COPENHAGEN, 11 February 2019 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will hold its 18th Winter Meeting at the Hofburg Congress Centre in Vienna on 21-22 February 2019, featuring speeches by President of the Austrian National Council Wolfgang Sobotka, OSCE PA President George Tsereteli, OSCE Chair-in-Office and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia Miroslav Lajčák, OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger, and others.

The OSCE PA’s general committees will meet to hear from government representatives of OSCE countries and discuss matters related to political and security affairs, economics and the environment, and human rights and humanitarian questions. Members will hold debates on issues such as restrictions on human rights during emergencies; fighting corruption, money laundering and the financing of terrorism; and how to best leverage the tools and mechanisms of the OSCE to resolve protracted conflicts.

The closing joint session of the general committees will feature reports by OSCE PA Special Representatives and the Chairs of OSCE PA Ad Committees on Migration and Countering Terrorism. Leaders of recent election observation missions to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, the United States and Armenia will present reports, followed by discussions.

For the full programme of the two-day Winter Meeting, please see below.

Joint Session of the General Committees
21 February 2019, 12:00-13:15
Hofburg Congress Centre, Vienna, Neuer Saal, 2nd floor

Call to Order by the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Address by the President of the Austrian National Council, Mr. Wolfgang Sobotka
Address by the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Mr. George Tsereteli
Address by the Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia, Mr. Miroslav Lajčák
Address by the Secretary General of the OSCE, Ambassador Thomas Greminger
Question & Answer Session

General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions
21 February 2019, 15:15-18:00
Hofburg Congress Centre, Vienna, Neuer Saal, 2nd floor

Opening remarks by Ms. Margareta Kiener Nellen (Switzerland), Chair of the Committee
Presentation by Mr. Kyriakos Hadjiyianni (Cyprus), Rapporteur of the Committee, on his ideas and intentions regarding his report for the 28th Annual Session in Luxembourg
Presentation by Ambassador Ivo Šrámek, Chairperson of the Human Dimension Committee of the OSCE Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the OSCE
Presentation by Ms. Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)

Special Debate: “The Scope of Legitimate Restrictions on Human Rights in Times of Emergency”

• Introductory remarks by Mr. Harlem Désir, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media

General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment
21 February 2019, 15:15-18:00
Hofburg Congress Centre, Vienna, Ratsaal, 5th floor

Opening Remarks by Ms. Nilza de Sena (Portugal), Chair of the Committee
Presentation by Ms. Elona Hoxha (Albania), Rapporteur of the Committee, on her ideas and intentions regarding her report for the 28th Annual Session in Luxembourg
Presentation by Ambassador Kairat Sarybay, Chair of the OSCE Economic and Environmental Committee – Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the OSCE
Presentation by Mr. Vytautas Bakas, Member of the Lithuanian delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Presentation by Ambassador Vuk Žugić, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities

Special Debate: “Good governance in the area of fighting corruption, money laundering and the financing of terrorism in the OSCE region”

• Introduction by Ambassador Vuk Žugić, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities

General Committee on Political Affairs and Security
22 February 2019, 09:00-11:45
Hofburg Congress Centre, Vienna, Neuer Saal, 2nd floor

Opening Remarks by Mr. Filippo Lombardi (Switzerland), Chair of the Committee
Presentation by Mr. Alan Farrell (Ireland), Rapporteur of the Committee, on his ideas and intentions regarding his report for the 28th Annual Session in Luxembourg
Presentation by the Chairperson of the Security Committee of the OSCE Permanent Council (TBC)
Presentation by Ambassador Claude Wild, Chairperson of the Forum for Security Co-operation and Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the OSCE
Presentation by Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM)

Special Debate: “Resolving Protracted Conflicts: The Tools and Mechanisms of the OSCE”

• Introduction by the leadership of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, Charles Lonsdale CPC’s Deputy Director for Policy Support Service and Paul Picard, CPC’s Deputy Director for Operations Service

Joint Session of the General Committees
22 February 2019, 13:30-16:30
Hofburg Congress Centre, Vienna, Neuer Saal, 2nd floor

Call to Order by the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Report by the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, Ms. Nahima Lanjri (Belgium)
Report by the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism, Mr. Makis Voridis (Greece)
Reports by OSCE PA Special Representatives and leaders of Election Observation Missions
Address by the OSCE Special Representative on Combating Corruption
Open General Debate

More information about the Winter Meeting is available here. Follow the meeting on social media with the hashtag #OSCEPA.