OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

📢Reports from our Special Representatives available on our website! 💠 Pascal Allizard (Special Representative for #Mediterranean Affairs): Focused on monitoring developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its consequences, advocating for the implementation of the two-state solution, and promoting respect for international humanitarian law. He also discussed upcoming engagements with partner countries to address these issues. 💠 Farah Karimi (Special Representative on Central Asia): Highlighted her efforts on regional co-operation, climate change and water scarcity. She also emphasized the importance of gender equality, youth participation in public life, and parliamentary diplomacy to address these challenges in #CentralAsia. 💠 Gudrun Kugler (Special Representative on #DemographicChange and Security): Focused on the impact of demographic shifts on security and stability across the OSCE region. Her report calls for urgent policy responses to declining birth rates and aging populations. 🗣️ Side Event: Kugler hosted a side event at the Winter Meeting, featuring experts Nicholas Gailey and Vladimir Gjorchev, discussing demographic trends and solutions to these pressing issues. “This is a wake-up call,” Kugler stated. “Demographic change is a life-altering reality which demands awareness and commitment on a broad societal level, a cultural shift in attitudes towards having children, and strategic political action.” Read the full reports on our website: https://lnkd.in/eCfgW-gN

✨ That’s a wrap on the OSCE PA’s 24th Winter Meeting! ✨ Last week in Vienna, our three General Committees tackled key political, economic, and human rights issues, while our ad hoc committees on migration and countering terrorism met to discuss pressing challenges. 📌 Discussions covered: 🔹 Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine 🔹 The impact of climate change and AI on security and migration 🔹 The erosion of democracy and fundamental freedoms 🔹 Counterterrorism efforts and the fight against online disinformation The OSCE PA Ad Hoc Committee on Migration met Thursday and focused on the impact of the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on Syrian refugees in the OSCE region. The Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism met on Friday to discuss its activities and priority issues. 🎤 Engaging debates, expert insights, and strong parliamentary action defined this year's Winter Meeting, reinforcing the OSCE PA’s commitment to dialogue and multilateralism. 🔗 Watch the sessions on our YouTube & Facebook 📖 Read more on www.oscepa.org 📷 More photos on https://lnkd.in/e3gPFF73

📍 VIENNA, 20 February 2025 – More than 240 parliamentarians from across the OSCE region have gathered for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 24th Winter Meeting. With the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act approaching, leaders emphasized the need for concerted action to address pressing security challenges. In her opening remarks, OSCE PA President Pia Kauma underlined that peace cannot come at the expense of justice, stressing the importance of upholding self-determination, territorial integrity, and the broader security architecture. @Austrian National Council President Walter Rosenkranz highlighted the role of ombudsman institutions in defending the rule of law, while OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu called on states to recommit to the principles of the Helsinki Decalogue. 🔎 Discussions covered a wide range of topics, including the war in Ukraine, cybersecurity risks, migration challenges, and the impact of artificial intelligence on security. The meeting continues with side events and committee sessions, leading up to a debate on Priority Challenges to European Security on Friday. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ejvrCdKS

📍 In the lead-up to the OSCE PA Winter Meeting in Vienna, OSCE PA representatives engaged in key discussions this week: 🔹 Special Representative on Central Asia Farah Karimi met with OSCE officials and the Permanent Representatives of Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan, emphasizing strong co-operation with Central Asian states. 🔹 The OSCE PA Network of Young Parliamentarians, chaired by David Stögmüller, met today in Vienna to discuss youth and security, migration trends, and engagement with the OSCE. 🔹 Special Representative on Gender Issues Hon. Hedy Fry visited Bratislava to meet with NGOs working on gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights, exchanging insights and strategies for progress. #OSCE #CentralAsia #Youth #GenderEquality #OSCEPA

📢 Ahead of the OSCEPA Winter Meeting in Vienna, the Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s economic and environmental committee, Azay Guliyev met with OSCE counterparts to discuss key areas of co-operation, including #ClimateChange, #AI, #EnergySecurity & #Migration. 🌍🤝 Discussions with representatives of Finland’s OSCE Chairpersonship, including Edith Vakkilainen, and Amb. Bakyt Dzhusupov focused on shared priorities, including the impact of AI on security, economic development, and follow-up to #COP29. The OSCE PA remains committed to strengthening dialogue and action in the economic & environmental dimension. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/e5cxq9sE

This week, an OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation, including members of the Bureau and the Parliamentary Support Team for Ukraine, visited Kyiv to reaffirm the Assembly’s full support for 🇺🇦 Ukraine’s sovereignty, democracy, and resilience. Led by President Pia Kauma, the 22-member delegation met with Ukraine’s leadership, including Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal, and Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa. 🤝 As a powerful symbol of solidarity, the OSCE PA held a Bureau meeting in the Verkhovna Rada – the first multilateral organization to convene in Kyiv since the full-scale invasion began. 🔍 Topics discussed included: 🔹Human rights and the situation of political prisoners and civilians 🔹Accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity 🔹Reintegration of war veterans and the return of displaced children 🔹Media freedom and countering Russian propaganda President Kauma emphasized: “Any negotiations about Ukraine must include Ukraine at the table.” The visit concluded with meetings with civil society representatives and the families of detained OSCE staff. President Kauma will present her report on this important visit at the OSCE PA’s Winter Meeting in Vienna on 20-21 February. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eanbVnwC

A large OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation is currently in #Kyiv, meeting with Ukrainian leaders to discuss how the OSCE can address the challenges posed by the Russian Federation’s war of aggression. 🤝The delegation, led by President Pia Kauma and including members of the Bureau and the Parliamentary Support Team for #Ukraine, has already met with Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk and members of Ukraine’s Delegation to the PA. 📢Yesterday, the delegation held a Bureau meeting in the Verkhovna Rada, where discussions focused on human rights, prisoners of war, and political prisoners, including testimonies from former captives. The delegation also participated in a ceremony honoring National Guard servicemen and parliamentarians who lost their lives for Ukraine and visited sites in Kyiv and Irpin to learn more about war crimes and the destruction of critical infrastructure. Today, more meetings are scheduled with Ukrainian government officials and civil society representatives as the delegation continues to gather insights on how to best support Ukraine’s sovereignty, democracy, and resilience. Stay tuned for further updates! ✨

Yesterday, President Pia Kauma addressed the "Conference on Addressing #AntiSemitism in the OSCE Region", organized by Permanent Mission of Finland to the OSCE. She stressed the role of parliamentarians in strengthening legal frameworks to counter discrimination, promoting education, and fostering interfaith dialogue.

This week, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Secretary General Roberto Montella was in Washington, D.C., where he engaged in high-level discussions on OSCE PA–U.S. co-operation, regional challenges, and future activities. During his visit, he participated in the National Prayer Breakfast, the Interparliamentary Security Forum, and held productive bilateral meetings with members of the U.S. delegation, including: Rep. Joe Wilson, Rep. Richard Hudson, Rep. Marc Veasey, Rep. Steve Cohen, Sen. Roger Wicker, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rep. Robert Aderholt.

This week, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pia Kauma traveled to Ankara in preparation for the upcoming 2025 OSCE PA Autumn Meeting in Istanbul. During her visit, President Kauma held productive discussions with high-level Turkish officials, including: 🤝 Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Numan Kurtulmuş 🤝 Vice-President Cevdet Yılmaz 🤝 Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee Fuat Oktay 🤝 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Levent Gümrükçü 🤝 Members of the Turkish Delegation to the OSCE PA The talks focused on Türkiye’s role in regional security, developments in Ukraine, the South Caucasus, and the Middle East, as well as its humanitarian leadership in hosting over 3 million Syrian refugees. President Kauma praised Türkiye’s strong engagement in the OSCE PA and its leadership in counterterrorism efforts. She emphasized the need for continued co-operation to tackle shared security challenges and ensure broad participation in the Mediterranean Forum at the Autumn Meeting. 🗓️ The 2025 OSCE PA Autumn Meeting will provide a key platform for dialogue, focusing on regional security, migration, and strengthening partnerships with Mediterranean countries. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eEHS-_Sa