Ilkka Kanerva speaking at the OSCE PA's Annual Session in Tbilisi, 1 July 2016.COPENHAGEN, 9 September 2016 – To continue developing the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s potential in addressing aspects of the conflict cycle, including early warning, prevention and dialogue facilitation, PA President Christine Muttonen (MP, Austria) has appointed President Emeritus Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) as the Assembly’s first Special Representative on Mediation.

Kanerva’s mandate includes acting as the primary point of contact within the PA on mediation and the conflict cycle, as well as coordinating the PA’s efforts and activities aimed at strengthening the PA’s preparedness for mediation and dialogue facilitation.

“I welcome this opportunity to continue to develop the Parliamentary Assembly’s role in mediation and dialogue facilitation efforts,” said Kanerva upon his appointment. “As direct representatives of the people, parliamentarians have a unique role to play in these efforts, and can actively assist in addressing all stages of the conflict cycle – from early warning, to conflict prevention and resolution, to reconciliation.”

The appointment, issued in a letter to Kanerva on Wednesday, follows a number of recommendations that were agreed to by the Assembly at the Tbilisi Annual Session in July. In its Tbilisi Declaration, the Assembly underlined the “importance of mediation and dialogue facilitation in the peaceful settlement of disputes” and welcomed “the strengthening of the role of the OSCE PA in that regard.”

Kanerva’s additional responsibilities as Special Representative include:

• Presenting concrete initiatives and activities as a follow-up to the OSCE PA Resolution on the Development of Mediation Capacity in the OSCE area adopted in Baku in 2014;
• Following developments in the international security situation, with a special emphasis on protracted and emerging conflicts;
• Liaising with the OSCE, its independent Institutions and field operations on all issues pertinent to the conflict cycle;
• Increasing the contribution of parliamentarians to mediation activities conducted by the OSCE with a special emphasis on strengthening the ties between the PA and the governmental side of the organization.

He is also tasked with interacting with other international organizations dealing with mediation issues and promoting the role of parliamentary diplomacy in conflict prevention and resolution. As part of his mandate, Kanerva will report to the Assembly President on all activities and present a report to the Assembly and its Standing Committee as needed.

Kanerva, whose two terms as Assembly President came to a close at the Annual Session in Tbilisi, previously served as Finnish Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. In Finland, he has also served as Minister of Transport, Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, and Chair of the Parliamentary Defence Committee.

Within the PA, he has served as Head of the Finnish Delegation, Vice-President of the Assembly, and as Co-Chair of the OSCE PA’s Helsinki +40 Project. During the OSCE PA’s Annual Session in Tbilisi, Kanerva and Finnish Ambassador to the OSCE Katja Pehrman co-hosted a mediation event in which participants focused on parliamentary contributions to conflict resolution and prevention.