საქართველოს პარლამენტის საგარეო ურთიერთობათა კომიტეტის თავმჯდომარის სოფიო ქაცარავას მიერ წარმოდგენილი ეუთო-ს საპარლამენტო ასამბლეის მუდმივმოქმედი დელეგაციის საქმიანობის ანგარიში

საგარეო ურთიერთობათა კომიტეტი 2-2602/19 20-02-2019 საქართველოს პარლამენტის საორგანიზაციო დეპარტამენტის უფროსს ქალბატონ ეთერ სვიანაიძეს ქალბატონო ეთერ, გიგზავნით ეუთო-ს საპარლამენტო ასამბლეის მუდმივმოქმედი დელეგაციის საქმიანობის ანგარიშის ბიუროზე წარსადგენად. დანართი: 46 გვერდი პატივისცემით, კომიტეტის თავმჯდომარე სოფიო ქაცარავა თბილისი 0114, რუსთაველის გამზირი # 8, საქართველოს პარლამენტის სასახლე ტელეფონი: (995 32) 2281679. ელ. ფოსტა: contact@parliament.ge

საგარეო ურთიერთობათა კომიტეტი 2-5384/19 27-03-2019 საორგანიზაციო დეპარტამენტს მოგახსენებთ, რომ საგარეო ურთიერთობათა კომიტეტმა მოისმინა „ეუთო-ს საპარლამენტო ასამბლეაში საქართველოს მუდმივმოქმედი დელეგაციის საქმიანობის წლიურ ანგარიში“ (2-2602/19/9; 20.02.2019) საკომიტეტო განხილვის ფორმატში. სხდომაზე წარმოდგენილი იყო ინფორმაცია საანგარიშო პერიოდში დელეგაციის მიერ განხორციელებული აქტივობების თაობაზე, მათ შორის ინფორმაცია ეუთოს ფარგლებში საქართველოსთან ორგანიზაციაში მიმართვებზე. დელეგაციის ანგარიში დაკავშირებით მიღებულ რეზოლუციებზე, ხელმძღვანელის მიერ განხორციელებული მოიცავდა ამომწურავ ინფორმაციას საქართველოს საპარლამენტო დელეგაციის მიერ ეუთოს სხვადასხვა კომიტეტებში გაწეული საქმიანობის შესახებ და დელეგაციის წევრების მიერ ეუთოს ეგიდით ჩატარებულ ღონისძიებების ფარგლებში განხორციელებული სამუშაო ვიზიტების თაობაზე. საგარეო ურთიერთობათა კომიტეტმა განიხილა და მხარი დაუჭირა „ეუთო-ს საპარლამენტო ასამბლეაში საქართველოს მუდმივმოქმედი დელეგაციის საქმიანობის წლიურ ანგარიშს“. კომიტეტის თავმჯდომარე სოფიო ქაცარავა თბილისი 0114, რუსთაველის გამზირი # 8, საქართველოს პარლამენტის სასახლე ტელეფონი: (995 32) 2281679. ელ. ფოსტა: contact@parliament.ge

Original: English REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY Mr. George Tsereteli February 2019 REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY Mr. George Tsereteli Twenty-Seventh Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly BERLIN, 7 – 11 JULY 2018 Upon assuming the office of President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, I have strived to highlight several priorities, which include redoubling our conflict resolution efforts, ensuring that the OSCE is fully equipped to address new challenges, and promoting our common values. I have appreciated the level of support I have received from Members of the Assembly and the Secretariat in both Copenhagen and Vienna. This has been crucial to support an intensive agenda to meet our most pressing challenges such as addressing conflicts, radicalization and terrorism, and migration, implementing our human right commitments, striving to achieve gender equality, fostering economic cooperation, expanding our international partnerships, and reforming the OSCE PA to make our work more impactful. Detailed information on my work as President is listed in this report. In addition to these primary activities, I have met on several occasions with Heads of OSCE institutions to improve co-ordination at headquarters and in the field and ensure that our activities complement each other. I have also met with numerous PA delegations on the margins of my travels to ensure that all voices are heard and reflected in the work of our Parliamentary Assembly. Finally, together with a small group of Members and the International Secretariat, we have held regular brainstorming sessions since our Winter Meeting to consider changes in the Assembly’s work, in order to make it more effective and more visible. I want to thank those parliaments that have hosted my visits, but also particularly applaud and thank OSCE staff. I have had the opportunity to visit four OSCE field missions1 and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and I have met with dedicated professionals from many other OSCE offices. I can personally attest to the excellent work they do, at times under difficult circumstances. November 2017 Upon assuming the office on 9 November, I travelled to Copenhagen for meetings at the International Secretariat. There, together with Secretary General Roberto Montella and his staff, we made plans for presidential activities in the run-up to the Berlin Annual Session. This visit also afforded me the opportunity to discuss OSCE priorities with the Speaker of the Danish Parliament, Pia Kjaersgaard, and thank her for 1 The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, the OSCE Presence in Albania, and the OSCE Mission to Moldova. 1 Denmark’s generous contributions to the work of our Parliamentary Assembly. I returned to Copenhagen in late November to address the Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and exchange both with then-PACE President Stella Kyriakides and Michele Nicoletti, who was elected President in January 2018. In my remarks, I highlighted the role that the OSCE and the Council of Europe have historically played in the transformation of Europe. I also urged continued dialogue and a creative approach to strengthen international co-operation, in particular to address migration and to counter terrorism. I also underlined a number of new and enduring challenges, which require greater attention: growing political and social tensions both within and between countries, democratic erosion and threats to human rights throughout the OSCE area, as well as ongoing conflicts, radicalization, terrorism, populism, cybersecurity, migration, and organized crime. December 2017 I reiterated these messages in my address to OSCE Ministers and in the various bilateral meetings I held on the margins of the Vienna Ministerial Council, including with then-incoming Chairperson-in-Office and Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano. I emphasized that governments should make the best use of the OSCE, which is a unique platform that deserves to be nurtured, supported and provided with necessary financial, human and material resources. I also underlined that although comprehensive security may at times require compromise, the OSCE’s core values and founding principles are areas that are not up for negotiation, and that comprehensive security requires equal attention to all its dimensions – including the economic and environmental. January 2018 Another priority of mine has been to redouble our organization’s conflict resolution efforts. Each and every day, we all see the tragic human consequences of the conflicts in Ukraine, and Georgia, as well as from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. As parliamentarians, I believe it is our duty to speak up against the violation of human rights in these conflict zones. For my first official visit, I travelled to Kyiv to reiterate the steadfast support of the Parliamentary Assembly for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, within its internationally-recognized borders, and renew our calls to reach a sustained ceasefire. I met with a range of high-level interlocutors, including the 2 Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andriy Parubiy, to also follow up on Kyiv’s commitment to its reform agenda. I also visited the premises of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to voice my strong support for their work. The SMM is a critical stabilizing force and it should be granted all necessary funds and security guarantees, as well as full access to Ukrainian territory, including everywhere along the border with the Russian Federation, to successfully accomplish its mission. I reported on this visit and reiterated the key messages of my Ministerial Council remarks when I addressed the OSCE Permanent Council at the end of January. There, I also urged participating States to rapidly adopt the OSCE’s budget, so the organization can live up to our expectations. On the margins of this address, I met with the President of the National Council of Austria, Wolfgang Sobotka, to voice our collective appreciation for his country’s strong support to the OSCE. February 2018 I began February by traveling to New York City and Washington, DC. In my talks with senior UN officials, including UN General Assembly President and incoming OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Miroslav Lajcak, I underlined the importance of continued close co-operation among international actors. The OSCE and the United Nations are natural partners in many areas, and these meetings served to explore opportunities for further co-operation in priority fields of work, in particular the crisis in and around Ukraine, unresolved conflicts in the South Caucasus, developments in Central Asia and South East Europe, as well as humanitarian concerns, migration and terrorism. We also exchanged on our efforts to encourage a greater participation of women the conflict cycle to increase the likelihood and sustainability of peace and security, including through closer co-operation between our Organization and UN Women. In Washington, I noted the essential role of the OSCE as a forum for dialogue and stressed the importance of continued U.S. engagement in the Organization. My meetings with Members of Congress, State Department officials, and staff from the Helsinki Commission helped reinforce the robust working relationship that the Parliamentary Assembly has enjoyed with our American colleagues, and emphasize that continued American commitment is essential to keep our organization strong. 3 During our Winter Meeting, I exchanged with several delegations, including from Canada, France, Montenegro, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Israel and Morocco. These meetings served to prepare upcoming PA activities, presidential visits, and statutory meetings, as well as to discuss political developments in the OSCE region. March 2018 My first activity following our Winter Meeting consisted in a trip to Baku to discuss democratic and economic reforms in the country with Azerbaijani counterparts, including President Ilham Aliyev. There, I highlighted Azerbaijan’s potential as a bridge for dialogue and co-operation in the OSCE area. I also underlined that democratic reforms, particularly on freedom of the media and on creating conditions to maximize the contribution of civil society, should be addressed adequately. I explained that democratic and economic reforms in Azerbaijan mean increased security in the OSCE. On the margins of my visit, I was able to visit jailed journalists Mr. Mehman Huseynov and Mr. Aziz Orudjev and I asked the authorities to reconsider their cases. I am glad to report that Mr. Orudjev was later released from prison and I hope we can continue to dialogue on these issues going forward. In Baku, I also participated in the international conference on “The role of Parliamentarians in boosting economic cooperation and cultural ties along the Silk Road,” organized by the Parliament of Azerbaijan and the Silk Road Support Group led by our colleague Azay Guliyev. In my remarks, I pointed out that the OSCE’s economic and environmental activities are among its greatest successes. In times when all OSCE countries are becoming increasingly aware of the link between economic success and individual security, I focused on the key role that parliamentarians must play to favour economic opportunities and increase trade to support security across the OSCE area. As I explained in Baku, it is important for the OSCE, including our Parliamentary Assembly, to remain visibly present in the South Caucasus region. I followed the political upheaval in Armenia and spoke with National Assembly President Ara Babloyan and our colleague Hermine Naghdalyan. I welcomed the active dialogue between political leaders to find a constructive solution to the situation in the country and I look forward to visiting Yerevan in the near future. 4 Later in March I was in Berlin to sign the official agreement to hold our Annual Session here in Berlin with Bundestag President Wolfgang Schauble. I commended Germany for its steadfast support to OSCE commitments and our Organization and also discussed a range of issues including the situation in and around Ukraine and the fight against terrorism. I appreciated this opportunity to also meet with Treasurer Doris Barnett and other Members of the German delegation. Immediately after, I was in Warsaw for meetings with the Polish parliament and the ODIHR. With our Polish colleagues I discussed a number of issues, including domestic developments on judiciary reform and the rule of law. I also noted Poland’s strong attachment to the OSCE and expressed appreciation for the active participation of Polish parliamentarians in our activities, including election observation. In my meetings with ODIHR, I highlighted that parliamentarians bring added value to election observation: the political experience of parliamentarians complements ODIHR’s expertise and long-term observation, producing a stronger, more credible assessment of the elections. I think it is important that we continue to emphasize that election observation needs political leadership underpinned by credible long-term analysis. It is this combination that makes the OSCE an indisputable leader of election observation recognized throughout the world. April 2018 The Copenhagen Bureau meeting was the occasion for me to exchange with the Assembly’s leadership on current political issues and prepare PA activities in the run-up to the Berlin Annual Session. Following this, I was in Bishkek to take part in the Central Asian Regional Heads of Mission Meeting and for bilateral consultations. I commended Kyrgyzstan’s strong engagement with the OSCE and called for sustained efforts to advance security and stability in the region. In my bilateral talks, I recognized Kyrgyzstan’s considerable achievements in consolidating democratic values, while also encouraging continued vigilance and sustained progress to strengthen democratic institutions. I reiterated the Assembly’s strong support for OSCE Field Missions equipped with robust mandates. I also underlined the importance of good coordination both within the OSCE and with our international partners to successfully tackle the region’s challenges. 5 The visit was also a good opportunity to exchange with students from the OSCE Academy, as well as assess preparations for this year’s Autumn Meeting. The generous offer of the Kyrgyz parliament to host us in October is a valuable contribution to our work and it is widely appreciated by all of us. It will be the occasion to reaffirm the Asian dimension of our work and for OSCE parliamentarians to debate crucial issues for Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, and the rest of the OSCE region. May 2018 In May, I took part in the Lisbon conference on cybersecurity organized by the Portuguese parliament under the leadership of our colleague Vice-President Isabel Santos. On the margins of that conference I also met with government interlocutors to express our gratitude for Portugal’s support for the OSCE and our work. In my remarks, I pointed out that in an increasingly digital world, armed conflicts are not the only breeding ground for threats against governments and citizens. In cyberspace, we see new challenges emerging and old challenges evolving. Whether the issue is child sexual exploitation, terrorist recruitment, or crimes such as identity theft and fraud, the internet offers new opportunities for criminals and extremists. This conference was timely to ensure that we respond effectively in a proportionate way to these threats. I then travelled to Eastern Ukraine as part of a delegation also consisting of President Emeritus and Special Representative on Mediation, Mr. Ilkka Kanerva, Third Committee Chair and Special Representative on OSCE Border Issues Mr. Ignacio Sanchez Amor, and Special Representative on Eastern Europe, Mr. Kent Harstedt. Our delegation travelled to areas close to the frontline in eastern Ukraine where we met with internally displaced persons and people living in the conflict zone. We exchanged with local NGOs and international humanitarian organizations, as well as with representatives from the Donetsk and Luhansk regional administrations, to better understand the tragic humanitarian situation. We took a close look at buildings damaged by hostilities and observed government efforts to restore infrastructure. Along check-points on the line of contact we witnessed the considerable extent to which mine fields and areas containing unexploded ordinances pose a threat to civilians. We saw that everybody in the region has in reality become a casualty of war with the targeting of civilian housing and hospitals, destruction of schools, and extensive damage to agricultural production. Our visit contributed to gain extensive insight into the work of the Special Monitoring Mission. We saw a demonstration of the 6 operation of short range, medium range and long range Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) equipped with cameras that monitor the region and follow up on cease-fire violations. Many of them have been made inoperable by electronic jamming or even shot down, in flagrant violation of the Minsk accords. We underlined the SMM’s enormous contribution, serving as a reliable point of contact for all people in the conflict region, and providing credible and detailed information to the international community. We then travelled to Kyiv to meet governmental and parliamentary leaders, including President Petro Poroshenko, Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, and Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada Iryna Herashchenko. I reiterated the OSCE PA’s solidarity with the people of Ukraine who face tragedies on a daily basis and renewed our call for the full implementation of the Minsk Agreements to end this armed conflict. In our discussions, we supported efforts to launch a UN peace-keeping mission to be deployed in the whole conflict area including the border with Russia, which would finally make a fully effective monitoring by the SMM possible. We also stressed the importance of pursuing the domestic reforms necessary to implement the Minsk Agreements and urged OSCE participating States to prioritize assisting the country in its efforts to ease the plight of the up to two million internally displaced persons. Later in May I was in Tirana for bilateral meetings with the Albanian government and parliament, including President Ilir Meta, Speaker Gramoz Ruci, and Foreign Minister Bushati. Among other topics, we discussed deepening the co-operation between the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Albania, as well as the challenges the country faces in the implementation of decisive reforms. I appreciated the valuable work of the OSCE Presence in Albania headed by Ambassador Borchardt, which testifies to the important contribution that the OSCE can offer in assisting Albania accomplish its ambitious goals. The visit was useful to highlight the region’s special significance for the OSCE and to reaffirm our commitment and determination to continue actively engaging with Albania and the whole South East European region following the retirement of our Special Representative, Mr. Roberto Battelli after his more than 25 years of service on behalf of our Assembly. June 2018 In June, I met in Tbilisi with a delegation of 25 Permanent Representatives to the OSCE, and discussed with them the OSCE PA’s agenda, including our priority issues such as terrorism, migration, protracted conflicts, election observation, 7 and the crisis in and around Ukraine. We also had a fruitful conversation on our efforts to build co-operation within the OSCE family. At the end of the month, I undertook the first OSCE PA presidential visit to Moldova in almost a decade, where I lauded recent achievements in the Transdniestrian settlement process and encouraged both Chisinau and Tiraspol to sustain the momentum of progress in the coming months to create the necessary conditions for a comprehensive and peaceful resolution of the conflict. I noted that at a time when European security and stability are threatened, Chisinau and Tiraspol are setting a positive example for the rest of the OSCE area, where conflict resolution has been characterized by lack of progress. As part of my visit, I travelled through the he Gura Bicului – Bychok bridge, which reopened last November after being closed to traffic since the 1992 conflict. In Tiraspol, I also visited a joint vehicle registration office, which will allow for the participation of vehicles from Transdniestria in international traffic starting on 1 September 2018. I saw that, as a result of recent agreements, people on both sides of the Dniester/Nistru River can already notice tangible improvements to their daily lives and encouraged Chisinau and Tiraspol to continue to display resolve to overcome their remaining differences to pave the way for a long-term and comprehensive settlement. As part of my visit, I also met with the extra-parliamentary opposition, civil society representatives and members of the international community to discuss recent political developments and stress the need to reinforce the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary in Moldova. Immediately after, I traveled to London to participate in a regional forum on the Western Balkans hosted by the House of Lords. There, I underlined the importance of continuing reform efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and reiterated our collective commitment to South East Europe. This was my last activity as President of the OSCE PA prior to the Berlin Annual Session. Let me once again thank Secretary General Montella and the International Secretariat for their support and express my gratitude for the strong engagement of our Members over the recent months. This has greatly contributed to strengthening our Organization and making it more visible and effective. I look forward to continuing this good work with you in the year to come. 8 REPORT OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 27th Annual Session Berlin, Germany 2 7 t h A n n u al S essi o n t R ep o rt Summary Hosted by the German Bundestag, the 27th Annual Session took place 7-11 July 2018 in Berlin. U nder the theme “Implementing OSCE Vigenin (Bulgaria), and Pascal Allizard (France) Commitments: The Role of Parliaments,” were elected Vice-Presidents. the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly met Elections to the general committees were held in Berlin for its 27th Annual Session on 7-11 July on Tuesday 10 July. In the political and security 2018. The meeting included the participation committee, Filippo Lombardi (Switzerland) was of some 300 parliamentarians from North elected Chair, Sofio Katsarava (Georgia) ViceAmerica, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Chair, and Alan Farrell (Ireland) Rapporteur. The opening session featured speeches by In the economic and environmental Wolfgang Schäuble, President of the German committee, Nilza de Sena (Portugal) was elected Bundestag; George Tsereteli, President of the Chair, Artur Gerasymov (Ukraine) Vice-Chair, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly; Olaf Scholz, and Elona Gjebrea Hoxha (Albania) Rapporteur. Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister of Finance In the human rights committee, Margareta for Germany; and Guglielmo Picchi, Deputy Kiener Nellen (Switzerland) was elected Chair, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Michael Georg Link (Germany) Vice-Chair, and Co-operation for Italy, Kyriakos Kyriakou“In times when democratic principles representing the Italian Hadjiyianni (Cyprus) are challenged, we must focus on build- Rapporteur. OSCE Chairmanship. ing the resilience of democratic states The Annual Session At plenary sessions and promote the consolidation of the culminated in the on 10-11 July, rule of law.” adoption of the Berlin members heard Declaration with reports from OSCE PA OSCE PA President George Tsereteli recommendations to Special Representative national governments, on Gender Issues parliaments and the international community in Hedy Fry (Canada), OSCE PA Secretary General the fields of political affairs, security, economics, Roberto Montella, and OSCE Secretary General environment and human rights. In addition to Thomas Greminger. the three main resolutions, 16 supplementary The Standing Committee met on 7 July to items were adopted by the Assembly dealing allocate supplementary items for debate and with topics including counter-terrorism, hear reports from the President, Treasurer, human trafficking, migration, security sector Secretary General, Special Representatives, governance, gender-based violence, and leaders of election observation missions, countering propaganda. and chairs of ad hoc committees. The ad hoc George Tsereteli (Georgia) was elected committees on migration and terrorism met on Assembly President until the end of the 2019 the margins and side events were held on topics Annual Session, while Peter Bowness (United including election observation, corruption, and Kingdom), Kari Henriksen (Norway), Kristian the environmental impacts of armed conflict. 1 2 7 t h A n nu al S essi o n t R ep o rt Berlin Declaration A T t the close of each Annual Session, the Assembly adopts a Declaration with recommendations in the fields of political affairs, security, economics, environment and human rights. Representing the collective voice of the OSCE parliamentarians, the Declaration helps shape OSCE and national policy. It is complemented by a number of supplementary items relating to OSCE commitments and values. he OSCE Parliamentary Assembly crime, money laundering and the financing adopted the 2018 Berlin Declaration of terrorism. The Declaration also calls on on 11 July, with recommendations to parliaments to promote universal ratification help guide OSCE work and shape national of the Paris Agreement on climate change. policies in the fields of political-military affairs, International humanitarian and human economics and environment, and human rights law must be upheld during armed rights. The Declaration, adopted following an conflicts and the right of safe return of amendment process carried out over several refugees and internally displaced persons days of committee meetings, calls essential the must be respected, the Declaration says. It “commitment to the fundamental principles of further calls for investigations into the serious international law, human human rights violations of rights and the rule of people in conflict zones “The OSCE Parliamentary law enshrined in the UN Assembly urges a renewed com- and occupied territories, Charter and the Helsinki mitment from OSCE participating including in the South Final Act.” It urges renewed Caucasus, Ukraine, and States to the Organization’s efforts to resolve conflicts, Cyprus. All OSCE countries principles of dialogue and particularly the Nagornoshould “protect the rights detente in the spirit of the Karabakh conflict and of migrants and refugees, Helsinki Final Act.” those in Ukraine, Georgia, especially their freedom and Moldova. 2018 OSCE PA Berlin Declaration from arbitrary detention, In the Declaration, and to actively work on parliamentarians called for greater the integration of refugees and protect their commitment to the OSCE’s principles of right to family reunification, with particular dialogue and détente, arms control, security consideration for unaccompanied minors.” sector reform, strengthening confidence- and “We have just adopted a very strong Berlin security-building measures, and the good-faith Declaration that we hope will serve to guide our implementation of agreements. work in the weeks, months and years ahead,” The Declaration further calls on governments President Tsereteli said in a speech after the to ensure that human rights are respected by adoption of the Declaration. “We should all all security and intelligence services and urges work to strengthen the OSCE, including by parliaments to establish bodies for scrutinizing implementing its principles and communicating these services’ activities. Parliaments should its messages to our governments and the also support the OSCE’s “structured dialogue” people of our home countries.” process, the Declaration says. Following its adoption, the Declaration was In the economic and environmental distributed to speakers of parliament and dimension, the Declaration stresses the unique foreign ministers of OSCE countries, and the role of parliaments in promoting reforms to PA’s Special Representative in Vienna, Amb. implement OSCE commitments by fighting Andreas Nothelle, briefed the OSCE Permanent corruption, cracking down on organized Council on its recommendations. 2 2 7 t h A n nu al S essi o n t R ep o rt Inaugural Plenary Session Left to right: Olaf Scholz, George Tsereteli, Wolfgang Schäuble and Guglielmo Picchi. W ith nearly 300 parliamentarians in ments, noting that oversight is a key role of attendance, the Annual Session any parliament. opened 8 July with speeches by Wolfgang Schäuble, President of the German George Tsereteli, President of Bundestag; George Tsereteli, President of the the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly OSCE Parliamentary Assembly; Olaf Scholz, Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister of President Tsereteli spoke about how parliaFinance for Germany; and Guglielmo Picchi, mentarians can promote adherence to OSCE Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Inter- principles such as sovereign equality, territorial national Co-operation for Italy, representing integrity of States, the peaceful settlement of the Italian OSCE Chairmanship. disputes, inviolability of frontiers, and human Speakers called for greater political will to rights. “These principles,” he said, “are some ensure the full implementation of international of the most important international commitcommitments found ments that exist, but “Everyone in the OSCE should understand we must admit that in the Helsinki Final Act and other OSCE the state of implethat if they violate principles, they will documents. As receive our attention. After all, that is what mentation is not elected representawhere it should be.” we are here to do – to hold each other to tives of the people, He pointed out account.” members of parliathat violations of ment have a key OSCE commitments OSCE PA President George Tsereteli role to play in buildcan lead to disaing support among greements and tendecision-makers in governments for ensuring sion within the OSCE area, but that through compliance with these commitments, speakers international pressure, better compliance can said. be ensured. “Everyone in the OSCE should understand Wolfgang Schäuble, President of that if they violate principles, they will receive the German Bundestag our attention,” Tsereteli said. “After all, that is what we are here to do – to hold each other President Schäuble lamented deviations to account.” from international rules and standards and noted that at times of heightened mistrust, the Olaf Scholz, Vice-Chancellor informal encounters of parliamentarians faciliand Federal Minister of Finance tate mutual understanding. “The parliamenfor Germany tary dimension of the OSCE will continue to gain importance in light of hardened positions Vice-Chancellor Scholz noted that global and mutual mistrust,” he said. challenges cannot be met by any single State, He stressed the role of parliaments in pro- and that difficulties cannot justify political moting full compliance with OSCE commit- inertia, stressing that international co-opera- 4 2 7 t h A n n u al S essi o n t R ep o rt Inaugural Plenary Session OSCE PA delegates listen to opening remarks at the 27th Annual Session in Berlin, 8 July 2018. tion is the way forward. The OSCE PA Annual Session is the right forum for discussing how to uphold OSCE commitments, he said. The Vice-Chancellor also argued for making full use of the structured dialogue established by consensus at the 2016 OSCE Ministerial Council in Hamburg. He discussed priorities of the Chairmanship, including the crisis in and around Ukraine, the protracted conflicts, organized crime, and developing co-operation with Mediterranean and Asian Partner States particularly on migration and transnational threats such as terrorism, cybersecurity and illicit trafficking. Guglielmo Picchi, Supplementary Items Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operAt the plenary session, members also conation for Italy, representing the sidered the supplementary item “Minors on Italian OSCE Chairmanship the Move: The Role of the OSCE and the OSCE Parliamentary diplomacy plays a fundamental role in promoting inclusive dialogue strengthening ownership among OSCE participating States, Deputy Foreign Minister Picchi said. “The debate today will be very valuable for the Italian Chairmanship also in view of the Ministerial Council which will be held in Milan on 6-7 December,” said Picchi, representing the Italian OSCE Chairmanship. Parliamentary Assembly in Building an Effective Protection Framework.” The resolution, principally sponsored by Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Chair Nahima Lanjri (Belgium), calls on OSCE countries to implement policies for unaccompanied minors that take into account their specific needs and ensure family unity. The resolution was agreed to and was included in the Berlin Declaration adopted on 11 July. Parliamentarians discuss violence against women at Gender Lunch A working lunch on 9 July focused on the theme of “Combating Violence Against Women.” Keynote speakers at the event included Dr. Franziska Giffey, Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, of Germany; and OSCE Senior Advisor Franziska Giffey speaks at the Gender Lunch, 9 July 2018. on Gender Issues Amarsanaa Darisuren. The lunch was opened by OSCE PA Special Representative on Gender Issues Hedy Fry (Canada), who commended the OSCE’s work on combating violence against women, and by OSCE PA Treasurer and Head of the German Delegation Doris Barnett, who stressed how essential it is to promote gender equality. OSCE PA President George Tsereteli also spoke, highlighting the indispensable role of parliaments and the OSCE PA, which he noted can help promote best practices and better information-sharing between governments. 5 2 7 t h A n nu al S essi o n t R ep o rt Standing Committee T he Standing Committee consists of the Heads of National Delegations and Members of the Bureau. Meeting three times a year – at the Winter Meeting, the Autumn Meeting and the Annual Session – the Standing Committee guides the work of the Assembly, approves its budget, and elects the OSCE PA Secretary General. T he Standing Committee, chaired by President Tsereteli, met on 7 July. The Committee allocated 16 supplementary items for general debate, with five sent to the First Committee, five to the Second Committee and four to the Third Committee. Two supplementary items, “Preventing and Combating Gender-Based Violence” and “Minors on the Move: The Role of the OSCE and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Building an Effective Protection Framework,” were allocated for debate in plenary sessions. OSCE PA Treasurer Doris Barnett (Germany) presented her report, providing an overview of the financial situation and the status of annual contributions. Following the report, the Standing Committee unanimously approved the budget for the 2018-2019 financial year, which registered an increase of 7.1 per cent. In his report, President Tsereteli provided the Standing Committee with an overview of his recent activities, emphasizing outcomes of recent visits to Baku, Warsaw, Lisbon, Tirana, and Chisinau. The President also discussed his visit in May to Ukraine, where he held talks with authorities in Kyiv and visited conflict-affected areas in Donbas. Secretary General Roberto Montella presented his report, expressing gratitude that so many parliamentarians are willing to dedicate their time to promoting the OSCE and the PA. He encouraged parliamentarians to bring up issues of the OSCE PA in their own parliaments and among the press. He noted the wide range of activities the PA is engaged in and committed to keep the positive pace in the upcoming months. He stressed that there is no need to develop new commitments, but rather to focus on implementing existing ones, which he said is also a message that can be sent to the Italian Chairmanship ahead of the Ministerial Council. Two OSCE PA Special Representatives, Pascal 8 Allizard (France) on Mediterranean Affairs and Christopher Smith (United States) on Human Trafficking Issues, also presented brief reports. The heads of recent PA election observation missions presented their main findings. It was noted that the next elections to be observed will be those in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and the United States. The chairs of OSCE PA ad hoc committees delivered reports on their activities. Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Nahima Lanjri (Belgium) underlined the need to focus on how to assist States on the front lines of the migrant and refugee flows in their emergency responses as well as in integration policies. Makis Voridis (Greece), Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism, reported on visits of the committee, participation in international experts’ events and on a number of projects, including a soon-to-be launched initiative to promote the implementation of relevant counter-terrorism commitments in national parliaments. Information was provided on upcoming meetings, including the 2018 Autumn Meeting in Bishkek, the 2019 Winter Meeting in Vienna, and the 2019 Annual Session in Luxembourg. The Moroccan Delegation issued an invitation to host the 2019 Autumn Meeting in Marrakech. The Standing Committee also voted to amend the PA’s Rules of Procedure, to welcome the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Co-operation (PABSEC) as an observer. Finally, members of the Standing Committee engaged in a debate on current international political issues. Among items raised were the crisis in and around Ukraine, protracted conflicts, human rights in the OSCE area, causes and consequences of migration flows and terrorism. 2 7 t h A n nu al S essi o n t R ep o rt Plenary Sessions Hedy Fry delivers the gender report on 10 July. C haired by President Tsereteli, the plenary session on 10 July opened with an address by the Speaker of Montenegro’s Parliament, Ivan Brajovic, who noted that in implementing OSCE commitments, parliaments play a key role. Strong institutions are the guardian of democracy, he said, offering examples of progress in his country in this regard. Hedy Fry, OSCE PA Special Representative on Gender Issues Special Representative Hedy Fry (Canada) presented her report, which focused on violence against women as well as the need to include men in discussions about gender equality. The Special Representative noted that women contribute to economic productivity and competitiveness, so everyone benefits from their full participation in society. She also discussed the role of women in armed conflict, as caregivers and peacekeepers. In the discussion of Fry’s report, members noted that the lack of equality often enables violence against women and that equal opportunities must be provided for women to fully participate in political life. Supplementary Items 18 The supplementary item “Preventing and Combating Gender-Based Violence,” principally sponsored by Fry, was considered in the plenary session. It calls on OSCE participating States to adopt laws to address domestic and sexual violence and harassment, and urges full implementation of National Action Plans on Women, Peace, and Security as required by UN Security Council Resolution 1325. The item was adopted with overwhelming support. Open Debate In the open debate, members spoke about the key role that national parliaments play in assuring implementation of OSCE commitments, the necessity of resolving the crisis in and around Ukraine, the importance of ensuring credible election observation, the need for rehabilitation programmes for returning foreign terrorist fighters, migration, and many other topics. On 11 July the plenary reconvened for its closing session. Parliamentarians debated a wide range of topics, from the ongoing and protracted conflicts to human rights violations, from energy security to the protection of the environment, from challenges stemming from migration to transnational challenges such as terrorism, organized crime and illicit trafficking. Many delegations stressed the need to rekindle Helsinki’s spirit of dialogue and detente in order to restore trust among OSCE participating States. Thomas Greminger, Secretary General of the OSCE OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger welcomed the excellent channel for multilateral dialogue offered by the Parliamentary Assembly as well as the inspiring ideas and 2 7 t h A n n u al S essi o n t R ep o rt Plenary Sessions Roberto Montella addressing the closing plenary session, 11 July 2018. contributions it offers to the overall work of the OSCE. Moreover, he stressed that “in today’s world, multilateralism and multilateral institutions are targets of acute criticism,” noting that many people share this view. “To ensure that the OSCE is sensitive to the aspirations and needs of our citizens, we need you, the Parliamentary Assembly, to represent their voices,” he said. “The OSCE PA is by definition the most diverse and pluralistic of our structures. You represent a great variety of perspectives and interests.” The OSCE Secretary General also called upon national parliaments to support their respective governments in funding the OSCE. Roberto Montella, OSCE PA Secretary General Montella commended the commitment of OSCE parliamentarians and assured them that they will continue to have the full support of the International Secretariat in turning their recommendations into concrete actions. He also noted that the high level of participation in the Annual Session, including by civil society, confirms the effectiveness of the Parliamentary Assembly and the desire to engage in its activities. The Secretary General recognized two Members of the Assembly who were stepping down, Kent Harstedt (Sweden) and Roberto Battelli (Slovenia), thanking them for their many years of service and leadership in the OSCE PA. Finally, he praised the Bundestag for an outstanding organization of the Annual Session. Adoption of Berlin Declaration The two addresses were followed by the voting procedure to adopt one by one the resolutions of the three committees and the sixteen supplementary items, which together comprise the Berlin Declaration. While some further amendments were proposed, all items as well as the overall final Declaration were adopted. The supplementary items adopted by the plenary deal with topics including counterterrorism and violent extremism, human rights in Crimea (Ukraine), building communities free of human trafficking, building an effective protection framework for migrant children, security sector governance and reform, and combating gender-based violence. Announcement of Election Results and Closing Remarks Election results were announced for the 2018-2019 term. President George Tsereteli was elected by acclamation. Peter Bowness (United Kingdom), Kari Henriksen (Norway), Kristian Vigenin (Bulgaria), and Pascal Allizard (France) were elected Vice-Presidents. In his closing address, President Tsereteli called to increase co-operation and ensure that the PA remains strong, even if debates are harsh, with the ultimate aim to strengthen the OSCE, implement its principles and communicate its messages to governments and the people: “We must let people know the value of this organization and why it matters.” 19 2 7 t h A n nu al S essi o n t R ep o rt Officers of the Assembly T he Officers of the Assembly, together with the General Committee Officers and President Emeritus, form the Bureau. The Bureau meets several times a year, including every April in Copenhagen, and is responsible for ensuring that the decisions of the Standing Committee are carried out and for the efficient operation of the Assembly between meetings of the Standing Committee. The Bureau takes decisions by a two-thirds majority vote. George Tsereteli (Georgia) was elected President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly at the 2018 Annual Session in Berlin, after having served as acting President since 9 November 2017. He had previously been Vice-President, first elected during the 2012 Annual Session in Monaco and subsequently re-elected during the 2015 Annual Session in Helsinki. Following a career in business and as a practicing neurologist, Tsereteli came to politics in 1995. In the Georgian parliament, Tsereteli served as Deputy Chairman between 2000 and 2004, and from 2008 to 2012. In 2004, he was Georgia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor, Health, and Social Protection. Ilkka Kanerva (Finland) is the Assembly’s President Emeritus. Elected President at the 2014 Annual Session and re-elected in 2015, Kanerva is a former OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, and has been a member of the Finnish Parliament since 1975. He has held a variety of posts in his government 22 and national legislature, including Foreign Minister, Minister of Transport, Deputy Prime Minister, and Deputy Speaker of Parliament. In the PA, he has served as Vice-President and as Co-Chair of the OSCE PA’s Helsinki +40 Project. He is currently the PA’s Special Representative on Mediation. Doris Barnett (Germany) was elected Treasurer in 2015 and re-elected in 2017. Previously an OSCE PA Vice-President, she has been a member of the German Bundestag since 1994, where she currently serves on the Committee on Economics and Technology and the Committee on European Union Affairs. She is the Head of the German Delegation to the OSCE PA and is also a member of the Council of Europe and the European Security and Defence Assembly. Pascal Allizard (France) was elected VicePresident at the OSCE PA’s 27th Annual Session in Berlin. He has been a member of the Parliamentary Assembly since 2014 and since 2017 has served as Special Representative on 2 7 t h A n n u al S essi o n t R ep o rt Officers of the Assembly Mediterranean Affairs. He also serves as ViceChair of the OSCE PA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Migration and as Deputy Head of the French Delegation. In the French Senate, he serves as Vice-President of the Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defence and the Armed Forces, as Rapporteur on Defence Budget, as member of the European Affairs Committee and as President of the France-Pakistan Friendship Group. Peter Bowness (United Kingdom) was elected Vice-President of the OSCE PA at the Helsinki Annual Session in 2015 and re-elected in Berlin. As a member of the House of Lords, he serves on the European Union Energy and Environment SubCommittee and has been a member of the European Union Select Committee, among other assignments. He has been a member of the British Delegation to the OSCE PA since 2007 and serves as Chair of the OSCE PA’s Sub-Committee on the Rules of Procedure and Working Practices. Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden) was elected Vice-President in 2017 after serving two years as the Rapporteur for the General Committee on Political Affairs and Security. First entering the Swedish parliament (Riksdag) in 1999, Cederfelt served as an Alternate Member of the Swedish Delegation to the OSCE PA from 2010 to 2014 and since 2014 as Deputy Head of the Delegation. In her national parliament, Cederfelt has served as a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs since 2014. She has also served as Chair of the National Board of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) and Treasurer of the PGA Executive Board since 2011. Victor Paul Dobre (Romania) was elected to a oneyear term as Vice-President at the OSCE PA’s 25th Annual Session in Tbilisi and re-elected in Minsk. A member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies since 2000, Dobre has served on the Romanian Delegation to the OSCE PA since 2009. In his national parliament, Dobre serves as Chairman of the Committee on Public Administration and Territorial Planning. Azay Guliyev (Azerbaijan) was elected VicePresident in Tbilisi. He previously served for three years as ViceChair of the General Committee on Political Affairs and Security. A member of his national parliament since 2005, Guliyev currently sits on the Permanent Committee on State Building and is a member of several working groups promoting Azerbaijan’s bilateral relations with various countries. Since 2008, he has also served as Chair of the Council on State Support to NGOs. Guliyev has been a member of Azerbaijan’s OSCE PA Delegation since 2005. Kari Henriksen (Norway) was elected Vice-President of the Assembly at the 27th Annual Session in Berlin. Having been involved in the Parliamentary Assembly since 2009, Henriksen advocates for building a vigorous, forceful, gender-balanced, open and effective organization. In the 23 2 7 t h A n nu al S essi o n t R ep o rt Officers of the Assembly Norwegian Storting she serves on the Standing Committee on Family and Cultural Affairs, and has previously been on the Standing Committee on Justice, the Election Committee, and the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Affairs. From 2007-2009, she served as State Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Care Services. Henriksen was a health care professional before entering politics. She is a member of the Labour Party. Isabel Santos (Portugal) was elected Vice-President in 2016, after having previously served three terms as Chair of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions. Santos was a member of Portuguese Parliament from 2005 to 2009 and resumed her service in parliament in 2011. In parliament, she serves on the Committee on Budget, Finance and Public Administration and the Committee on Agriculture and the Sea. As Chair of the Third Committee she was particularly active, leading delegations and fact-finding missions to Kazakhstan and Guantanamo Bay, as well as to refugee camps in Rome, Lampedusa, Catania, Czech Republic, and Serbia. liamentary Assembly in 2011. He served from 2016 to 2018 as the OSCE PA’s Special Representative on the South Caucasus. He also serves as Deputy Head of the Bulgarian Delegation to the OSCE PA. Roger Wicker (United States) was elected Vice-President in 2017 after serving as Chair of the General Committee on Political Affairs and Security since November 2014. Wicker currently serves as the Chair of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission). Within the U.S. Senate he is a member of the Armed Services Committee; the Budget Committee; the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; the Environment and Public Works Committee; and the Rules Committee. He serves as Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet. Kristian Vigenin (Bulgaria) 24 was elected Vice-President in Berlin after serving one year as Rapporteur of the First Committee. In Bulgaria, Vigenin was Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2013-2014. Vigenin has served as a member of the Foreign Policy Committee and the European Affairs and Oversight of European Funds Committee in the National Assembly of Bulgaria. He was previously a member of the European Parliament and was elected as the first EP Chair of the Euronest Par- The Bureau meets every spring in the Danish Parliament (Folketing). 2 7 t h A n n u al S essi o n t R ep o rt General Committee Officers First General Committee on Political Affairs and Security The General Committee on Political Affairs and Security (First Committee) General Committee on on Political Affairs First General Committee Political Affairsand andSecurity Security F ollowing the 1991 Madrid Declaration, three committees were established along the lines of the three main “baskets” or sections of the Helsinki Final Act: The First General Committee on Political Affairs and Security; the Second General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment; and the Third General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions. Following debate and discussion, a draft resolution is adopted by each committee for presentation to the Annual Plenary Session of the Assembly, which is then included in the Final Declaration. First General Committee Filippo Lombardi (Switzerland) was elected Chair of the First Committee in 2017 and re-elected in Berlin. He joined the Swiss Council of States in 1999 and is a member of the Christian Democrat Group representing the canton of Ticino. Within the Council of States he serves as President of the Delegation to Maintain Relations with the Italian Parliament and as President of the Drafting Committee for Italian. He is a member of the Delegation to the InterParliamentary Union. He has served as Chair of the OSCE PA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Migration following its inception in 2016. He is also the Deputy Head of Switzerland’s Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. Sofio Katsarava (Georgia) was elected to the position of Vice-Chair of the Committee on Political Affairs and Security in Berlin after serving one year as Rapporteur of the Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology, and Environment. Elected to her national parliament in 2016, she serves on the Committee on European Integration and serves as Chairperson of the Foreign Relations Committee. She is Head of the Georgian Delegation to the OSCE PA and is also a member of parliamentary delegations to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Alan Farrell (Ireland) was elected Rapporteur of the Committee on Political Affairs and Security in Berlin. He has been Head of the Irish Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly since 2013. In the Irish Parliament he is Chair of the Children and Youth Affairs Committee and serves on the Public Accounts Committee. He has previously served on the Justice, Equality and Defence Parliamentary Committee and the Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform Parliamentary Committee. He is a member of the Fine Gael Party and represents North Dublin. 25 2 7 t h A n nu al S essi o n t R ep o rt General Committee Officers General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment Second General Committee Nilza de Sena (Portugal) was elected Chair of the Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment in 2016, and has been re-elected twice. A Member of the Portuguese Delegation to the OSCE PA since 2011, Sena is also a founder and member of the Board of the Portuguese Platform for Sustainable Development and Vice-Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Science and Culture. She is Vice-President of the Social Democratic Party and a Professor at the Technical University of Lisbon. She holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and a PhD in Social Sciences in the specialty of sociology and has published numerous academic articles. Artur Gerasymov (Ukraine) was elected Vice-Chair of the Second Committee at the 25th Annual Session in Tbilisi and re-elected in Minsk and in Berlin. Head of the Ukrainian Delegation to the OSCE PA, Gerasymov has a background in the private sector, serving as Deputy Director, Director and General Director of Ukrainian Marketing Group. In 2014, he was 26 elected to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Parliament), where he serves as a member of the Committee on National Security and Defence, Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on MilitaryIndustrial and Military-Technical Co-operation of the Verkhovna Rada Committee for Security and Defence Affairs. Elona Gjebrea Hoxha (Albania) was elected Rapporteur of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment in Berlin. She has been a member of the Albanian Parliament for the Socialist Party since 2017. With a background in academia and civil society, in 2013 she became Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, a position she held until 2017. She was also Municipality councillor of Tirana city, representing the socialist party from 2015 to 2017. In 2016 she was part of the General Assembly of the Socialist Party. 2 7 t h A n n u al S essi o n t R ep o rt General Committee Officers General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions Third General Committee Margareta Kiener Nellen (Switzerland) was elected Chair of the Committee on Democracy and Human Rights at the 2018 Annual Session in Berlin. She has been a member of the Swiss National Council since 2003 for the Social-Democratic Party and of the Financial Oversight Delegation of the Swiss Parliament since 2018. Kiener Nellen joined the Committee on Finance in 2003 and served as its President from 2010 to 2011 and from 2016 to 2017. She was also part of the Committee on Legal Affairs from 2011 to 2015 and of the Committee on Courts from 2007 to 2011. Kiener Nellen is the Head of the Swiss Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and has a legal background with a specialization in human rights, constitutional and criminal law. Michael Georg Link (Germany) was elected ViceChair of the Committee on Democracy and Human Rights at the 2018 Annual Session in Berlin. He is a member of the German Parliament for the Free Democratic Party, serving on the European Affairs and the Budget Committee of the Bundestag. He previously served as Minister of State for Europe in the German government, where he was responsible for OSCE, EU, Council of Europe and NATO affairs. From 2014 to 2017 he was the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). Kyriakos Kyriakou-Hadjiyianni (Cyprus) was elected Rapporteur of the Committee on Democracy and Human Rights at the 2016 Annual Session in Tbilisi and reelected in Minsk and Berlin. He has been a Member of the House of Representatives of Cyprus since 2006. In the House of Representatives, Kyriakou-Hadjiyianni serves as Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Educational Affairs and Culture. He is also a Member of the Committee on Refugees-Enclaved, Missing and Adversely Affected Persons. Kyriakou-Hadjiyianni has previously served on his parliament’s Committee on the Environment; the Committee on Energy, Trade, Industry, and Tourism; the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs; the Committee on Internal Affairs, and the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources. He was also a member of the Economic and Social Committee of the European Union from 2003 to 2004. 27 WM (19) PR* Original: English REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY Mr. George Tsereteli Winter Meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly VIENNA, 21-22 February 2019 Report of the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Following my election as President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Berlin, I have continued to highlight several of our priorities, which include redoubling our conflict resolution efforts, ensuring that the OSCE is fully equipped to address new challenges, and promoting our common values. I have appreciated the level of support I have received from Members of the Assembly and the Secretariat in both Copenhagen and Vienna. This has been crucial to support an intensive agenda to meet our most pressing challenges such as addressing conflicts, radicalization and terrorism, and migration, implementing our human right commitments, striving to achieve gender equality, fostering economic cooperation, expanding our international partnerships, and reforming the OSCE PA to make our work more impactful. Detailed information on my work as President is listed in this report. In addition to these primary activities, I have met on several occasions with Heads of OSCE institutions to improve co-ordination at headquarters and in the field and ensure that our activities complement each other. I have also met with numerous PA delegations on the margins of my travels to ensure that all voices are heard and reflected in the work of our Parliamentary Assembly. Finally, together with a small group of Members, the Bureau and the International Secretariat, we have held regular discussions to consider changes in the Assembly’s work, in order to make it more effective and more visible. I want to thank those parliaments that have hosted my visits, but also particularly applaud and thank OSCE staff. Since our last Annual Session, I have had the opportunity to visit three OSCE field missions and I have met with dedicated professionals from many other OSCE offices. I can personally attest to the excellent work they do, at times under difficult circumstances. July 2018 Immediately after our Berlin Annual Session, I participated in the Leinsweiler seminar hosted by our Treasurer Doris Barnett, which this year focused on how to prevent ethnic conflicts through law and the exchange of best practice. In my remarks, I warned that nationalist rhetoric as well as unilateral actions have threatened to undermine trust in the OSCE’s ability to find common ground. I also noted that minorities should be 1 Report of the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly seen as an asset for OSCE countries, where they can serve as a bridge in inter-state relations, in particular in border areas. I reiterated that message in Udine the following week, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Bolzano/Bozen Recommendations on National Minorities in Inter-State Relations organized by the High Commissioner on National Minorities, Ambassador Lamberto Zannier. I capped that busy first half of July by opening the 15 th annual South Caucasus Media Conference organized by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media in Tbilisi. Echoing our Berlin debates, I warned that the instrumentalization of “fake news” as a political tool poses a danger to democracy and noted that everyone benefits from ensuring high professional media standards. My main point was that journalists and politicians should work together in the interests of good journalism and democracy. August 2018 Over the summer, we coordinated a plan of activities together with the International Secretariat. We also continued to work diligently to modernize our working practices with a view of making the OSCE PA more visible and more effective. I visited the International Secretariat in early September to finalize our plans. September 2018 My first official activity after the summer was my participation in the opening of the OSCE’s Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) in Warsaw. The preparations for this year’s meeting were undermined by lack of consensus in Vienna regarding the agenda, and I have since repeated my regret that the basic functioning of our organization is threatened by such disputes. The OSCE PA has formulated and implemented several changes to the consensus rule, which I have encouraged participating States to consider. In my address to the HDIM, I stressed that open dialogue on controversial issues must continue and opposing views must be heard by all in order to successfully work together towards implementing OSCE commitments. 2 Report of the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly I am glad to report that the PA significantly stepped up its engagement with the HDIM this year, as four other Members of our Bureau were in attendance. This sent a positive signal to the rest of our partners regarding our readiness to work together to promote accountability and advance human security for all across the OSCE area. Following this, I was in Yerevan on 11-12 September to meet with President Armen Sarkissian, Speaker Ara Babloyan, Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, as well as parliamentary leaders, civil society representatives, and students. We discussed a range of issues including economic development, electoral reform, anti-corruption efforts, regional relations, and Armenia’s work within the OSCE. Following a dramatic change of government earlier in 2018, I was pleased to see a willingness for political forces to work together constructively, which carried on to the early parliamentary elections of December 2018. On 20 September, I was also in Baku on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Azerbaijan’s first parliament. This was a welcome opportunity to follow-up on my visit of March 2018 with President Ilham Aliyev, Speaker Ogtay Asadov and our colleagues from the Delegation of Azerbaijan. Both of these trips were useful to highlight our Assembly’s continued engagement in the South Caucasus region and discuss how parliamentary diplomacy can contribute to advancing peace in the region. On 13-14 September, I also visited Rome to ensure close continued co-ordination with the Italian Chairmanship in the run-up to the Milan Ministerial Council meeting. In meetings with the Chairperson-in-Office Foreign Minister Enzo Milanesi, Deputy Foreign Minister Guglielmo Picchi, the President of the Senate, Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Roberto Fico and other high-level interlocutors, I welcomed Italy’s leadership on addressing our most pressing challenges. 3 Report of the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly I also emphasized the importance of overcoming differences, building on shared needs and experiences, and restoring a strong commitment to multilateralism. I noted the important role played by Italy in promoting greater synergy between the parliamentary and governmental structures of the Organization, which has been one of the concrete deliverables of this year’s Chairmanship. October 2018 I was pleased to return to Kyrgyzstan for our Autumn Meeting on 3-6 October to engage in important conversations on challenges such as migration, trade, terrorism, border security and the environment. The exceptional effort put into the organization of this event by the Delegation of Kyrgyzstan and the staff of the Jogorku Kenesh was clear to all our participants, As I pointed in my opening remarks, parliamentarians, along with civil society, have a key role to generate political will in support of the implementation of OSCE commitments and shared solutions. Our meeting in Bishkek was again a good opportunity to exchange on new ways to draw on our Members’ expertise and modernize our work in order to maximize our impact. Immediately after the Autumn Meeting, I travelled to Turkey to participate in the third Meeting of Speakers of Eurasian Countries’ Parliaments, held this year under the theme of “Economic Cooperation, Environment and Sustainable Development in Eurasia”. In my remarks, I insisted on the fact that unfulfilled agreements have made it more difficult to work together in the pursuit of economic success across the OSCE area. Our growing challenges necessitate closer collaboration between Eurasian countries and regional and international organizations, and the meeting was a good opportunity to discuss some of our most pressing challenges with the parliamentary leadership of a number of OSCE countries and 4 Report of the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly partners. On the margins of the conference, I held several bilateral meetings, including with Speakers from Turkey, Slovakia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. I also exchanged with the Speakers from Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea and with Heads of Delegation from Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Mongolia. I was then in Vienna on 11 October for the traditional address to the OSCE Permanent Council, where I presented the Berlin Declaration and encouraged our governments to consider our work and recommendations as they prepared for the Milan meeting. I regretted the lack of improvement of the state of health of the OSCE since my first address in January 2018. We continue to see signs of growing dysfunctionality, which not only endangers the very existence of the OSCE, but also exacerbates tensions between our countries. During the question and answer session, exchanges with OSCE ambassadors echoed concerns over the general state of the Organization, and the inability to achieve progress in solving conflicts in the OSCE area. While in Vienna, I also took the opportunity to participate in a roundtable on the role of the OSCE in the context of East-West relations as part of the EU’s interparliamentary conference, and participated in the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the opening of the OSCE PA’s Vienna Liaison Office. Following this, I was in Bratislava to confer with our colleagues ahead of Slovakia’s 2019 Chairmanship of the OSCE. I met once again with Speaker Andrej Danko; but also with the incoming OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak; and the Slovak Delegation led by Petr Osusky. This visit was useful to carry on with 2018’s excellent co-operation with Italy, and make sure the PA’s expertise is called upon to support Slovakia’s priorities. At the tail-end of that trip, I was in Geneva on 15-16 October to address the Inter-Parliamentary Union and meet IPU President Gabriela Cuevas Barron to explore ways our Assembly can strengthen co-operation with regional parliaments and parliamentary assemblies to build greater 5 Report of the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly coherence and effectiveness in our global parliamentary work. November 2018 In early November, I led our observation mission to the United States for the midterm elections together with Vice-President Isabel Santos. This was a very politically important mission, as the mid-term elections were the first nation-wide opportunity to vote following the change of administration in the United States two years ago. We put together an important statement that will hopefully be of use in coming years. Our mission was another strong demonstration that we treat all countries equally and hold them to the same standards. It was also important that our delegation included several Members of the Russian parliament. It is a credit to our work and mission that we took this inclusive approach and that our Russian colleagues could contribute to our work, despite the difficulties stemming from the 2016 election. The following week, I returned to Italy to participate in an OSCE seminar on anti-corruption, where I highlighted that parliamentarians are essential partners in the fight against corruption. On the margins of the conference, I met with the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Corruption, Paola Severino, to discuss synergies between the OSCE executive structures and the Parliamentary Assembly in enhancing transparency and accountability across the OSCE area. I welcomed the Italian Chairmanship’s active work in the field of anti-corruption and expressed hope that future OSCE Chairmanships would maintain this strong engagement. I carried on to the Vatican on 12 November and to San Marino on 13-14 November for the first-ever visit there by a President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. These visits were useful to reaffirm the equal importance we attach to all OSCE participating States and to demonstrate the valuable 6 Report of the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly contributions of small and large countries alike. The OSCE’s inclusiveness is one its strongest assets. Later that month, I was in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan for my third visit to Central Asia of 2018, this time accompanied by the new Special Representative on Central Asia, Mr. Roman Haider from Austria. In Astana on 19-20 November, I commended Kazakhstan for their strong support of the OSCE and their commitment to the success of the Organization. We discussed a wide range of issues, including President Nazarbayev’s proposal to host an OSCE Summit in 2020 to renew the Helsinki Final Act. I have welcomed this idea, which would provide an additional opportunity for the OSCE to maintain its relevance through more high-level political dialogue. Mr. Haider and I were joined in Tashkent by the Chair of the OSCE PA General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions Margret Kiener Nellen on 21 November. We voiced our appreciation for the continued engagement of Uzbekistan with the OSCE and our Parliamentary Assembly, and discussed how parliamentary diplomacy can contribute to stability and development in Central Asia. Ms. Kiener Nellen and I finished the week in Samarkand to address the Asian Forum on Human Rights and stress the central role that parliaments play in upholding human rights commitments domestically and internationally. December 2018 Together with Members of our Bureau, I participated in the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Milan on 6-8 December. In my opening session address, I pointed out that a strong 7 Report of the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly OSCE is needed to serve as a forum for real confidencebuilding in these periods of tensions between East and West. I also underlined to the OSCE Foreign Ministers that it is really up to governments to strengthen the OSCE, to pursue meaningful dialogue, and to demonstrate good faith in implementing commitments. I reiterated those points in a number of high-level bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of Turkey, the Russian Federation, Albania, and Moldova and the Head of Delegation from Morocco, as well as in a number of informal conversations on the sidelines of the Ministerial Council with ministers and ambassadors, including representatives from Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Montenegro, Sweden and France. January 2019 As is now established practice, I was in Vienna in mid-January to address the OSCE Permanent Council and outline the priorities and work of our Parliamentary Assembly in the runup to our 2019 Annual Session. I noted that our current environment and the behavior of several participating States clearly demonstrates the need for more sustainability in the OSCE’s work and to provide the OSCE with the resources it needs to do its job. In that regard, I highlighted the PA’s position regarding the need for a reform of the consensus rule and establish modalities that allow for this organization to function. I also stressed that the new Slovak OSCE Chairmanship’s emphasis of co-operation to benefit those we ultimately serve mirrors the Assembly’s focus on delivering effective results. As part of my visit to Vienna, I met with the President of the Austrian National Council and Head of the Delegation of Austria to the OSCE PA Wolfgang Sobotka for talks focused on the crisis in and around Ukraine. I also exchanged with our colleagues in the Austrian delegation on future PA activities, 8 Report of the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly including election observation and participation in OSCE events. In meetings with OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger, OSCE Representative on Media Freedom Harlem Désir and Permanent Representative of Slovakia Radomir Bohac, we discussed ways to further strengthen institutional co-operation and make use of the parliamentary toolbox in support of OSCE commitments and priorities. On 21-22 January I was in Moldova to stress the importance of the upcoming parliamentary elections. My second visit is less than a year, coming just days after a visit by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, also reiterated the importance being paid to developments in Moldova by the OSCE. With public trust in the rule of law and democratic institutions at stake, I called on all my interlocutors to contribute to ensure that these elections meet the high standards expected by Moldovan citizens. This will also be key to enhance public trust in institutions and lay the groundwork for further developments including in the economic sphere. I will return to Chisinau immediately after our Winter Meeting, where I will lead the international community’s observer mission as Special Co-ordinator. February 2019 On 5-8 February I participated in forums in Washington, DC and held a series of meetings to underline the importance of U.S. engagement for European security. I was pleased that these discussions emphasized the continued commitment of colleagues in the United States Congress to contribute to peace and stability across Europe. While in Washington, I had the opportunity to attend the U.S. President’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday night, and exchange with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the margins of the National Prayer Breakfast. As part of my visit I addressed a seminar held on the challenges facing South East Europe and the Russian Federation’s role in the region, chaired by Senator James Inhofe and promoted by Fatmir Mediu (Albania). The event was also attended by 9 Report of the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly several OSCE PA Members from the United States and South East European countries. In discussions with the leadership from the State Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, I also underlined the importance of increasing synergy between international organizations working on conflict resolution and post-conflict rehabilitation. In my home country of Georgia, I met on 11 February with the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Miroslav Lajcak to exchange notes on developments in the OSCE area, including the situation of the occupied territories of Georgia, ahead of his participation in our Winter Meeting. *** In this period, I have also made statements when the PA voice needed to be heard. In response to the holding of “elections” in the so-called “people’s republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine in mid-November, I emphasized the PA’s full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and reiterated a long-standing call for the full implementation of the Minsk agreements by all sides, which remains the best path to a longterm solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Holding any kind of elections without Ukraine’s consent is a clear violation of the country’s sovereignty. I underlined that the ‘elections’ held on 11 November were unlawful and provocative and only served to hinder the implementation of the Minsk agreements. Regarding the seizure of Ukrainian naval vessels and the blocking of traffic into the Kerch Strait by Russia: I stated that this represented an unacceptable escalation of tensions, and urged Moscow and Kyiv to avoid further steps that might have led to a military escalation. These are points I made directly to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov when we met at the Milan Ministerial Council Meeting. Last month I welcomed reports from Azerbaijan that the General Prosecutor’s Office has terminated a criminal case 10 Report of the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly against anti-corruption blogger and chair of the media NGO Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety Mehman Huseynov. I have followed his case closely and regularly raised it in my discussions with parliamentary colleagues and Azerbaijani authorities. *** Throughout this period, I have carried on consultations with Members and the International Secretariat on ways to improve and modernize our work in order to maximize the impact of the PA’s activities. Under the guidance of Vice-President Peter Bowness, many ideas have been put forward, and some of them are already being implemented. We have given more importance to nonstatutory activities by engaging in major debates on terrorism and on migration at our Winter Meeting and by integrating discussions with Central Asian field office Heads during our Autumn Meeting in Bishkek. We have also implemented the time-tabling of agendas to give greater clarity on expectations of our own meetings. Since the Annual Session, our Secretariat has also been working on developing guidelines that complement the current Code of Conduct for Election Observation Missions regarding potential conflicts of interests, and has been reviewing our election observation practices to preserve the overall credibility of this exercise. Those guidelines have been distributed to the Standing Committee for adoption during our Winter Meeting. Let me once again thank Secretary General Roberto Montella and the International Secretariat for their support and express my gratitude for the strong engagement of our Members over the recent months. This has greatly contributed to strengthening our Organization and making it more visible and effective. I look forward to continuing this good work with you as we prepare for our Annual Session in Luxembourg. 11