Brev fra præsidenten fra OSCE PA og generalsekretæren for OSCE PA til Standing Committee

The Secretary General
_________________
Tordenskjoldsgade 1, 1055 Copenhagen K., Denmark
Phone: +45 33 37 80 40 - Fax: +45 33 37 80 30 - osce@oscepa.dk - www.oscepa.org
To: Heads of OSCE PA Delegations
Members of the OSCE PA Bureau
CC: Secretaries of OSCE PA Delegations
Copenhagen, 20 October 2017
Dear Members of the Standing Committee,
As you may know, President Christine Muttonen was not re-elected in her domestic
capacity during the 15 October parliamentary elections in Austria. President Muttonen’s
mandate in the Austrian Parliament, and Membership in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly,
therefore expires with the opening of the new parliament, which we understand to be planned
for 9 November 2017.
Rule 5-8 of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Rules of Procedure states that:
“The Vice-President who has obtained the highest number of votes among the Vice-
Presidents with greatest length of service, and, at a parity of votes, the eldest of them,
may act as President when the latter is unable to exercise his or her functions, until
the Assembly elects a successor.”
According to records maintained by the International Secretariat, George Tsereteli is
currently the Vice-President with the greatest length of service, having first been elected Vice-
President in 2012. I have therefore today written to Vice-President Tsereteli, asking that he
assume the office and act as President from 9 November 2017 until the Assembly elects a
successor. Under Rule 4 of the Rules of Procedure, the Assembly will elect a successor before
the close of the next Annual Session, from 7-11 July 2018. I am sure you will join me in
wishing Mr. Tsereteli the very best in this new role.
I and the International Secretariat look forward to serving under this new political
leadership, and will continue to work tirelessly on behalf of all OSCE parliamentarians.
Yours sincerely,
Roberto Montella
OSCEs Parlamentariske Forsamling 2017-18
OSCE Alm.del Bilag 3
Offentligt


The President
_________________
Tordenskjoldsgade 1, 1055 Copenhagen K., Denmark
Phone: +45 33 37 80 40 - Fax: +45 33 37 80 30 - osce@oscepa.dk - www.oscepa.org
To: Heads of OSCE PA Delegations
Members of the OSCE PA Bureau
20 October 2017
Dear colleagues,
As you are already aware of it, Austria held legislative elections on 15 October and,
now that final results have been proclaimed, I have to regretfully announce that I will no longer
be a Member of Parliament from 9 November.
You know as well as I do that political life is uncertain. It encourages us to take nothing
for granted and to constantly fight to improve the lives of the citizens we represent. This
thrilling uncertainty has been a central part of my life ever since I first held elected office some
twenty years ago.
I have had my share of joyous moments in the Austrian Parliament and with you in the
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. It has been an immense honour to carry your voice as your
President for the past fifteen months, and as Vice-President for the two years prior. I would
like to warmly thank you for the trust you showed in electing me, as well as for your openness
and everlasting commitment to dialogue which make of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly a
unique forum for co-operation between our countries.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly carries an important voice in these times of
turmoil. This makes it all the more crucial that our organization ensures a smooth presidential
transition. I have conferred with Secretary General Roberto Montella on the steps that will be
taken once I leave office and I understand that a clear process is being implemented in
accordance with our procedures. I would like to already use this occasion to wish my successor
George Tsereteli all the best in his service of our Assembly.
I outlined during our last Autumn Meeting in Andorra what would have been the
guidelines of my presidency until our 2018 Annual Session in Berlin. Those priorities –
women’s empowerment in international politics, the security implications of climate change,
the use of culture as a peace-building tool, and closer relations with our Partners for Co-
operation – build on our parliamentary culture of dialogue and offer equal opportunities for all
our delegations to tackle together the challenges we face in the OSCE region. I trust that these
OSCEs Parlamentariske Forsamling 2017-18
OSCE Alm.del Bilag 3
Offentligt
The President
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Tordenskjoldsgade 1, 1055 Copenhagen K., Denmark
Phone: +45 33 37 80 40 - Fax: +45 33 37 80 30 - osce@oscepa.dk - www.oscepa.org
objectives will continue to guide your efforts. After all, they are the concrete expression of
your daily work and our common aspirations.
As we see every day, trust-building is needed more than ever. During my last weeks as
a Member of Parliament and as President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, I will highlight
our areas of convergence and encourage our Members to never stop searching for common
ground. Whether in or out of office, we should remember that we must carry on promoting
people-to-people contact, facilitating cultural exchanges and enabling meaningful dialogue.
I have been privileged to see this taking place all the time in our Parliamentary
Assembly and I am convinced that only with such close co-operation will we ultimately
guarantee peace and stability from Vancouver to Vladivostok.
Yours sincerely,
Christine Muttonen
President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly