BELGRADE, 10 July 2011 – More than 230 parliamentarians from 53 countries today voted to pass the Belgrade Declaration, a political document filled with recommendations for national parliaments and the Organization for Security and Co-operation Europe on economic, security and human rights issues. The vote came on the final day of the 20th Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. “This Belgrade Declaration should remind us all that

Joao Soares speaking at the Assembly's plenary session on 10 July 2011. BELGRADE, 9 July 2011 – Joao Soares (MP, Portugal) today was named Special Representative on South Caucasus, including for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Petros Efthymiou announced the appointment today in the plenary of the 20th Annual Session after consulting with the delegations of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. “Joao Soares has

Voting in the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions. BELGRADE, 8 July 2011 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly human rights committee today voted to call for a greater civil society role within the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, often considered Europe’s top human rights watchdog. The resolution sponsored by Matteo Mecacci of Italy calls on the OSCE to suspend its consensus decision-making

Eric Smaling of the Netherlands greets Rapporteur Serhiy Shevchuk. BELGRADE, 8 July 2011 – Meeting for the first time since the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment today passed a resolution to increase nuclear energy safety and create a global disaster response system. With nuclear energy accounting for 35 per cent of Europe’s electricity, the

Voting in the General Committee on Political Affairs and Security on 8 July 2011. BELGRADE, 8 July 2011 – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe should provide assistance when asked in the fields of democracy and human rights in North Africa, according to a resolution adopted by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Committee on Political Affairs and Security. The measure is now expected to pass before the full Assembly on Sunday.

Committee Rapporteurs Tonino Picula, Serhiy Shevchuk and Matteo Mecacci BELGRADE, 7 July 2011 – Opening the First Committee meeting Thursday, Chair Karl-Georg Wellmann (Germany) presented the agenda for the coming days, which includes consideration of five Supplementary Items and elections for new Committee Officers on Saturday. Former OSCE PA Special Representative on Central Asia Kimmo Kiljunen presented the final report of the Kyrgyzstan