Speaker of the Parliament of Denmark Søren Gade, PACE President Petra Bayr and OSCE PA President Pere Joan Pons, Vienna, 20 February 2026VIENNA, 20 February 2026 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 25th Winter Meeting concluded today with a general debate in a joint session of the three general committees on the theme “Human Rights as a Basis for Security,” which featured interventions by 58 parliamentarians.

Chaired by OSCE PA President Pere Joan Pons (Spain) and introduced by Speaker of the Parliament of Denmark Søren Gade and President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Petra Bayr, the debate touched on a range of issues, including the war in Ukraine, human trafficking, political prisoners, respect for international law, and demographic decline.

In his keynote introduction, Speaker Gade underlined that true security comes through dialogue and recalled that one of the foundational principles of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act is that there must be equal security for large and small states alike.

“Sadly today these principles are under severe pressure, including from states that once championed them,” Speaker Gade said. He referred to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “a blatant violation of the very principles on which our organization is built.”

Speaker of the Parliament of Denmark Søren Gade addresses OSCE PA Winter Meeting, Vienna, 20 February 2026Gade also stressed that respect for territorial integrity is non-negotiable and thanked the OSCE PA for its support of the Kingdom of Denmark regarding Greenland.

PACE President Bayr highlighted human rights, democracy and rule of law as essential for security, noting that democracy is an antidote to totalitarian ideologies and key to addressing today’s challenges. She also underlined the importance of international collaboration on areas of common concern.

“Co-operation between PACE and the OSCE PA is essential,” she said. “Together we can strengthen the accountability agenda and fulfill our founding purpose: preserving durable peace, maintaining the rules-based order, and ensuring the prosperity of our citizens – all built on the foundation of human rights.”

During the debate, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the Assembly and urged parliamentarians to keep the pressure up to secure a free and democratic Belarus.

Members called for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and expressed support for renewed commitment to achieving peace in the Middle East. OSCE parliamentarians also urged a consistent approach to human rights that avoids double standards, urging self-determination for the people of Greenland and welcoming recent de-escalation efforts. A number of parliamentarians also raised concerns about the situation in Syria.

Following the joint session, the OSCE PA’s Standing Committee of heads of delegation met for a discussion on ongoing and upcoming Assembly activities, including reports by leaders of recent election observation missions, Treasurer Johan Büser, and Secretary General Roberto Montella. President Pons reported on his recent activities, highlighting in particular his participation in the Munich Security Conference earlier this month.

Meeting of the Parliamentary Support Team for Ukraine, Winter Meeting, Vienna, 20 February 2026Also today, the PA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism and the Parliamentary Support Team for Ukraine met for discussions on priorities in their respective areas.

Chaired by Sharon Hodgson (United Kingdom), the PSTU meeting featured an update on the security and humanitarian situation in Ukraine from Mykyta Poturaiev, Head of the Ukrainian Delegation and Co-Chair of the PSTU. Members also held a discussion on crimes against Ukrainian journalists and media organizations.

The CCT meeting was chaired by Kamil Aydin (Türkiye) and heard presentations by experts from the Austrian Directorate for State Security and Intelligence and the OSCE Action against Terrorism Unit. The presentations touched on a range of issues, including online radicalization and the need for synergies between national and international institutions. Members also discussed upcoming CCT activities, including a proposed trip to Montenegro.

The Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, chaired by Farah Karimi (Netherlands), held a discussion on the experiences of local authorities with migration. Committee members heard presentations from representatives of the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) and the City of Vienna, who described integration efforts and shared examples of best practices. The meeting also served as an opportunity to discuss the recent visit to Brussels to learn about the implementation of the EU Migration Pact.

Over the two days of the Winter Meeting, a range of side events and bilateral meetings were held. On Thursday, the Nordic-Baltic group met with the U.S. Delegation for talks on Arctic security.

Video of the Winter Meeting is available here.

Photos are available for public use at the OSCE PA’s Flickr page.