Margareta Cederfelt and Csaba Kőrösi in New York, 16 September 2022NEW YORK, 21 September 2022 – Attending the 77th regular session of the United Nations General Assembly this week, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden) has held a series of bilateral meetings with UN Permanent Representatives, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi, and other UN officials. The war in Ukraine has featured prominently in these talks, including the need to continue dialogue to support a peaceful solution, as well as other pressing security concerns, including the climate crisis.
In a discussion with President Kőrösi, Cederfelt highlighted the importance of parliamentary participation in the work of international organizations and the possibility for increased co-operation between the OSCE PA and the United Nations. The sides highlighted the constructive role played by parliamentarians across a range of issues, from sustainable development to humanitarian issues to mediation and dialogue. Kőrösi and Cederfelt agreed that enhancing the parliamentary dimension is essential.
Cederfelt met with Tsikhanouskaya on the sidelines of the General Assembly meeting on Tuesday. Talks focused on the ongoing political repression in Belarus, the Russian war in Ukraine and the prospects of a truly democratic and peaceful government representing the Belarusian people.
Cederfelt met last Friday with the Permanent Representative of Ukraine, Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya, expressing her strong dedication to supporting a peaceful resolution to the war in respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ambassador Kyslytsya provided an update on the situation in Ukraine, urging continued engagement from the international community. As energy prices and inflation are rising in Europe, he said, it is essential for Ukraine that OSCE participating States continue to lend their support. Cederfelt expressed the readiness of the PA to facilitate dialogue when possible.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Margareta Cederfelt in New York, 20 September 2022Cederfelt has met with Ulrika Modéer, Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy at the UN Development Programme, for discussions on common areas of concern for the UN and OSCE. As the world’s largest regional security organization, it is essential for the OSCE to work closely with UN structures, it was stressed. She met Tuesday with Åsa Regnér, Deputy Executive Director at UN Women, for talks that focused on advancing gender equality in crucial areas, such as the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, as well as challenges facing women in the OSCE region as a result of the Russian war in Ukraine.
Meetings have also taken place with UN ambassadors from Poland, Moldova, Latvia, Canada, Kazakhstan, the United States, Türkiye, Georgia, Turkmenistan, and the European Union.
In meetings, President Cederfelt expressed gratitude for each country’s engagement in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and discussed bilateral and multilateral issues. How Russia’s war in Ukraine is affecting regional security was a topic of concern, as well as its impacts on economic and energy security. The climate crisis and its relation to security in the OSCE region also featured prominently in conversations, as well as the issue of political prisoners.
Several interlocutors praised the role of the OSCE PA in keeping important issues high on the international agenda.
