Rejserapport fra OSCE PAs årlige sommersession virtuelt og i Wien, Østrig den 30. juni - 6. juli 2021

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OSCEs Parlamentariske Forsamling
REJSERAPPORT
ÅRLIGE SOMMERSESSION
Tid: 30. juni – 6. juli 2021
Sted: Virtuelt og i Wien, Østrig
Deltagere: Peter Juel-Jensen (V) formand, Malte Larsen (S) næstfor-
mand, Katrine Robsøe (RV), Christoffer Melson (V) og Søren
Søndergaard (EL)
Ledsaget af: Delegationssekretær Eva Esmarch og delegationsassistent
Charlotte Faber
Formål
OSCEs Parlamentariske Forsamlings (OSCE PA) afholdt sin årlige sommer-
session dels virtuelt og dels i Wien den 30. juni – 6. juli 2021. Programmet for
sessionen vedlægges som bilag 1.
Plenarforsamlingen
Præsident Peter Lord Bowness startede mødet med at byde delegationerne
velkomne til den årlige OSCE PA session, som var en noget amputeret ses-
sion, fordi covid-19 situationen indebar, at det kun var medlemmer af Standing
Committee, der havde mulighed for at være til stede fysisk i Wien. Præsident
Peter Lord Bowness var imidlertid også forhindret selv i at være fysisk til stede
på grund af de særlige rejserestriktioner, der gjaldt for UK. Han måtte derfor
lede sessionen virtuelt fra sit hjem i England. Han understregede i sin vel-
komsttale parlamentsmedlemmernes vigtige rolle med hensyn til at give bor-
gerne en stemme og sikre, at lovgivningen virkelig løser de problemer, den
søger at løse.
"COVID-19-krisen har opfordret os til at være på vagt for at beskytte selve
parlamentarismen," sagde Bowness. "Vi skal kanalisere al vores politiske
energi, blandt andet ved at være højrøstede i vores nationale parlamenter og
overfor vores regeringer, for at støtte OSCEs arbejde og gennemførelsen af
forpligtelser." Han benyttede også lejligheden til i sin sidste tale som præsident
til at slå til lyd for afholdelsen af et OSCE-topmøde i den nærmeste fremtid.
Komité møder
Sessionen blev indledt med virtuelle møder i de tre komitéer, hvor der i år und-
tagelsesvist ikke blev vedtaget resolutioner eller Supplementary Items. På mø-
derne var der primært fokus på de rapporter, der var forberedt af komiteernes
rapporteurs, som alle omhandlede aktuelle emner, som relaterer sig til OSCEs
værdier og forpligtelser. Rapporterne omhandlede blandt andet følgende em-
ner: pandemiens sociale og økonomiske konsekvenser, bæredygtig migration,
post-COVID multilateral diplomati, konflikter i OSCE landene, pandemiens
indflydelse på transnationale trusler og adgangen til sundhedsvæsenet.
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Derudover var der valg af formand, næstformand og rapporteur i alle komité-
erne:
1. komité (politik og sikkerhed) valgte Richard Hudson (USA) til formand,
Costel Neculai Dunava (Rumænien) til næstformand og Laurynas Kasciunas
(Lithauen) til rapporteur.
2. komité (økonomi, teknologi og miljø) valgte Pere Joan Pons (Spanien) til
formand, Artur Gerasymov (Ukraine) til næstformand og Gudrun Kugler (Tysk-
land) til rapporteur.
3. komité (demokrati og menneskerettigheder) valgte Sereine Maubourgne
(Frankrig) til formand, Michael Georg Link (Tyskland) til næstformand og Johan
Buser (Sverige) til rapporteur.
Standing Committee
På mødet i Standing Committee var der en heftig debat om, hvorvidt tre frem-
satte Urgency Items skulle fremmes. Præsident Peter Lord Bowness mente
ikke, at der var den nødvendig ”urgency” i de foreslåede Urgency Items. De
vedrørte nemlig alle forhold, som ikke var opstået indenfor den seneste må-
ned. Derfor mente han ikke, at de skulle fremmes. Det var der imidlertid ikke
enighed om, og resultatet blev, at beslutningen måtte overlades til afstemnin-
ger på plenarmødet. Derefter fremlagde Præsident Peter Lord Bowness rap-
porten om sine aktiviteter (bilag 3) efterfulgt af Treassurer Peter Juel-Jensen,
som fremlagde sin rapport om organisationens økonomiske situation og bud-
gettet for det 30. finansielle år for OSCE PA, som går fra 1. oktober 2021 til 30
september 2022 (bilag 4). Budgettet blev vedtaget, hvorefter generalsekretær
Roberto Montella aflagde sin årlige rapport til Standing Committee (Bilag 5).
Som afslutning på mødet i Standing Committee blev der informeret om de
kommende møder, som var:
 Efterårsmøde, som bliver afholdt virtuelt primo oktober 2021
 Bureaumøde i Stockholm, Sverige, 1. december 2021
 Vintermøde i Wien, Østrig, 24.-25. februar 2022
 Bureaumøde i København, medio april 2022
 Sommersession i Birmingham, UK, primo juli 2022
Plenarmødet
Plenarmødet var særligt domineret af en lang debat om, hvorvidt tre ”Urgency
Items” om henholdsvis Belarus, Ukraine og om stigende had og intolerance i
OSCE regionen skulle fremmes, og om hvordan det skulle afgøres, om der var
2/3 af forsamlingen, der stemte for, at de hver især skulle fremmes. Rusland
mente, at der skulle være 2/3 af alle tilmeldte til sessionen, der skulle stemme
for, for at et Urgency Item skulle behandles. Rules of Procedure var imidlertid
ikke klare på dette punkt, og fordi sessionen var dels virtuel og dels fysisk,
besluttede præsidenten, at der skulle være 2/3 af de afgivne stemmer for, at
et Urgency Item skulle fremmes. Det mente Rusland ikke var rigtigt, og truede
med at udvandre fra salen, hvis det var denne metode, der blev talt stemmer
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op efter. Præsidenten holdt fast og den russiske delegation udvandrede.
Herefter blev alle de tre Urgency Items vedtaget.
Afslutningsvist blev resultatet af afstemningen om hvem der skulle være præ-
sident og vicepræsidenter offentliggjort. Den svenske parlamentariker Marga-
reta Cederfelt blev valgt som præsident for forsamlingen med 128 stemmer
frem for den norske parlamentariker Kari Henriksen, som fik 126 stemmer. Der
var altså tale om et meget tæt løb om præsidentposten. Margareta Cederfelt
understregede i sin tiltrædelsestale, at hun ville arbejde for ansvarlighed, in-
klusion og respekt for alle landene. ”I believe that the OSCE as a security
organization is unique. The broad security perspective of the OSCE is a
strength for us”, sagde præsident Margareta Cederfelt.
 Bilag 1. Program for OSCE PA Sessionen, 30. juni – 6. juli 2021
 Bilag 2. Dagsorden for mødet i Standing Committee
 Bilag 3. Rapport fra præsident for OSCE PA Peter Lord Bowness
 Bilag 4. Rapport fra treassurer Peter Juel-Jensen
 Bilag 5. Rapport fra generalsekretær Roberto Montella


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Remote Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
30 June – 6 July 2021
Report on the Activities of the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Peter Lord Bowness
Dear Members,
Since our last meeting in February, and as it quickly became clear that we would be unable to
hold a fully in-person Annual Session as planned in Bucharest, a great deal of effort has been
devoted to ensuring that our Parliamentary Assembly be given the opportunity to discuss
committee reports and elect a new leadership this July.
While most of us, including myself, will unfortunately find themselves unable to participate
from Vienna in our 2021 Remote Annual Session, I am glad that we have taken the steps
necessary to ensure that you will be able to engage in vigorous debates to advance the work
of the OSCE.
I would like to thank the International Secretariat for the efforts undertaken since the start of
the COVID-19 pandemic to adapt the work of our Assembly to this unprecedented challenge.
In the past 18 months, the wealth of experience gained through the organization of our
Parliamentary Web Dialogues and Standing Committee, Bureau, and various other online
meetings, including our latest virtual Winter Meeting, means that our Assembly will be able
to fulfil its mission this July despite the complicated circumstances.
I also take this opportunity to thank the Bureau for our important discussions and collegial
work in recent months. These have given the necessary guidance to carry on with our work in
this emergency situation.
I am afraid that, despite some improvements, the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to
impact our calendar of activities until 2022. Indeed, we will also be unable to organize our
Autumn Meeting in person in Dublin. Nevertheless, I am grateful that the Delegations which
had planned on hosting PA meetings unfortunately cancelled by the pandemic will be using
them as a foundation for future conferences once the global health situation allows it. This
already ensures that the OSCE PA will have host venues for its annual and autumn meetings
for the next three years.
Despite all these logistical challenges, I am glad to report that the OSCE PA continues to
provide an important platform for dialogue on key political issues. Our Winter Meeting
allowed our Members to discuss issues such as protracted conflicts, the crisis in and around
Ukraine, building economic and environmental security, and the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on security and democracy. Since then, online meetings hosted by our General
Committees or as part of the Call for Action initiative have given ample opportunities to our
Members to hear from experts and exchange on many key areas of activities of the OSCE,
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including gender-based violence, climate change, youth engagement and empowerment,
pollution, public health, and the right to healthcare, or military transparency and confidence-
building measures. These conversations have been useful to share concerns, experiences, and
best practices, and to inform the work of our Assembly in the preparation of this year’s
Annual Session.
Even though field travel remains complicated, our Ad Hoc Committees have continued to put
the spotlight on issues of concern. The Migration Committee has discussed the plight of
asylum-seekers and migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the challenges facing Greece
through a series of virtual meetings. Our Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism (CCT)
also carried an interesting hearing on the challenge of repatriating, prosecuting, rehabilitating,
and reintegrating foreign terrorist fighters, which examined the experience of Kazakhstan as a
case study for lessons learned and good practices. Both of our Ad Hoc Committees also
reinforced valuable institutional synergies, as the migration committee conducted a series of
web-conferences with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to
address and understand the needs of unaccompanied minors and other vulnerable refugees,
and the CCT held a joint session with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean
(PAM) as part of an international conference on terrorism and violent extremism organized
by the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of
Independent States (IPA CIS).
I would like to thank Members and staff for continuing to actively participate in our election
observation missions, including in Bulgaria, Albania, and Armenia. Immediately after our
Annual Session, we will also deploy two simultaneous missions to Moldova and Bulgaria, as
a clear signal that our Parliamentary Assembly will continue to assist OSCE participating
States in implementing their democratic commitments.
As I underlined during our Winter Meeting, it is the role of the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly to speak out and hold participating States accountable when core OSCE principles
are trampled upon. Although we maintain open and honest communication channels with our
colleagues in the Parliament of Belarus, it is also our collective duty to relay the concerns
expressed by an overwhelming majority of PA Members regarding the clear escalation of
violations of human rights and democratic principles witnessed since the last presidential
election in August 2020, not least the grounding of Ryanair flight 4978 and the subsequent
arrest of opposition activist and journalist Roman Protasevich. It is well within our role to
regularly exchange with as many stakeholders as possible, including with leading opposition
figures, which is why we have also met online on several occasions with Leonid Volkov, a
close aide to jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, to hear about his detention
conditions and discuss political developments ahead of the Russian parliamentary elections.
OSCE parliamentarians have an important role to play in keeping these specific issues, as
well as many others, on the agenda of national governments. This was one of my key
messages in a hearing on the work of the OSCE PA hosted by the European Parliament’s
Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET): while we can certainly raise issues, we need
Ministers and Heads of State to address them to bring about the changes we seek. It is
therefore vital that we carry on reinforcing synergies with our institutional partners and that
3
we work together to fully exploit our political role and generate interest in the work of the
OSCE, both in our national parliaments and with our governments.
Finally, when I assumed the duties of President last December, I committed to handing over
the Assembly in good order and without any commitments. For this reason, I have decided to
terminate the appointment of all Special Representatives and Rapporteurs to ensure that my
successor has an opportunity to consider the number of portfolios, the subject of their
mandates, and who should fill these positions without being under any obligation to existing
holders. I have also placed my chair of the Sub-Committee on Rules of Procedure and
Working Practices at the disposal of the new President, to whom I wish every success in
guiding our Assembly for the next year.
As a word of conclusion and considering the challenging environment we have been forced to
deal with for over a year, let me once again underline my appreciation for the work of the
International Secretariat under the leadership of Secretary General Roberto Montella. I would
also like to thank you all for your assistance and for your continued engagement to meet our
common challenges through honest international dialogue and strong multilateral co-
operation.
Yours sincerely
Peter Lord Bowness


Draft Programme (as 14.06.21)
OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
REMOTE SESSION
30 June – 6 July 2021
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Wednesday 30 June 2021
ONLINE
14.00 – 17.00 (CEST) Meeting of the OSCE PA’s General Committee on
Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions
Thursday 1 July 2021
ONLINE
14.00 – 17.00 (CEST) Meeting of the OSCE PA’s General Committee on Economic
Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment
Friday 2 July 2021
ONLINE
14.00 – 17.00 (CEST) Meeting of the OSCE PA’s General Committee on Political
Affairs and Security
Monday 5 July 2021
10:00 (CEST) Opening of electronic voting to elect OSCE PA Assembly
and Committees Officers
IN PERSON in VIENNA (restricted to Members of the Standing Committee, Chairs of
the OSCE PA Ad Hoc Committees, and Special Representatives of the OSCE PA)
13.30 – 16.30 (CEST) Meeting of the Standing Committee
Tuesday 6 July 2021
BLENDED FORMAT (in person participation in Vienna restricted to Members of the
Standing Committee, Chairs of the OSCE PA Ad Hoc Committees, and Special
Representatives of the OSCE PA – all other participants remotely connected)
13.30 – 16.30 (CEST) Plenary Session
16:00 (CEST) Closing of electronic voting to elect OSCE PA Assembly
and Committees Officers


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REPORT OF SECRETARY GENERAL
ROBERTO MONTELLA
TO THE OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
STANDING COMMITTEE
5 JULY 2021
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Report of the Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly – 2021 Remote Session
1
For the second year in a row, we approach our most important event of the year – the Annual Session
– without being able to all meet face-to-face. Nevertheless, I am glad that this year we could organize
a hybrid session, with the Assembly’s Standing Committee, Bureau and Special Representatives
meeting in Vienna and with a new electronic system allowing online voting of Assembly Officers.
In February, during the Winter Meeting, I presented a comprehensive report covering one year of
OSCE PA activities adapting to the new pandemic reality1
: the 2021 Remote Session, while in hybrid
format and shorter than usual, is another step in this direction. Its modalities reflect a careful
balance between the crucial need to hold a fully-fledged statutory meeting and the technical
and security constraints of the hybrid format, alongside ongoing restrictions for big in-person
events. I am proud that, through innovative formats, we continue to keep the political dialogue within
our Assembly well alive, despite not being able to vote on resolutions. I thank our President Peter
Lord Bowness and the entire Bureau for providing us with clear guidance and strong political
leadership, as well as the International Secretariat Staff for their dedication and commitment.
I – Activities 2
Election Observation
During the Spring, our election observation activity has almost returned to normal and, against the
backdrop of many restrictions and constraints, we have deployed full-scale missions to observe the
parliamentary elections in Bulgaria, on 4 April, in Albania, on 25 April, and in Armenia, on 20
June, with a degree of participation that resembled the pre-pandemic numbers3
. This has not come
without increased and innovative efforts, including new online briefing formats and extensive
COVID countermeasures in place. In May, leaders of the observer mission to the 2020 US elections
also held a meeting with Members from the US Delegation on potential follow-up on
recommendations from that Mission. This is an area of work that could be further explored in the
future also in other countries and provide an additional added value to our efforts. We will now
deploy two missions simultaneously on 11 July, to observe the snap parliamentary elections in
Moldova and in Bulgaria, and we will soon be moving forward with preparations for observing the
important parliamentary elections in the Russian Federation in September. Moreover, I intend to host
a retreat with election observation partners in the Autumn to further enhance our excellent
cooperation.
General Committees, Ad Hoc Committees and Special Representatives
The cycle of thematic Parliamentary Web Dialogues which we launched after the outbreak of the
pandemic has underlined the usefulness of this virtual tool, providing an additional platform for
political dialogue on topics of key interest for the work of our Assembly. Under the auspices of each
of our three General Committees, we organized other four web dialogues: on military transparency,
on the interlinks between environmental security and public health (a topic of high priority for the
2nd
Committee), on human rights in conflict zones, and on health as a human right (in cooperation
1
https://www.oscepa.org/en/documents/international-secretariat/secretary-general-s-report/4157-report-of-secretary-
general-roberto-montella-to-the-standing-committee-vienna-20-february-2020-eng/file
2
See the full list of OSCE PA Activities in the reporting period in Annex I
3
Registered Members to EOMs: 44 in Bulgaria, 60 in Albania, 73 in Armenia. Total number of OSCE PA Observers
participating in EOMs since the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic: 310 in 8 Missions.
Report of the Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly – 2021 Remote Session
2
with the UHC2030 initiative, under the umbrella of the UN and WHO). These webinars proved
instrumental not only in preparation for the Remote Session - providing inputs for the Reports of the
three General Committee’s rapporteurs – but also for the work of our members in their national
Parliaments. The leadership of the Committees also engaged with relevant counterparts in the OSCE
executive structures, thereby injecting policy and reinforcing the parliamentary-governmental
exchange.
Ad Hoc Committees also remained very active. The Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism
(CCT) held an online hearing with representatives of the Kazakh authorities on their experience on
prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration of foreign terrorist fighters, making full use of our
Assembly as a hub to share best practices. The CCT also co-organized the successful International
Parliamentary Conference on terrorism and violent extremism in the context of COVID-19, together
with PACE, IPA-CIS, PAM and UNOCT, and contributed to the 2021 OSCE-wide Counter-terrorism
Conference on “Reinforcing a Comprehensive Approach in Preventing and Countering Terrorism
and Violent Extremism and Radicalisation that Lead to Terrorism in a Changing Landscape. The Ad
Hoc Committee on Migration held several online briefings on the worrying situations in Greece,
Spain and in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A particular focus was given to the impact of the pandemic
on migrants and refugees. The Committee also contributed to two further web-conferences of the UK
House of Lords, in cooperation with counterparts at PACE, focusing on the protection of vulnerable
refugees and responsibility sharing, and the exchange of strategies and proposals for action. We are
now looking forward to resuming fact-finding visits as soon as health conditions will allow, including
the visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator on
Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, which the Committee was invited to join following our
constructive cooperation.
Several Special Representatives also actively engaged on behalf of the Assembly. The Special
Representative on Gender Issues co-organized, together with ODIHR and the OSCE Secretariat, a
timely event on law-making to prevent and combat violence against women. Other Special
Representatives placed specific developments in the OSCE region under focus, including on human
trafficking, SDGs in Central Asia, political developments in Eastern Europe, the climate
emergency in the Arctic, and the Mediterranean.
Parliamentary Diplomacy
The Secretariat has continued to support the Assembly’s efforts to serve as a platform for
dialogue to discuss the most pressing security issues in the region. Promoting confidence building
through an impartial approach aimed at reconciling the expectations of all Delegations represents the
key guiding principle of our approach. Unfortunately, conflicts and tensions continue to generate
mistrust between States, and we keep witnessing worrying violations of fundamental human rights,
which led to several public statements by our leadership. In the future, we hope to also engage more
actively with the delegations of involved participating States. Parliamentarians - with their
representation, legislation and oversight assets – can greatly contribute to foster dialogue and defuse
tensions, and in this regard, we keep coordinating on crisis dossiers with our OSCE counterparts and
external partners. For instance, I joined our President in a useful hearing with the European
Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and I am in regular touch with my counterparts in other
parliamentary assemblies. We also remain involved on the situation in Belarus, promoting dialogue
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as well as the other OSCE’s values and toolbox. Based on this, I recently addressed an event hosted
by the exiled opposition leader Tsikhanouskaya, and we are planning to co-organize a joint event,
with the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and the Russian International Affairs Council,
inviting authorities to present the ongoing important constitutional reform process and to facilitate
constructive and unbiased discussions.
II – The OSCE PA and the OSCE
Cooperation
The appointment of a new Secretary General and of new Heads of Institutions has offered an
opportunity to reset our cooperation with the governmental branch enabling us to finetune the already
excellent and frequent coordination. With growing cooperation, we are slowly but gradually
strengthening the notion of a collective OSCE-wide corporate responsibility. It is with this in mind
that I hosted at the end of May at our headquarters in Copenhagen a visit of the ODIHR Director,
where we discussed cooperation on a wide range of portfolios, including election observation,
democratization, gender and youth. These discussions were already bearing fruit a couple of weeks
later during the EOM to Armenia, and will continue to do so. A few days later, I hosted in Helsingør
a two-day retreat of OSCE Heads of Institution, with informal and productive discussions which
enabled a useful exchange of views and ideas on avenues to best support the Organization’s efforts
to maximize its relevance on the international arena while also reconciling the expectations of its
membership. It is with the same logic that I have expanded and reinforced the Vienna Liaison Office
so as to enable it to best represent us and act as our interface vis-à-vis the governmental branch, not
least the Permanent Council and the OSCE Secretariat.
Call for Action – Helsinki +50 Process4
The initiative we launched last year with the aim of mobilizing our parliamentary delegations,
including in their national Parliaments and vis-à-vis their governments, to bring back the political
attention and thrust that the OSCE needs both east and west of Vienna, is well running and
receiving growing interest. Under the coordination of Ambassador Zannier, we are now holding a
cycle of targeted thematic meetings on the most crucial issues on the functioning of the OSCE. We
have started with two thought-provoking meetings on the rule of consensus and on revitalizing
dialogue. The workplan for the next 12 months is annexed to this report and will be circulated to all
delegations. Summaries of discussions are being collected in perception and food-for-thought papers
and will help formulate concrete proposals in the coming months. Under the auspices of this
initiative, in May we also held an interesting meeting with young parliamentarians and
politicians, as part of a broader effort to promote youth empowerment in international relations.
III – Administration
Offices
As we continue to closely monitor the evolution of the COVID-19 epidemiological situation as well
as regulations of the authorities in our host countries, Staff in both offices in Copenhagen and Vienna
4
https://www.oscepa.org/en/activities/toward-helsinki-50
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remain in telecommuting working modality. The offices remain however open, with strict internal
rules, in case of need. I am also very proud to announce that we have finalized the agreement with
Austrian authorities – to whom goes our deepest gratitude - on the new premises for our Vienna
Liaison Office, which will be fully operative after the summer and officially inaugurated in
conjunction with the President’s address to the OSCE Permanent Council in Autumn. The new office
provides an adequate, professional environment which also reflects the grown importance of the
office within the OSCE Vienna reality.
ICT
The last few months have been extremely important in terms of digital innovation. After a year of
preparatory work and staff training, our new tailored-made software for online registration has
been put to use. This platform will be used for all PA events, including statutory meetings and EOMs,
and it integrates registration capacity with database, voting registration and APP functions, providing
for a modern and user-friendly tool. The Remote Session will also feature the first electronic voting
in the history of our Assembly. The system has been carefully chosen out of several separate offers
on the basis of cost-efficiency analysis and for combining high-security with accessibility. Moreover,
I am very glad to announce that as of July the OSCE PA website will be available in two languages
– English and Russian. This is part of a wider project to ensure that all our media products are at
minimum bilingual.
Budget
The International Secretariat has worked closely with our Treasurer on the 2021/2022 budget
proposal, which reflects very well the evolving dynamics of our Assembly. Among these, the
increased needs in terms of ICT, the new VLO premises and the expansion of the JPO programme.
Moreover, I wish to thank our delegations for sending their contributions for this year’s budget in a
timely fashion, which is enabling us to fulfill our mandate at the best of our abilities. I also wish to
express our continued gratitude to the Danish Parliament for hosting our Headquarters and to the
Austrian Government for its financial support for the VLO premises, as well as to the Ministries of
Foreign Affairs of Italy and Germany for seconding two members of our Staff. I renew my call to
other participating States to consider the secondments option.
Staff
I wish to praise, in the strongest of terms, the hard work, commitment and passion that all colleagues
have shown during this challenging pandemic period, alongside a greatly appreciated capacity to
adapt, with flexibility and dedication, to new circumstances. I am honored to serve this small yet
talented and dynamic Secretariat. In my report in February, I noted how we were able to reach gender
parity in our staff. I am committed to continuing to improve gender equality in the Secretariat,
including at managerial level. In turn, gender parity will also catalyze better gender mainstreaming
in our activities. Even if there will be other occasions for formal farewells, as this is his last Annual
Session before retirement, I wish to pay words of special tribute to Ambassador Nothelle, a bedrock
of our Assembly since its founding. Thank you also to Marc Carillet, who left the PA VLO at the end
of May after many years of dedicated work.
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IV - Upcoming months
In the coming months, we will continue to assess the epidemiological situation in the OSCE area and
plan our activities and their format accordingly. Despite the unfortunately necessary cancellation
of our in-person Autumn Meeting originally scheduled in Dublin – which will be postponed to
2024 – I still hope we can gradually go back to more face-to-face activities, in addition to the EOMs,
which we plan in the Russian Federation and in Uzbekistan. We will explore the possibility to hold
a hybrid Autumn Meeting along the same modalities of the July Remote Session and will inform
delegations accordingly in the coming months. I look forward to the engagement in the many other
activities, conferences and events which will, as usual, fill up our schedule and continue to make this
Assembly a dynamic and active body on the main issues of the international security agenda.
There are many challenges in front us and one of the greatest assets of the OSCE PA is its capacity
to move its political focus on the most pressing issues at stake. The international agenda is now asking
us, for instance, for enhanced efforts on two crucial issues: Environmental protection has emerged
as a security priority, can catalyze convergence among delegations, and will inevitably require us to
step up our support to our membership, especially the Second Committee. It is with this in mind that
I have supported a project to provide our VLO with a zero-emission urban transportation option for
commuting to meetings in Vienna: with the purchase of two electric bicycles and relevant expert
training, our Secretariat is trying to contribute by implementing its fair share of commitments to
address climate change and also concretely support the UN SDGs agenda. The initiative aims
to develop awareness in policy-making circles and among the general public on the interlinkages
between climate change and security, particularly highlighting the nexus between environmental
degradation, air pollution and public health as exposed by the COVID-19 crisis. We also hope to
trigger increased interest among the international community in Vienna by introducing initiatives
that promote and strengthen the image of the Organization with the potential to examine the
development of a corporate social responsibility policy in the post-covid era.
Progressing on Gender Mainstreaming will remain high on our agenda and should not be limited
to arithmetical considerations or checklists. While these are very important safeguards, gender
mainstreaming should be an integral and genuine element of our decision-making process, beyond
numbers: a matter of consciousness. With the Swedish OSCE Chairpersonship and with the new
OSCE Secretary General we have a unique opportunity to mark meaningful progress, not least in
engaging women in all elements of the conflict cycle.
--
In conclusion, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to the outgoing OSCE PA President and
Bureau. Together we have navigated through an unprecedented global crisis, and together we are
coming out of it as an even more relevant organization. Thank you for your passion and belief in
politics and in multilateral cooperation, it has been a privilege working with and for you. The
International Secretariat and I personally will continue - with unchanged commitment and dedication
- to work to support the new President, Bureau and the entire Assembly. Finally, allow me for a plea:
the OSCE is all about multilateralism and inclusivity, this Assembly needs to be a body where all
participating States engage on an equal footing – from Vancouver to Vladivostok. It is our biggest
added value, and we need to make full use of it. Thank you for believing in multilateralism and
parliamentarism.
Report of the Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly – 2021 Remote Session
6
Annex I – OSCE PA Activities in the reporting period (March – June 2021)
This table refers to OSCE PA events (highlighted in blue) and external outreach activities conducted
by the International Secretariat autonomously or in direct support to PA Members. It does not include
routine coordination meetings, daily and office-based work on a number of further projects and
activities, public statements, nor the OSCE meetings regularly attended by the Vienna Liaison Office
Staff.
OSCE PA Winter Meeting (Committees, Plenary, Standing Committee) 24-26 Feb.
Participation in the UK House of Lords conference on humanitarian crises,
resettlements and assisted voluntary returns
5 Mar.
2nd Meeting of the OSCE PA Call for Action - Helsinki +50 Process 10 Mar.
Informal Bureau Meeting 11 Mar.
Web Dialogue initiated by the 3rd
Committee on Humanitarian protection &
human rights in conflict zones
12 Mar.
President's address to the Kalinowski Conference 22 Mar.
Chair of Migration Committee and OSCE SR CTHB Joint Meetings (online visit)
on Bosnia and Herzegovina
22-25 Mar.
Address of the Chair of the 1st
Committee to the OSCE FSC 24 Mar.
Election Observation Mission to Bulgaria 4 April
Informal meeting with Members of the European Parliament on Migration 13 April
Meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration 14 April
Address of the Special Rep. on Arctic Issues to 14th
Conference of
Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region
14 April
Participation of the SG in the OSCE Heads of Institution Meeting 14 April
International Parliamentary Conference on “Global Challenges and Threats in the
Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Terrorism and Violent Extremism” (OSCE
PA, PAM, IPA CIS and UNOCT)
15 April
OSCE PA Bureau Meeting 19 April
Address of the Special Rep. on Gender Issues to OSCE Human Dimension
Committee
20 April
Keynote address of the CCT Chair to the 2021 OSCE-wide Counter-terrorism
Conference on “Reinforcing a Comprehensive Approach in Preventing and
Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism and Radicalisation that Lead to
Terrorism (VERLT) in a Changing Landscape”
20-21 April
Presentation of the DSG on the OSCE PA to the Danish Institute Security 21 April
SR Eastern Europe Call on Moldova 22 April
Election Observation Mission to Albania 25 April
President Address to ODIHR SHDM on Democratic Law-Making 26 April
Participation in the Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) to Armenia 28-20 Apr.
Meeting of the Special Rep. on Arctic Issues with the Sami Council 3 May
Briefing with PA Secretaries of Delegation 4 May
3rd Meeting of the OSCE PA Call for Action - Helsinki +50 Process 5 May
Report of the Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly – 2021 Remote Session
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Address of the 2nd Committee Rapporteur to the OSCE Economic and
Environmental Committee meeting on environment, sustainable economic
development and security
12 May
SG address to IPA CIS Conference on Election Observation 13 May
CCT Hearing on Prosecution, Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Foreign
Terrorist Fighters (FTFs) - the Kazakh Experience
18 May
Joint OSCE PA-ODIHR-OSCE Gender Section Webinar on gender violence 19 May
Follow-up meeting with the US Delegation on US EOM 19 May
Special Rep. on Central Asia meeting with Central Asian ambassadors to OSCE 19-20 May
Special Rep. on Arctic Issues informal meeting with PA Arctic Delegations 21 May
PA Web Dialogue initiated by the 2nd Committee on Framing the Environmental
Security – Public Health Nexus
25 May
President Meeting with Uzbekistan Ambassador to OSCE 25 May
Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Meeting with Spanish Delegation 26 May
President Address to the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee - AFET 26 May
PA Meeting with young political leaders (in the framework of the Call for Action) 27 May
Visit of ODIHR Director and Head of Elections to the International Secretariat 28 May
Informal Retreat of OSCE Heads of Institution hosted by the PA SG 31 May - 1
June
Visit of the Special Rep. on Mediterranean Affairs to Vienna/OSCE 2-3 June
Participation in the Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) to the Russian Fed. 2-5 June
Address of the 2nd Committee Rapporteur to the Regional Growth Conference in
Patras (Greece)
3 June
Participation in Meeting of the OSCE Group of Friends of Youth and Security 4 June
Web Dialogue initiated by the 3rd
Committee on Health as Human Right 4 June
Migration Committee follow-up meeting on Lesbos 7 June
Meeting of the OSCE PA Bureau 10 June
PA Web Dialogue initiated by the 1st
Committee on Transparency and
Predictability in Military Affairs
14 June
Address of the Special Rep. on Human Trafficking to the OSCE Alliance against
Trafficking Meeting
14-15 June
Address of the Chair of the 3rd
Committee to the OSCE HDC 15 June
Address of the CCT Chair at the Inauguration ceremony of the UNOCT
Programme Office on Parliamentary Engagement in Preventing and Countering
Terrorism in Doha, Qatar
16 June
Participation in the UK House of Lords Conference on the occasion of the 70th
anniversary of Refugee Convention and World Refugee Day 2021
18 June
Election Observation Mission to Armenia 20 June
Address of the PA President and the Special Rep. on Central Asia to
Interparliamentary Forum on UN SDGs in Uzbekistan
23 June
Report of the Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly – 2021 Remote Session
8
Annex II – Work Plan of the Call for Action – Helsinki +50 Initiative
A Parliamentary Contribution to Restoring OSCE Effectiveness
a. Background
In July 2020, after participating States failed to reach consensus on the reappointment of OSCE Heads of
Institution, it was acknowledged that, while some of the challenges facing the Organization are of a political
nature and due to the broader crisis of multilateralism, others are specific to the OSCE: different visions on
the purpose and function of the Organization and its executive structures, increasing mistrust between
participating States, a loss of focus as a result of the ever increasing expansion of the agenda, lack of
investment and resources and consequent micromanagement and, more broadly, an overarching lack of
strategic political interest by governments.
In a process triggered by former President George Tsereteli, the OSCE PA offered its contribution - especially
by leveraging its added value and its ability to promote dialogue and generate public awareness - to revive the
work of the OSCE and bring back high-level political attention. One important way to achieve this is to
mobilize national parliamentary delegations, encouraging them, in their interaction within national
Parliaments and vis-à-vis governments, to foster a more central role for the OSCE in the current international
security environment. In the perspective of the 50th Anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act in 2025 (H+50),
this would help increase political interest in the OSCE by participating States, enhancing the effectiveness of
the Organization by bringing the parliamentary and governmental sides closer to each other for added value.
Parliamentarians can play an instrumental role in helping to place a number of complex political and security
issues on the agenda of the Organization. These can be addressed using the toolbox of the OSCE,
simultaneously encouraging the necessary modernization of this toolbox, and stressing the need to ensure full
respect of commitments by all or questioning, wherever appropriate, the level of engagement of respective
governments in the OSCE or the reasons behind specific decisions. The Call for Action initiative is based on
a principle of complementarity of all OSCE components and aims at providing the Organization with the
required parliamentary support. In this way, the OSCE can truly “deliver as a whole”, in the words of OSCE
Secretary General Helga Schmid.
OSCE PA Secretary General Montella appointed Ambassador Lamberto Zannier as High-Level Expert to
coordinate these efforts within the International Secretariat, under the leadership of the PA President, the
Bureau and the Standing Committee.
b. Key documents
Call for Action document
The Call for Action (CfA) document was initially illustrated during a parliamentary event marking the 30th
Anniversary of the Charter of Paris and formally launched at an event in the margins of the Tirana OSCE
Ministerial Council. Signed by 52 current and former OSCE leaders, the document points to the need to
strengthen the role of the OSCE in addressing contemporary challenges and to enhance its effectiveness,
including through the promotion of genuine political dialogue. Its aim is to serve as a basis for further work,
focusing on the role of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
Report of the Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly – 2021 Remote Session
9
“OSCE Call for Action: Reaffirming a Common Purpose” Non-Paper
On the basis of the Call for Action document, a Non-Paper laying out in more detail the main challenges the
OSCE is facing was developed by the Secretariat and circulated to all PA delegations, all signatories of the
Call for Action and other participants of the targeted meetings.
c. Activities
1. Targeted General Meetings
After a first general meeting to discuss the key objectives of the process, held on 27 January 2021, on the basis
of the Secretariat non-paper, a number of targeted meetings were held to address each of the points raised by
the participants and to discuss how the PA can contribute more specifically. Such events have initially been
held online, but there is the intention to organize some in selected capitals when conditions allow. Issues
identified as a priority in the discussions among Parliamentary delegations include the following: managing
consensus; enhancing dialogue; strengthening implementation review mechanisms; promoting better gender
mainstreaming; ensuring timely and sufficient resources for the Organization; improving interaction with the
civil society; streamlining and reprioritizing the OSCE agenda.
General meetings
27 January 2021 First CfA Meeting
Current challenges facing the OSCE, in particular the lack of recognition at the highest levels and the poor
level of implementation of commitments, were highlighted as factors of concern. Having observed the failure
to improve the functioning of the Organization as repeatedly recommended by groups of eminent experts, the
CfA initiative should help clarify some of the complexities and mobilize the political will to undertake possible
initiatives to make the Organization stronger, more relevant and more visible. Parliamentarians, with their
connection with ministers and other policymakers and their ability to engage with civil society, could play a
critical role in advocating on behalf of the OSCE commitments and values and in increasing attention to the
Organization. Promoting the OSCE’s field work and focusing on its comparative advantage were highlighted
as essential.
10 March 2021 Second CfA Meeting on Consensus rule
Participants noted that the consensus rule, although essential for the sake of legitimacy of decisions and
equality between all participating States, can be abused to obstruct key meetings and used as a bargaining
chip. This problem not only complicates decision-making on issues of importance to the broader OSCE
community but also threatens the Organization’s ability to fulfil its mandate. Against this backdrop,
participants suggested a number of reforms of the consensus rule, identifying the areas where consensus may
not be necessary, encouraging Chair/Troika to take decisions directly in relation to
organizational/administrative matters not requiring additional financial resources, and promoting the
establishment of an accountability mechanism compelling the vetoing party/ies to provide reasonable
justifications. It was also agreed that MPs could play a crucial role in raising interest in the OSCE agenda in
their national governments and could potentially hold the governments to account with regard to the decisions
adopted or objected to.
Report of the Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly – 2021 Remote Session
10
5 May 2021 Third CfA Meeting on Revitalizing Dialogue
Participants and speakers alike stressed the need for parliamentarians to promote the Organization’s work in
capitals, in order to improve the level of awareness and accountability. The respect of common values was
deemed essential in developing meaningful dialogue, which is obviously affected by the overall, difficult
political climate. Key topics raised included: a stronger connection with the civil society, including
encouraging the establishment of national “Helsinki Committees” focusing on all aspects of the OSCE agenda
and providing their inputs to Parliaments and governments; ensuring the ability of the Organization to deploy
its toolkit wherever necessary; upholding key principles of a rules-based order.
2. Involving youth
Considering the importance of the role young people play in building lasting peace and security, youth
perspectives should be a key component of the initiative. To that end, a first youth event took place on 27 May
2021, to provide young parliamentarians and other young political leaders with a space to exchange views on
their vision of the OSCE, set forth their priorities for such a regional cooperation mechanism and reflect on
the added value they bring to the table as current and future legislators. A follow-up meeting is foreseen after
the summer, also with a view to exploring possible future youth contributions to the CfA process.
3. Focused meetings with individual Parliaments
In addition to the targeted general meetings, focused parliamentary meetings will be organized in individual
participating States with the aim of discussing how to raise the profile of the Organization in each respective
country in light of national perceptions. This activity will start in Vienna, with a first meeting in July 2021,
back-to-back with the OSCE PA Summer Session.
d. Calendar of events
b. in 2020
Date Event Description Venue
2 Sept 2020 Initial OSCE PA internal Brainstorming with the PA President
and the Secretariat.
Helsingor
October-
December
2020
Development and presentation of the initiative to the OSCE PA
Bureau and Standing Committee and discussion. Consultations
with prospective CfA signatories on the possible contents.
Online
20 November Event marking the 30th Anniversary of the Charter of Paris –
Initial presentation of a detailed concept for the “Call for
Action”
Paris/online
3 Dec 2020 OSCE PA side event introducing “OSCE Call for Action:
Reaffirming a Common Purpose” document at the margins of
the OSCE Tirana Ministerial Council
Online
Report of the Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly – 2021 Remote Session
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c. in 2021/22
Date Event Description Venue
27 Jan 2021 First meeting to launch of the CfA/H+50 Process Online
10 Mar 2021 Second meeting of the CfA/H+50 Process (consensus) Online
5 May 2021 Third meeting of the CfA/H+50 Process (revitalizing dialogue) Online
27 May 2021 OSCE PA meeting with Young Political Leaders Online
7 Jul 2021 Focused bilateral meetings with individual countries: AUSTRIA Vienna
Sep 2021 Thematic meeting on the role of women in Parliament in
promoting peace and security
Online
Sept/Oct 2021 Follow-up Youth event Online
Oct 2021 Thematic Meeting focusing on the Human dimension in the
OSCE
Hybrid
Vienna/onli
ne
Nov. 2021 Focused meeting with an OSCE PA member state Parliament TBC
Nov. 2021 Thematic Meeting on PA contribution to improving the
effectiveness of the Organization: i.a., financial and human
resources, legal personality.
Online
TBC
Dec. 2021 Report to the MC by the OSCE PA President and possible side-
event
OSCE MC
January 2022 Reviewing interaction between the governmental and the
parliamentary side of the OSCE
Online
TBC
February 2022 Focused meeting with an OSCE PA member state Parliament TBC
Winter/Spring
2022
Streamlining and prioritizing the agenda of the OSCE: separate
meetings of the 3 OSCE PA Committees in a CfA/H+50 mode.
TBC
Spring 2022 Interaction of parliaments with civil society and the role of civil
society in the OSCE.
Online
TBC
May 2022 Focused meeting with an OSCE PA member state Parliament TBC
July 2022 Presentation of a report to the Summer Session for a discussion
on the way forward towards the 50th Anniversary (OSCE
Summit?)
OSCE PA
Summer
Session


DRAFT AGENDA OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE
Monday, 05 July 2021
(13:30 CEST Call to Order)
1. Adoption of the Agenda
2. Practical and Procedural Matters for the Remote Session:
2.1 Urgency Items (Rule 26)
3. Report of the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Peter Lord Bowness
4. Financial Questions: Report of the Treasurer of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Mr. Peter
Juel-Jensen
4.1 Present financial situation and annual contributions
4.2 Approval of the Budget for the 2021-2022 Financial Year (Rule 41.2)
5. Report of the Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Mr. Roberto Montella
6. Review of current international political issues
7. Information on upcoming meetings of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly 2021/2022
8. Other Business
OSCEs Parlamentariske Forsamling 2020-21
OSCE Alm.del - Bilag 32
Offentligt