COPENHAGEN, 31 January 2020 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will hold its 19th Winter Meeting at the Hofburg Congress Centre in Vienna on 20-21 February 2020. Nearly 300 parliamentarians are foreseen to attend, as well as high-level representatives of governments, international organizations and the OSCE.

The opening session will feature keynote addresses by the President of the Austrian National Council Wolfgang Sobotka, as well as OSCE PA President George Tsereteli, the OSCE Albanian Chairmanship, and the OSCE Secretary General.

The three OSCE PA general committees will hear from relevant experts including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Heads of OSCE Institutions, and government representatives of OSCE countries. Members will discuss issues such as how to efficiently leverage the tools and mechanisms of the OSCE to resolve protracted conflicts; the security implications of climate change; and multilateral human rights co-operation.

The closing joint session of the three general committees will include a special debate on combatting anti-Semitism, discrimination and intolerance in the OSCE region. The session will also feature reports by leaders of recent election observation missions to Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, followed by discussions.

Registration is open for members of the media interested in covering the meeting. The registration form can be found online here.

Joint Session of the General Committees
20 February 2020, 12:00 – 13:15
Hofburg Congress Centre, Vienna, Neuer Saal, 2nd floor

Address by the President of the Austrian National Council, Mr. Wolfgang Sobotka
Address by the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Mr. George Tsereteli
Address by the Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, Mr. Etjen Xhafaj
Address by the Secretary General of the OSCE, Ambassador Thomas Greminger
Question & Answer Session

General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions
20 February 2019, 15:15-18:00
Hofburg Congress Centre, Vienna, Neuer Saal, 2nd floor

Opening remarks by Mr. Kyriakos Hadjiyianni (Cyprus), Chairperson of the Committee
Presentation by Ms. Kari Henriksen (Norway), OSCE PA Vice-President, Rapporteur of the Committee, on her ideas and intentions regarding her report for the 29th Annual Session in Vancouver (3-7 July 2020)
Presentation by Ambassador Ivo Šrámek, Chairperson of the Human Dimension Committee of the OSCE Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the OSCE

Special Debate on Multilateralism in action: International Human Rights Co-operation
Keynote address by Dr. Michelle Bachelet Jeria, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Presentation by Ms. Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)
Presentation by Mr. Harlem Désir, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media

General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment
20 February 2019, 15:15-18:00
Hofburg Congress Centre, Vienna, Ratsaal, 5th floor

Opening Remarks by Mr. Artur Gerasymov, Vice-Chairperson of the Committee
Presentation by Ms. Elona Hoxha, Rapporteur of the Committee, on her ideas and intentions regarding her report for the 29th Annual Session in Vancouver (3 - 7 July 2020)
Presentation by Amb. Sherzod Asadov, Chairperson of the Economic and Environmental Committee, Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan to the OSCE
Presentation by Amb. Vuk Žugić, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities

Special Debate on “The Security Implications of Climate Change and the Role of Parliamentarians”
Introduction by Ms. Torill Eidsheim, PA Special Representative on Arctic Issues
Presentation by Mr. Lukas Rüttinger, Senior Project Manager, Adelphi
Presentation by Mr. Pascal Allizard, Vice President of the OSCE PA, on the Belt & Road Initiative: Challenges and Opportunities

General Committee on Political Affairs and Security
21 February 2019, 09:00-11:45
Hofburg Congress Centre, Vienna, Neuer Saal, 2nd floor

Opening Remarks by Mr. Costel Neculai Dunava (Romania), Vice-Chairperson of the Committee
Presentation by Mr. Laurynas Kasciunas (Lithuania), Rapporteur of the Committee, on his ideas and intentions regarding his report for the 29th Annual Session in Vancouver (3-7 July 2020)
Presentation by Ambassador Neil Bush, Chairperson of the Security Committee of the OSCE Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the OSCE
Presentation by Ambassador Rauf Engin Soysal, Chairperson of the Forum for Security Co-operation and Permanent Representative of Turkey to the OSCE
Presentation by Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM)

Special Debate: “Resolving ‘Protracted Conflicts’: The Tools and Mechanisms of the OSCE”
Introduction by Ambassador Tuula Yrjölä, Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre

Joint Session of the General Committees
21 February 2019, 13:30-16:30
Hofburg Congress Centre, Vienna, Neuer Saal, 2nd floor

Report by the Special Representative on Gender Issues, Dr. Hedy Fry
General Debate on Combatting Anti-Semitism, discrimination and intolerance in the OSCE Region
Reports on Election Observation Activities
Closure by the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

More information about the Winter Meeting is available here. Follow the meeting on social media with the hashtag #OSCEPA.