Standing Committee meeting in Vienna, February 2009
President Joao Soares opened the meeting of the Standing Committee on 19 February and informed of his activities since being elected President at the Annual Session in Astana.
Mr. Soares noted that during his Presidency the Assembly has been serving as a forum for open debate on the most important issues facing the OSCE region, such as the crisis in Georgia (which was debated during the Fall Meetings in September 2008), proposals for a new European security architecture (which would be discussed the next day, during the Winter Meeting’s Special Debate), and the world financial crisis (which would be the topic of the PA’s Economic Conference in May 2009).
He also announced the re-appointment of a number of OSCE PA Special Representatives and the new appointment of envoys to lead Assembly work in Georgia and Afghanistan. Mr. Soares went on to describe his many activities as President, such as holding meetings with government and parliamentary leaders in the Russian Federation and leading the OSCE PA’s Election Observation Mission to the United States.
OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut addressed the meeting and made the point that the OSCE was born in a context of division and has survived very challenging times. Stating that the Organization still plays a fundamental role in European security, he emphasized that the PA is a key aspect of this role.
He also underlined the importance of adopting the budget to guarantee the better functioning of the OSCE and all the related problems of the Mission to Georgia. Concerning gender equality in the OSCE, he explained that when it comes to hiring in the Organization, candidates are not seconded with gender balance in mind, which has made it difficult to improve gender balance in the OSCE Institutions.
Touching on the global financial crisis, Mr. de Brichambaut noted that the economic and environmental dimension has been one of the core areas of concern for the OSCE since its inception. He stressed that when it comes to this dimension, OSCE principles can be implemented in a very specific way.
He also pointed out that the countries in the process of economic emergence are profoundly affected by the global economic crisis. The Secretary General also regretted to inform the Standing Committee that the OSCE presence in Georgia had not been reconsolidated because there has been no consensus on a compromise. His hope was that, by the time of the next Winter Meeting, the situation would be different.
The Treasurer of the Assembly, Hans Raidel, was pleased to inform the Standing Committee that the OSCE PA´s fiscal year 2007/2008 remained within the approved budget for the 16th year in a row. He remarked on the efficient way the Assembly operates on such a low budget given the increasing number of its activities.
The report that was distributed to the Standing Committee, Mr. Raidel noted, represents a solid basis of understanding as it does not contain any doubt as to the status of accounts.
OSCE PA Secretary General Spencer Oliver informed the participants of the Assembly’s recent activities, which have contributed to its steady growth as an important and influential international organization. He reminded the Delegates of two major upcoming events – the Economic Conference in Dublin in May 2009 and the Annual Session in Vilnius – and thanked everyone for their support.
Mr. Oliver reported that the Assembly has continued its important efforts in the field of election observation, sending delegations to lead OSCE observer teams in Georgia, Armenia, Serbia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Belarus and the United States over the past year. In the first half of 2009, he said, the PA would observe the elections in Montenegro, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova and Albania.
The Secretary General also reminded the Delegates that News from Copenhagen and the OSCE PA’s web site are excellent sources of up-to-date information on the activities of the Assembly. He stated that, over the past 16 years, the value of the PA’s work has increased and that the development of the International Secretariat’s Research Fellowship Programme has provided vital support to the staff.
OSCE PA Deputy Secretary General Tina Schoen informed the parliamentarians of upcoming election observation missions and encouraged an active participation from all the Delegations. The Standing Committee meeting also included reports from the Assembly’s various Ad Hoc Committees and Special Representatives. The Chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Belarus, Uta Zapf, noted that positive results in Belarus have been increasing after the elections of 2008. She explained that the Working Group has become larger and reminded the Standing Committee of the upcoming seminar on economic issues which would take place in Minsk on 11 March 2009.
The Special Representative for Afghanistan, Michel Voisin, stressed the importance of assisting the local population in Afghanistan but highlighted that there are still many problems in carrying out activities in the country.
The Special Representative on Mediterranean Affairs, Alcee L. Hastings, reported on developments in Iraq and on the $2.1 billion in humanitarian aid that the U.S. government has provided to alleviate the crisis of Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). He underlined the extraordinary work of the Swedish government on Iraqi IDPs and refugees and reported on his recent visit to the Mediterranean. He said that there is the prospect for OSCE engagement in the Middle East Peace Process and increased co-operation in the Maghreb economy.
The Special Representative on South East Europe, Roberto Battelli, reported on his parliamentary visit to the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as his participation in a roundtable discussion on combating human trafficking, hosted by the parliament in Sarajevo. He also mentioned the upcoming OSCE election observation activities in the region.
The Special Representative on the OSCE Budget, Petur Blondal, reported on the finances of the governmental structures of the OSCE, making specific recommendations on political and management questions relating to the budget.
Mr. Blondal discussed his September visits to the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in Warsaw and to the OSCE External Auditor in Oslo. Following his meetings, he concluded that the problem is not with the funding per se, but with the lack of an efficient regulatory framework, especially in terms of oversight and transparency. Another point raised was linked to human resources and to the implementation of OSCE Staff Regulations.
The Special Representative for the Fight against Transnational Organized Crime, Senator Carlo Vizzini, spoke about the current global economic recession and its effects on the increased activities of organized crime networks, especially with regard to money laundering operations. He underlined the links between various international mafias and the expansion of the Chinese mafia. He also drew attention to organized crime activities in the sub-Saharan African Region, in particular concerning trafficking in human beings and arms smuggling.
The Special Representative for Central Asia, Kimmo Kiljunen, said that the role of the PA in Central Asia has improved, especially regarding parliamentary co-operation. All countries have been very active, with the exception of Uzbekistan. He also listed some events that would be taking place in the region in 2009 and 2010, such as the Trans-Asian Parliamentary Forum in Kazakhstan.
The Special Representative on Nagorno Karabakh, President Emeritus Goran Lennmarker, underlined the need for a peaceful resolution, agreed to by both parties, in particular through understanding at the individual level. He also stated that the parliamentary dimension in conflict resolution needs to be strengthened.
Mr. Lennmarker expressed his concern over the security environment in Georgia. He pointed out that there are mainly three issues that should be considered: the need for observers along the administrative boundary line to prevent further incidents; the need to guarantee the right to return home, especially for IDPs from Abkhazia and South Ossetia (and again the consequent role of observers in providing protection); and the need to ensure that no more bases and military equipment reach the region.
The Standing Committee concluded with reports on preparations for upcoming OSCE PA meetings, including the Bureau Meeting on 19-20 April in Lisbon, Portugal; the Economic Conference in Dublin, Ireland on 27-29 May; the Eighteenth Annual Session from 29 June to 3 July in Vilnius, Lithuania; and the Fall Meetings on 9-12 October in Athens, Greece.