candidate. However, some shortcomings remained,
such as poorly prepared voter lists, inflammatory cam-
paign material and the failure to incorporate provisions
in the newly amended electoral legislation clarifying
the role of the police on election day and requiring the
Central Election Commission to publish all polling sta-
tion results promptly.
The OSCE PA Observer Team of 90 parliamentari-
ans was also led by PA President Alcee L. Hastings and
Senator Jerry Grafstein, who participated in the nego-
tiations on the unanimously agreed joint statement. The
IEOM deployed a record 1 370 observers for the 26
December elections.
USA
2 November 2004
The OSCE PA deployed forty-six parliamentarians
from 23 OSCE countries across the United States in
the first comprehensive OSCE election observation
mission to the USA. OSCE PA President Alcee L.
Hastings had chosen Vice-President Barbara Haering
to lead the Short-Term Observation Mission and asked
the Chairman-in-Office to appoint her as the Special
Co-ordinator of the C-i-O, who also appointed Gio-
vanni Kessler as the deputy to Mrs. Haering. Since
the OSCE / ODIHR chose to deploy only a limited
observation mission, the PA International Secretariat,
assisted by the staff of President Hastings as well as
a
40
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 0s e PA.
Congressmen Hoyer and Cardin, was responsible for
the organization of the entire programme, including
deployment and briefings. On 4 November Mrs. Haer-
ing delivered the preliminary post election statement at
the National Press Club in Washington. The statement
concluded that the 2 November elections in the USA
met most of OSCE commitments. According to the
statement the presidential elections were concluded in
a highly competitive environment, and leading candi-
dates enjoyed the full benefits of media. However, the
Election Observation Mission took notice of the fact
that only a very small proportion of the elections for
the 434 congressional districts are generally considered
to be competitive. In some cases this may be attributed
to the way congressional boundaries are drawn. Mrs.
Haering also underlined the importance of the fact that
the US Government had invited the OSCE to carry out
this Election Observation Mission. "It is a sign of the
credibility of the USA within the OSCE. And carrying
out this Election Observation Mission in keeping with
normal practice in the OSCE in accordance with agree-
ments made by the 55 OSCE participating countries,
enhances the credibility of the Organization".
Kyrgyzstan
27 February 2005
On 28 February, Kimmo Kiljunen, in his capac-
ity as the OSCE C-i-O's Special Co-ordinator for the
elections, announced that "These elections were more
competitive than previous ones, but sadly this was
undermined by vote buying, de-registration of candi-
dates, interference with media and a worryingly low
confidence in judicial and electoral institutions on the
part ofvoters and candidates". In presenting the prelim-
inary conclusions of the Observation Mission — a joint
undertaking of the OSCE PA, the European Parliament
and the OSCE-ODIHR — Mr. Kiljunen highlighted a
number of negative aspects. In particular, repeated
warnings in advance of the elections by high officials
ofthe potential ofcivil war undermined the pre-election
environment, as did the restrictive application of the
Election Code, which cancelled the right to candidacy
of a number of prominent individuals on the grounds
that, as former diplomats, they had recently lived out-
side ofthe country. Nonetheless, the IEOM noted posi-
tive trends in some areas, including an improved legal
framework, greater competition offering voters a genu-
ine choice in candidates, and improved transparency at
polling stations.
The OSCE PA delegation consisted of seven parlia-
mentarians from five OSCE participating States.
Moldova
6 March 2005
Kimmo Kiljunen, who was appointed by the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office Dimitrij Rupel as the OSCE Spe-
cial Co-ordinator for the Moldovan parliamentary elec-
tions, led a delegation of 53 OSCE parliamentarians
from 16 participating States. The preliminary conclu-
sions, as delivered by Mr. Kiljunen, note that the elec-
tions generally complied with most OSCE and Council
of Europe commitments, yet fell short of meeting some
that are central to a genuinely competitive election
process. Delivering the preliminary conclusions of the
International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) at
a press conference in Chisinau on March 7 along with
colleagues from the Council of Europe Parliamen-
tary Assembly, European Parliament and the OSCE-
ODIHR, Mr. Kiljunen highlighted positive elements
of the election process. The pluralistic party system
in Moldova, an active civil society, and the increased
number of woman candidates all contributed to the
conclusion that the elections generally complied with
most OSCE and Council of Europe election commit-
ments. However, the preliminary conclusions state that
biased television coverage, abuse of public resources,
and attempts to prevent the election from unfolding in a
free and competitive manner undermined the process.
41
osce PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
•
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42
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 OS ce PA
OSCE Prize for Journalism and Democracy
The OSCE Prizefor Journalism andDemocracy was established by the ParliamentaryAssembly in 1996 and
has since become an important instrument in raising awareness on mediafreedom issues worldwide. The Prize
is awarded annually tojournalists and organizations who, through their work, havepromoted OSCEprinciples
ofhuman rights and democracy.
According to the Rules governing the Prize, "The
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will present the prize
to journalists, or groups of journalists, working for
the print or electronic media, who have, through their
work, promoted the OSCE principles on human rights
and democracy." The Prize amounts to USD 20,000
and is granted annually to one or more winners. The
funding is raised through private donations from pub-
lishing companies in OSCE participating States.
Awarding the first Prize to Polish journalist Adam
Michnik, Mrs. Birgitta Dahl, Speaker of the Swedish
Riksdag remarked that: "His intellectual and moral
standing expressed with total courage laid the foun-
dation for, and was one of the most important driving
forces behind the political developments in Poland
which led to democratization."
The second Prize was given to ReporterssansFron-
ti&es, the independent organization founded in 1985
that works on behalf of journalists who have been per-
secuted or imprisoned for their reporting. Through their
work around the world, particularly during the war in
Bosnia, Reporterssans Fronti&es has promoted OSCE
principles on human rights and democracy.
In 1998 the Prize was presented to Timothy Garton
Ash by the Speaker of the Danish Folketing, Mr. Ivar
Hansen, who commended Mr. Garton Ash for his
"analyses of the political developments in the former
communist states of Central-Eastern Europe."
In 1999, the fourth Prize was awarded to the Ms.
Christiane Amanpour, who earned her reputation
as an international correspondent beginning with
her coverage of the dramatic changes following the
collapse of Communism in 1989 and 1990.
In 2000, the Prize was awarded to Andrei Babitsky.
Presenting the Prize, the Chairman of the Third Com-
mittee, Gert Weisskirchen stated that "Andrei Babitsky
is awarded this Prize because as a journalist, he reports
on the life-endagering situations that people may find
themselves in if power alone is at stake."
In 2001, the Prize was awarded in absentia to Span-
ish journalist Jose Luis Lopez De Lacalle, who was
killed in a May 2000 terrorist attack, and Ukrainian
journalist Georgiy Gongadze, who was murdered in
2000 in what many people believe to be a direct order
from the office of the Ukrainian president.
In 2002, the OSCE PA awarded the Prize to Aus-
trian TV-journalist Friedrich Otter and Belarusian TV-
journalist Pavel Sheremet. Dr. Otter was recognized
for promoting the OSCE principles of human rights
and democracy through his reporting in the Balkans
and Afghanistan. Mr. Sheremet was granted the award
for his courage in reporting on the lack of freedom
of expression in Belarus and on violations of human
rights, including disappearances of opposition politi-
cians and journalists.
In 2003 the Prize was granted to Anna Politko-
vskaya for her extensive and balanced reporting in
Chechnya, drawing attention to widespread human
rights abuses in the region.
Last year the OSCE PA awarded the Prize to
the Committee to Protect Journalists, which has
gained international recognition as a non-profit,
non-partisan organization dedicated to the global
defence of press freedom.
Past Recipients
Adam Michnik
1996
4,4
'
morters
borders
Reporters sans frontieres
1997
Timothy GartonAsh
1998
JoELUpczdeLacalle&Geotgiyaugadze FriederichOrter&PavelSheremet
2001 2002
Christiane Amanpour
1999
Andrei Babitsky
2000
cp1
Anna Politkovskaya CommitteetoPrnied
2003 2004
43
0sce PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
International Secretaria
A decision was made at the First Annual Session
in Budapest to accept the invitation of the Danish
Folketing to locate the International Secretariat of
the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Copenhagen.
The Standing Committee met in Copenhagen in
January of 1993 to approve the Bureau's choice of a
Secretary General and to adopt formal Rules of Pro-
cedure for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and a
budget for its Secretariat.
The Standing Committee unanimously approved
R. Spencer Oliver of the United States as the Assem-
bly's first Secretary General. The Secretary Gen-
eral appoints two deputies to support his work. The
Secretary General recently promoted Programme
Officer Tina Schøn to the position of Deputy Sec-
retary General, to join Deputy Secretary General
Vitaly Evseyev who has been with the Assembly for
twelve years. The Standing Committee has twice
unanimously re-elected Secretary General R. Spen-
cer Oliver to new five-year terms.
The Danish Folketing, as a gift to the Assem-
bly, provides premises near the Danish Parliament,
and equipment for the Assembly's use, making the
Danish Parliament the single largest contributor to
the budget of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
The Danish Government signed a headquarters
agreement with the Assembly, providing for full
international diplomatic privileges and immunities
on the same level as other diplomatic missions in
Denmark.
The primary responsibility of the International
Secretariat is to support and organize all activities
of the Assembly, including the Annual Session, the
Winter Meeting, meetings of the Standing Commit-
tee, the Bureau and Expanded Bureau, and other
meetings and conferences of the Assembly. It also
serves as a central communications link between the
OSCE parliamentary delegations, other OSCE Insti-
tutions and the Parliamentary Assembly.
The Secretariat maintains the records of Parlia-
mentary Assembly activities and programmes car-
ried out since it was established in 1993, including
the minutes of all official meetings. The Secretary
General, along with Financial Assistant Per-Henrik
Diirr, is responsible for the financial affairs and
administration of the Assembly under the guidance
and oversight of the Treasurer, Senator Jerry Graf-
stein (Canada). Independent audits by outside audi-
tors from KPMG are carried out on at least an annual
basis. Expenditures have consistently remained
within the annual approved budget since the Interna-
tional Secretariat was established in 1993.
The Secretariat provides support to the President,
the Bureau, the Officers of the three General Com-
mittees and the ad hoc Committees, aswell as the five
Special Representatives
and other missions. The
Staff of the Secretariat also
organizes special missions
and visits, as well as elec-
tion observation projects.
Senior staff have partici-
pated in meetings of the
OSCE Permanent Council
and the Ministerial Troika
and frequently represent
the Assembly at other
meetings and forums.
In January 2003, the
International Secretariat
opened a Liaison Office
in Vienna, headed by a
Special Representative, to
facilitate communication
with the OSCE structures
in Vienna.
OSCE PA International Secretariat Headquarters, Copenhagen, Denmark
44
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 C e PA
-giers of the International Se
R. Spencer Oliver, United States
Secretary General Spencer Oliver was chosen as the first Secretary General
of the International Secretariat by the first Bureau meeting of the OSCE Parlia-
mentary Assembly in October 1992 and confirmed unanimously by the Standing
Committee of Heads of Delegation at their meeting in Copenhagen in 1993. The
Standing Committee of Heads of Delegations decided in 1995 to provide for a
five year term for the Secretary General. At that time Mr. Oliver was unani-
mously re-elected and was subsequently re-elected to a second five year term
which runs through 2005. He served twenty-two years as a staff member in the
US Congress, including as Chief of Staff of the US Helsinki Commission from
1976-1985 and as Chief Counsel of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US
House of Representatives until January 1993. He also served in several senior
diplomatic positions on US delegations to CSCE Review and Expert meetings
between 1977 and 1993.
The Secretary General's mandate includes responsibility for managing the
affairs of the Assembly, ensuring the efficiency of the Secretariat, and carrying
out the decisions of the Bureau, the Standing Committee and the Assembly. He
reports to the President, the Bureau, the Standing Committee and the Annual
Session. He nominates the two Deputy Secretary Generals, who must be con-
firmed by the Standing Committee. He appoints and directs the staff of the Sec-
retariat and works with the Treasurer to prepare and administer the budget of the
Assembly. Along with the Treasurer, he is responsible for the management of the
Assembly's financial resources. He represents the Assembly at various official
meetings of the OSCE and such other meetings and functions that may be appro-
priate. He also maintains regular contacts with members of the Bureau, Heads
and Secretaries of Delegations, and OSCE officials in other OSCE Institutions.
He works on a regular basis with the Secretary Generals of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly.
Vitaly Evseyev, Russian Federation
Deputy Secretary General Vitaly Evseyev has extensive experience in diplo-
matic and international parliamentary affairs, having served for more than seven
years at the International Secretariat of the United Nations in New York and for
nearly nine years as the Assistant Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary
Union. He has also served in senior positions in the Russian Parliament. He speaks
fluent French and English.
Mr. Evseyev has primary responsibility for organizing all of the meetings of the
Assembly, including the Annual Sessions, meetings of the Standing Committee and
the Bureau, and various conferences and seminars. In addition, he is responsible
for working with the Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and
Environment (Second Committee) and serves as the liaison officer with the Inter-
Parliamentary Union and the Parliamentary Assembly ofthe CIS, as well as with the
national parliaments of the CIS region. He has also headed several election moni-
toring projects, including elections in Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Azerbaijan and
Armenia. Mr. Evseyev joined the staff in March of 1993.
45
osce PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
Jan Jooren, Netherlands
Press Counsellor Jan Jooren is a
career civil servant, specialising as an
information officer with the Dutch gov-
ernment. He has also worked in a senior
position with the Foreign Affairs Com-
mittee of the Dutch parliament. He was
seconded by the Dutch government as
the press officer for annual OSCE PA
Sessions from 1993 through 1997, as
well as for several election monitoring
projects. Since the fall of 1998, he has
been seconded on a full-time basis by the Dutch parliament and
government to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's International
Secretariat in Copenhagen. He is responsible for press and public-
ity related to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's activities. He
is responsible for publishing the OSCE PA's internal newsletter,
Newsfrom Copenhagen, administratingthe OSCE PAwebsite and
providing information on the PA for the OSCE Newsletter pub-
lished by the governmental OSCE in Vienna. He also oversees the
production ofvariousbrochures and other materialsdescribingand
publicising the work ofthe Parliamentary Assembly.
Andreas Nothelle,
Germany
Ambassador Andreas Nothelle is
a constitutional lawyer and a senior
career civil servant, who has served in
the German Bundestag for more than
18 years. He was seconded by the Bun-
destag to head the OSCE PA Liaison
Office in Vienna which serves, since
its establishment in February 2003, as
an important link in the communica-
tion between the governmental OSCE structures in Vienna and
the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. Mr. Nothelle has held a wide
range of posts within the German Bundestag Administration,
including that ofSecretary ofthe Committee on Labour and Social
Affairs, Secretary of the Sub-Committee on Disarmament and
Arms Control, and Head of the Office of Former President of the
Bundestag, Annemarie Renger, who was a leading member ofthe
Foreign Affairs Committee. Fluent in English, French and Span-
ish,Mr.Nothelle hasrepresentedthe BundestagAdministration as
an expert on numerous programs designed to provide administra-
tive assistance, especially to parliaments, primarily in Central and
Eastern Europe, Africa, Latin America and China.
Gustavo Pallar&, Spain
Presidential Advisor Gustavo Pal-
lares joined the staff in February 2001
after the Standing Committee approved
funding for a position for liaison and co-
ordination ofthe activities ofthe Assem-
bly's President. Mr. Pallares is also a
former Research Fellow and served as
Presidential Adviser to former President
Javier Ruperezin the Spanish Parliament
when he was President ofthe OSCE Par-
liamentary Assembly and then when he
was President ofthe NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Mr. Pallares
also works with Deputy Secretary General Vitaly Evseyev on
matters related to the Committee on Economic Affairs, Science,
Technology and Environment (Second Committee) and serves as
liaison officer with the Spanish Parliament, and has responsibility
for Mediterranean matters. He is responsible for co-ordinating the
President's schedule, speeches, correspondence and statement. He
speaks fluent English and French.
Tina Salon, Denmark
Programme Officer Tina Schøn has
primary responsibility for the Caucasus,
including the ad hoc committee on Abk-
hazia and the Special Representative on
Nagorno Karabakh. She has visited the
region on several occasions and partici-
pated in all election monitoring projects
in the area. Ms. Schøn works with the
Secretary General on issues related to the
General Committee on Political Affairs
and Security aswell as the Ad Hoc Com-
mittee on Transparency and Accountability, and also serves as the
Gender Adviser in the International Secretariat. Ms. Schøn was
recently promoted to the position ofDeputy Secretary General. She
has a Masters degree in international relations and apart from the
Scandinavian languages, she speaks fluent English and French, as
well assome German. Ms. Schøn joined the office in April 1999.
PaulLeGendre,UnitedStates
Programme Officer Paul LeGendre
has primary responsibility for Central
Asia and works with Deputy Secretary
General Vitaly Evseyev in that area as
wellasinothercountriesinthegeograph-
ical area ofthe former Soviet Union. Mr.
LeGendre has a Masters degree from
Columbia University in international
affairs and speaks fluent French and
Russian. He formerly served as a staff
member for the International League for
Human Rights in New York and also worked for the Committee
to Protect Journalists. He works with the Working Group on Bela-
rus and with the Parliamentary Team on Moldova, as well as on
matters related to the Committee on Democracy, Human Rights
and Humanitarian Questions (Third Committee). Mr. LeGendre
joined the office in June 2000.
Andreas Baker, Canada
Programme / Press Officer Andreas
Baker joined the International Secre-
tariat in February 2005. He assists Press
Counsellor Jan Jooren in publicizing the
work of the Assembly, producing the
OSCE PA's news bulletin News from
Copenhagen, overseeing the OSCE PA
website, and publishing other promo-
tional material on Assembly events. He
joined the Secretariat after working in
the Canadian House of Commons. A
former Research Fellow, Mr. Baker has degrees in international
relations from Uppsala University and the London School of Eco-
nomics, and speaks French and Danish.
DanaBjerregaard,UnitedStates
Ms Bjerregaard serves as the Assist-
anttotheSecretaryGeneral. Shearranges
theschedule oftheSecretaryGeneral and
is responsible for his correspondence and
liaison with OSCE Institutions, as well
as coordinating the flow of information
between and among the staff members.
Prior to joining the International Secre-
tariat, Ms Bjerregaard worked for vari-
ous law firms in the United States. She
speaks English and Danish.
46
14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005 S C e PA
Lisa Callan,United Kingdom
Ms Callan joined the staff as Con-
ference Coordinator in September 2004.
Her responsibilities include assisting the
DeputySecretaryGeneralVitalyEvseyev
in organising all OSCE PA meetings,
including logistics, hotels, notices and all
other details related to the Organisation
of the Annual Sessions, meetings of the
Bureau,StandingCommitteeandvarious
conferences and Seminars. She is also in
charge ofthe recruiting, screening and managing the multinational
researchassistantteam.PriortojoiningtheInternationalSecretariat,
Ms Callan worked for many years in the Brewing Industry. She is
cunentlystudyingtowards a degree in Psychology.
•?;
Zuzana Straponcekova, Slova-
kia/Czech Republic
As former OSCE PA Conference Co-
ordinator, Zuzana Straponcekova rejoined
the staff of the International Secretariat
as Information Co-ordinator in October
2003. She gainedherexperience in confer-
ence services at the NATO PA in Brussels
where she recruited and supervised inter-
national conference interpreters for the
Assembly's meetings and conferences. Together with the OSCE PA
Counsellor forPressandPublicAffairs,MsStraponcekovaadminis-
terstheOSCEPAwebsite.ShealsoassistsDeputySecretaryGeneral
Vitaly Evseyev in organizing OSCE PA meetings. Ms Straponce-
kova has a Masters Degree in Modern Philology and speaks fluent
English, French, Russian, Serbian, Bosnian andCroatian.
Kurt Lerras, Denmark
Kurt Lerras joined the staff of the
InternationalSecretariatinFebruary1993
after having served for eighteen years
on the staff of the Danish Parliament,
including in its International Depart-
ment. He is responsible for acquiring and
maintaining all furniture, equipment and
supplies for the International Secretar-
iat, and for physical arrangements of all
OSCE PA meetings. He is also in charge
of reproduction and distribution of all documents, including direct
communications by mail, fax and email to the Bureau, Standing
Committee, other OSCE Institutions and the press. He assists
expatriate members of staff in a variety of ways, including with
housing, transportation and medical assistance. He is in regular
communication with SecretariesofDelegationsand staffmembers
ofother OSCE Institutions, as well asthestaffofthe variousparlia-
ments who are hosting meetings ofthe Assembly.
Per-Henrik Diirr, Denmark
Per-Henrik Dtirr has been trained as an
accountant and maintainsthe booksand finan-
cialrecordsofthe Assembly.Workingwith the
Secretary General, he ensures that all expendi-
turesareproperlyauthorisedandvouchered.He
also works with the firm of KPMG Jespersen
who perform the external audit of the Assem-
bly's books. He provides financial information
to the Treasurer and provides the Secretary
General and the Deputy Secretary Generals
withregularreportsofthestatusofthe Assembly'sfinances.
Pia Cathrin Rasmussen,
Denmark
Pia Cathrin Rasmussen joined the
staff of the Assembly as a Secretary
in 1994 and has been promoted sev-
eral times as she received specialised
training in IT. She sets up and main-
tains the computers for all members
of the staff, and maintains the internal
computer network. She speaks fluent
English and German.
Connie Mathiesen,
Denmark
Connie Mathiesen joined the
staff of the International Secretariat
in 1997. She is responsible for main-
taining the files and the records of
the Assembly and distributing all
correspondence which comes to the
International Secretariat. She also
backs up the Financial Assistant,
Per-Henrik Diirr in maintaining and
administering financial matters in the Secretariat. Prior to
joining the International Secretariat, she worked in one of the
embassies in Copenhagen maintaining their library.
Kathrin Miriam Volz,
Germany
Liaison Officer Kathrin Volz is a
former Research Fellow at the Interna-
tional Secretariat and is responsible for
assisting the Special Representative of
the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in
Vienna. She maintains working contacts
with the OSCE Secretariat and the Del-
egations and participates in the various
meetings taking place in the Hofburg.
She also monitors the documents and working papers produced by
the OSCE structures in Vienna. Ms. Volz holds a law degree from
Germany, as well asa Masters degree from the CatholicUniversity
in Leuven, and is fluent in English and French.
Max, the office dog,
Denmark
Max joined the staff of the Inter-
national Secretariat in 2001 and has
since been responsible for upholding
the good mood in the office on a day-
to-day basis.
He also participates in all staffmeet-
ings providing staff members with rel-
evant documentation, whilst running
around the table and collecting cookies. In the absence of the Sec-
retaryGeneral,Max inprincipletakesoverall majorresponsibilites
in close consultations with the Deputy Secretary Generals.
47
a:sce PA 14th Annual Session, Washington, DC 2005
Zu national Research Fellowship P o.
#
♦
2005 marks the 10th anniversary of the Inter-
national Secretariat's Research Fellowship Pro-
gramme in which one-hundred and thirty-five
young people from more than twenty-five partici-
pating States have taken part. The programme con-
tinues to provide a unique opportunity for graduate
students from OSCE countries to experience and
work in an international organization for a period
of six months, to learn more about international
relations and in particular the importance of inter-
parliamentary work and co-operation. Research
Fellows work very closely with the permanent
staff of the International Secretariat and they con-
tribute not only high-level research for speeches
and briefing papers, but also language capabilities,
logistical support and administrative assistance.
The primary duties ofResearch Fellows include
preparation of briefing reports for election moni-
toring missions and briefing papers for visits of
the OSCE PA President, the Ad Hoc Committees,
Special Representatives or other Officials to vari-
ous participating states or OSCE events. Fellows
also assist in the planning and conduct of meet-
ings of the Parliamentary Assembly, follow the
work of the OSCE Field Missions and write regu-
lar updates. In addition, Fellows are often asked to
help draftspeeches and statements andwrite papers
on special projects undertaken by the Assembly's
Secretariat. They also assist with day-to-day prac-
tical work in the office such as answering phones,
copying, filing and other necessary chores.
Research Fellows are mainly recruited from
graduate students of law, international relations
and political science from universities in the
OSCE area. Fellowships are normally granted for
a period of six months, although, in exceptional
cases, some Fellows have extended for an addi-
tional six-month period.
The Research Fellowship Programme was
established after approval by the Standing Com-
mittee in July 1994 and started with two Research
Fellows in February 1995. Since the very begin-
ning, the programme has proved to be an impor-
tant and valuable asset to the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly, and at present the International Secre-
tariat employs six Research Fellows. After ending
their term with the OSCE ParliamentaryAssembly,
quite a high number ofthe Fellows pursue a carrier
in the OSCE where, in particular, the field missions
and the OSCE Secretariat have benefited from the
experience of past OSCE PA Fellows. Other Fel-
lows have moved on to jobs in their national gov-
ernments or other international organizations.
Programme Officer Tina Schøn and Conference Co-
ordinator Lisa Callan are in charge of co-ordinating
the Programme. More information is available at
the OSCE PA's webpage, www.oscepa.org.
48
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
International Secretariat
Rådhusstræde 1
1466 Copenhagen K
Denmark
Telephone: +45 33 37 80 40
Telefax: +45 33 37 80 30
E-mail: osce@oscepa.dk
Internet: www.oscepa.org
1-5 July 2005
Washington, DC
C e PA