OTTAWA, 29 March 2023 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Margareta Cederfelt, accompanied by Deputy Secretary General Gustavo Pallares, has been in Ottawa, Canada, this week on a preparatory visit for the 30th Annual Session, taking place in Vancouver from 30 June to 4 July 2023. Following a series of meetings and engagements in the Canadian capital, President Cederfelt signed a Memorandum of Understanding for hosting the Annual Session with the Honourable George Furey, Speaker of the Senate of Canada; and the Honourable Anthony Rota, Speaker of the House of Commons.

The theme of the Annual Session will be “Strengthening Regional Security by Fostering Democratic and Inclusive Societies: The Role of the OSCE PA.”

“I thank the Parliament of Canada, and all Canadians, for hosting our Annual Session this year,” said President Cederfelt. “Canada has long been a strong supporter of the OSCE and its Parliamentary Assembly, with an active delegation of committed parliamentarians. We look forward to continued co-operation.”

Meetings have been held this week with Dr. Hedy Fry, who serves as Head of the Canadian Delegation and Special Representative on Gender Issues, and Urban Ahlin, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden, who has previously been a Member of the Swedish Delegation to the OSCE PA and Speaker of the Parliament of Sweden.

In meetings, Cederfelt and Pallares have voiced the PA’s appreciation for Canada’s steadfast support for the OSCE, including through Special Representative Fry’s work in mainstreaming gender issues and promoting gender balance within the OSCE, as well as in national parliaments. The sides explored ideas for the general programme of the Annual Session, with a focus on priority issues facing the OSCE region, particularly the Russian Federation’s ongoing war against Ukraine, and the need for strengthening the OSCE to uphold peace and security in these challenging times in the whole OSCE region.

For more information on the 2023 Annual Session, please click here.