Vladimir Kara-Murza addresses OSCE PA Winter Meeting, 21 Feb. 2025VIENNA, 21 February 2025 – Chaired by OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pia Kauma (Finland), today’s joint session of the PA’s three general committees featured an address by special guest Vladimir Kara-Murza and a general debate on “Priority Challenges to European Security.”
Some 70 parliamentarians took part in the general debate, highlighting several ongoing challenges to security and calling for a renewed commitment to OSCE commitments and values. With renewed diplomacy currently underway to end the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine, parliamentarians emphasized that there must be a fair and lasting peace which includes accountability for war crimes.
A number of Members also stressed the importance of engaging Ukraine in any talks regarding their future, and the need for continued and increased solidarity within Europe in support of Ukraine. Other topics that featured prominently in the debate were counter-terrorism, conflict prevention, and the need for protecting civilian lives in the Israel-Hamas war.
In his remarks, Kara-Murza shared his experiences as a political prisoner in Russia and thanked the OSCE PA and the broader international community for continually pressing for his release. He noted the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act and recalled that for decades the OSCE has been defined by its promise to create “a space for peace, security, and democracy from Vancouver to Vladivostok.”
“Today, that promise seems farther than ever,” Kara-Murza observed, referring to Vladimir Putin’s regime in Russia. “Where there is no democracy, there will be neither security nor peace.”
His speech highlighted the plight of political prisoners in Russia, noting that the fastest growing category are those who have protested the war in Ukraine. Kara-Murza stressed that any ceasefire deal in the Ukraine war must provide for the release of all its captives, including POWs, Ukrainian civilian hostages, abducted Ukrainian children, and Russian political prisoners jailed for their antiwar position.
Daniela De Ridder reports to the Assembly in Vienna, 21 Feb. 2025Today’s joint session also included reports by the chairs of the PA’s ad hoc committees. Daniela De Ridder (Germany), Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, reported that her committee is focusing largely on the situation of Syrian refugees and policies of return. It also continues to monitor the situation of Ukrainian refugees throughout the OSCE region, noting that there are now over 6.8 million Ukrainian refugees globally, 6.3 million of whom in Europe.
De Ridder pointed out that last year, her committee carried out three field visits, including to Italy, Türkiye, and Morocco. These activities have enabled committee members to learn about how these countries are dealing with the challenges of irregular migration, she said, and how they are fighting trafficking in human beings. The treatment of vulnerable migrants and the effectiveness of agreements with third countries were also topics of discussion.
Kamil Aydin (Türkiye), Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism, reported on his committee’s activities and noted that it continues to investigate the challenges stemming from the misuse of new technologies for malicious and terrorist purposes, paying particular attention to its impacts on youth. He emphasized the challenges of extremist groups exploiting online disinformation to incite violence and stressed the importance of always being alert of new developments and ready to promote policy convergence on complex counter-terrorism issues.
President Kauma, as Chair of the OSCE PA Parliamentary Support Team for Ukraine, reported on the PSTU’s activities, including its recent visit to Kyiv. Noting that it was the first multilateral organization to hold a meeting in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion, Kauma stressed that it was a useful opportunity to identify priority issues for OSCE PA engagement, in particular by promoting Ukraine’s resilience.
PSTU Vice-Chair Mykyta Poturaiev (Ukraine) also shared his perspective, arguing that it is essential to hold Russia accountable for its actions for the sake of justice and to prevent future acts of aggression.
Video of the Winter Meeting is available at YouTube and the OSCE PA’s Facebook page. Photos are available for public use at Flickr.
The full programme is available here.
