Security forces, border co-operation, media freedom also on the agenda in Vienna

COPENHAGEN, 13 February 2013 – More than 240 parliamentarians from 50 countries will gather in Vienna for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Winter Meeting 21-22 February.

In a special debate on 22 February the parliamentarians will examine how OSCE countries should respond to crises in Syria, the Sahel and North Africa. The debate follows up on OSCE PA initiatives regarding the crisis in Syria, including a visit to Turkey and to the Turkish-Syrian border in November by PA President Riccardo Migliori (Italy).

The OSCE PA has just released a newly revised report entitled Humanitarian Crisis in Syria: A Special Report on the Impact of Syrian Refugees in the OSCE Region, which offers recommendations for parliaments and governments to co-ordinate refugee policies to address the humanitarian crisis spreading from the violence in Syria.

The Winter Meeting Special Debate also follows the adoption of a resolution by the OSCE PA’s Standing Committee in October condemning an armed attack from Syria carried out on civilians in the Turkish town of Akcakale.

In addition to the Special Debate, the Winter Meeting will include addresses by the President of the Austrian Parliament, Barbara Prammer, OSCE PA President Riccardo Migliori (Italy), OSCE PA Special Representative on Gender Issues Hedy Fry (Canada), and OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier. The Special Envoy of the Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, Viacheslav Yatsiuk, will also be addressing the meeting.

Heads of OSCE Institutions, including the High Commissioner on National Minorities, the Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, will address relevant meetings of the General Committees. The U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Market Access and Compliance, Michael C. Camuñez, is speaking to the Second Committee in a keynote address on Good Governance as an OSCE Imperative.

The meetings will take place 21-22 February 2013 at the Hofburg Congress Centre in Vienna.

The Winter Meeting is the primary venue for the Assembly’s Members and three General Committees to receive high-level briefings from OSCE officials and discuss draft reports for the upcoming Annual Session. Since 2003, it has also included a special debate on a timely topical issue.

Parliamentary interest in the event has steadily increased since it was first held in 2002, making the Winter Meeting the second largest event on the OSCE PA calendar.