PA prepares for election observation missions this fall
COPENHAGEN, 23 August 2010 – The International Secretariat of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has started to plan for a busy fall of election observations missions to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kyrgyzstan, the United States and Azerbaijan.
To lead the OSCE short-term observers to these elections and to deliver the post-election statement on behalf of the OSCE, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Kazakhstan’s Secretary of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kanat Saudabayev, has appointed four members of the Assembly as OSCE Special Co-ordinators.
They are: Roberto Battelli to Bosnia and Herzegovina 3 October; Kimmo Kiljunen to Kyrgyzstan 10 October; Joao Soares to the U.S. 2 November, and Wolfgang Grossruck to Azerbaijan 7 November.
The four, all experienced election observers, will also serve as heads of the delegations from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. Mr. Battelli (Slovenia) is the PA´s Treasurer and Special Representative on South East Europe; Mr. Kiljunen (Finland) is the PA’s Special Representative for Central Asia; Mr. Soares (Portugal) is the Assembly’s President Emeritus, and Mr. Grossruck (Austria) is a PA Vice President.
Members of the Assembly should indicate their interest in participating in one or several missions by contacting the International Secretariat in Copenhagen and completing relevant registrations forms as soon as possible.
PA Special Representative Kiljunen organizing international investigation into recent violence in Kyrgyzstan
“I am answering the call for an independent, international inquiry into tragic events in southern Kyrgyzstan,” Mr. Kiljunen said. “In leading this International Independent Commission for Inquiry, I hope to gather all relevant parties in a joint effort intensifying this important task and its contribution to the reconciliation process in the country,” added Mr. Kiljunen, who has been asked by Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbaeva to lead the investigation. Mr. Kiljunen has been in Kyrgyzstan for the past week meeting with senior officials of the provisional government in Bishkek, including the deputy foreign minister. In a letter sent to the UN Secretary General on 21 July, the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic requested support for the International Independent Commission. New OSCE PA President in Almaty stresses contribution by ParliamentariansCOPENHAGEN, 19 July 2010 --The newly elected President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Petros Efthymou (Greece), underlined the importance of the contribution that OSCE Parliamentarians can play in crisis situations, such as in Kyrgyzstan now, in an address to the OSCE Informal Foreign Ministers meeting in Almaty over the weekend. "The Corfu Process was an excellent start to bringing relevance back to the OSCE through dialogue. It is very important that focus has rightly moved toward strengthening the Organization's capacity for early reaction to evolving crisis situations," President Efthymiou said. The Corfu Process is an OSCE-anchored dialogue on the future of the European security that was launched at the OSCE's first informal ministerial meeting on Corfu last June. "There is no doubt that the OSCE has accomplished a lot over the years. Yet, we all know there is even more to be done if we wish to make the most of our true capacity. I believe that is the time for major restructuring, time for re-engineering,” Mr. Efthymiou said, and continued: | OSCE PA Annual Session ends with adoption of Oslo Declaration and election of new President
Mr. Efthymiou, who was a Vice-President in the Assembly, defeated Senator Consiglio Di Nino (Canada) by 130 votes to 64. The new President succeeds Joao Soares (Portugal) who has served as President for two one-year terms. In his address to the Assembly upon being elected, Mr. Efthymiou laid out two key priorities of his presidency: one, increasing the effectiveness of the PA’s work, “with a balanced approach to our agenda and a policy of equality towards all participating members,” and two, ensuring “a stronger role for the PA itself, with the enhancement of its position, both within the OSCE and in relation to our governments and other international organizations.”
Resolution on PA involvement in the Corfu Process approved
Noting however that there is an “an urgent need for improvement and reform with regard to the observed democratic deficit” in the OSCE, as well as to transparency and accountability, the resolution proposes “extending the role of the Parliamentary Assembly and strengthening co-operation between the Parliamentary Assembly and the OSCE and its executive structures.” The resolution highlights the importance of a parliamentary dimension in the on-going dialogue on security issues and welcomes the expanded mandate of the OSCE PA’s Committee on Transparency and Accountability, which is tasked with strengthening parliamentary involvement in the Corfu Process.
|
Welcome to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
The Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE is the parliamentary dimension of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, whose 56 participating States span the geographical area from Vancouver to Vladivostok. more
Oslo Annual Session
Events
| ||
Audio / Video
| ||
