President Riccardo and Head of Turkey’s OSCE PA Delegation Emin Onen on the Turkish-Syrian border in November.COPENHAGEN, 31 January 2013 – The theme of the OSCE PA Winter Meeting’s Special Debate, to be held on the afternoon of 22 February, is "How OSCE countries should respond to crises in Syria, the Sahel and North Africa." The theme takes into account strong parliamentary interest in the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria, as well as more recent situations unfolding in Mali, Algeria, and Egypt.

The debate follows up on a number of 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). During the visit, Migliori praised Turkey’s leadership in answering the humanitarian call in response to violence in Syria.

Coinciding with that visit, the OSCE PA released a report entitled Humanitarian Crisis in Syria: A Special Report on the Impact of Syrian Refugees in Turkey and the OSCE Region, which offered 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 Zannier. Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE Leonid Kozhara has also been invited.

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, are expected to address relevant meetings of the General Committees.

The meetings 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.