Winter Meetings
In 2001 the Assembly's Standing Committee approved the holding of an annual Winter Meeting in Vienna, home of the OSCE International Secretariat. The Winter Meeting is the primary venue for the Assembly's Members and three General Committees to receive high-level briefings from OSCE officials and discuss draft reports for the upcoming Annual Session. It also typically includes a special debate on a timely topical issue.
Parliamentary interest in the event has steadily increased since it was first held in 2002, making the Winter Meeting the second largest event on the OSCE PA calendar.
2012 Winter Meeting, Vienna
In his opening address to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's 11th Winter Meeting on 23 February 2012, Assembly President Petros Efthymiou spoke of the need for governments to respect the rule of law, particularly in prison systems, and called for better protection of freedom online.
"We all have the responsibility in our home parliaments to advocate for laws that protect freedom of expression wherever that expression is taking place," he said. "To ensure citizens remain free from government pressure online requires us to take more difficult action."
2011 Winter Meeting, Vienna
The tenth Winter Meeting of the OSCE PA, held in Vienna on 24-25 February 2011, concluded with a special debate on the situation in the Mediterranean area. OSCE PA Special Representative on Mediterranean Affairs Alcee Hastings (United States) opened the debate by calling on the OSCE to proactively reach out to help Mediterranean countries in transition to democracy, noting the courage of the people in the region.
"This debate is inspired by the courage and dignity of the people in Tunisia, Egypt, and throughout the Mediterranean region," Mr. Hastings said. "These are challenging and uncertain times but also hopeful in their opportunity."
2010 Winter Meeting, Vienna
Nearly 50 parliamentarians participated in the special debate on the situation in Afghanistan during the second day of the OSCE PA's ninth Winter Meeting held in Vienna on 18-19 February. The debate was introduced by OSCE PA Vice-President and Head of the Kazakh Delegation Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Michel Voisin who serves as the Assembly's Special Representative on Afghanistan and as head of France's delegation to the OSCE PA.
Mr. Tokayev noted that the Kazakh Chairmanship has made stabilizing Afghanistan one of its top priorities. "One of Kazakhstan's main priorities for this Chairmanship of the OSCE is to enhance the Organization's role in the international efforts to rehabilitate Afghanistan," he said. Mr. Voisin lamented that "coalition forces have not been able to provide adequate security, which has led to a crisis of faith."
2009 Winter Meeting, Vienna
The Eighth Winter Meeting on 19-20 February concluded with a lively debate on European security architecture, involving prominent speakers from Russia and France and almost 50 of the 250 parliamentarians participating in the Vienna meeting.
The security debate took place as a follow-up on recent initiatives by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and French President Nicolas Sarkozy for new European security arrangements.
2008 Winter Meeting, Vienna
The seventh Winter Meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly was held 21 and 22 February 2008 in Vienna before almost 240 parliamentarians from 48 of the 56 OSCE participating States.
During the opening session, the Meeting was addressed by OSCE PA President Goran Lennmarker, the President of Austria's National Council, Barbara Prammer, and State Secretary Teija Tiilikainen, the special representative of the Finnish OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva.
''The parliamentary dimension is vital for the good health of the OSCE,'' said Ms. Tiilikainen in her speech.