MINUTES OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY FOURTEENTH ANNUAL SESSION Washington Friday 1 July 2004 09.30 am 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was opened at 9.30  am with Mr Alcee HASTINGS (USA), President of OSCE PA, in the Chair. 2. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA DECISION: The agenda was adopted. 3. REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT The  PRESIDENT  welcomed  the  Standing  Committee  to  Washington  and  reported  on  his activities since the Committee’s last meeting. 4. FINANCIAL QUESTIONS, REPORT OF THE TREASURER - Present financial situation and annual contributions - Approval of the Budget for 2005/2006 Financial Year Mr Jerry GRAFSTEIN (Canada) (Treasurer of OSCE PA) addressed the Standing Committee and, together with the Secretary General, replied to questions Speakers: Ms ALBAYRAK (Netherlands), Mr VOISIN (France), Mr SAFAROV (Azerbaijan) The PRESIDENT reminded the Standing Committee that, in accordance with paragraph 5 of Rule 39 of the Rules of Procedure, where the Assembly’s accounts showed that a Member country had not made its due contribution for a period of nine months, Members of its delegation would not be allowed to vote until the contribution had been received.   DECISION: The Standing Committee unanimously approved the Budget for the financial year October 2005 to 30 September 2006

2 The Budget would be made available to the Assembly in accordance with paragraph 2 of Rule 39 of the Rules of Procedure. 5. REPORT BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL. Mr SPENCER OLIVER (Secretary General of the OSCE PA) presented his report to the Standing Committee and replied to questions. Speakers:  Mr  GABASHVILI  (Georgia),  Mr  SOARES  (Portugal),  Mr  GEORGE  (United Kingdom), Mr GRAFSTEIN (Canada), Mr ABDILDIN (Kazakhstan), Mr KILJUNEN (Finland). 6. REPORT OF THE RULES SUB-COMMITTEE ON PROPOSED CHANGES   IN THE RULES Mr De CREM (Belgium) reported from the rules sub-committee. The sub-committee decided that they would make no recommendation to change the rules of procedure at this time.   However, a comprehensive review of the existing rules of procedure, to include the proposals of Mr. Kessler, would be undertaken with the aim of bringing forward recommendations, where appropriate, to the Standing Committee at the next Annual Winter Meeting in Vienna. Speakers: Ms HAERING (Switzerland), Ms ALBAYRAK (Netherlands), Mr KESSLER (Italy), Mr KAMMENOS (Greece), Mr KILJUNEN (Finland), Mr PACINI (Italy), Mr De CREM (Belgium), The PRESIDENT. Mr KESSLER (Italy) asked for a postponement of item 7 on the agenda to a later meeting of the Standing Committee. The PRESIDENT, using his powers under Rule 23 (1), declined to accept a motion to postpone consideration of item 7. 7. RENEWAL OF THE TERM OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL AND APPROVAL OF THE APPOINTMENT OF THE DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL. The PRESIDENT said that, since the rules sub-committee had made no recommendation for a change in Rule 38 at this time, the procedure for renewing the term of the Secretary General would follow the existing practice set out in Rule 38. The PRESIDENT moved a motion that the Standing Committee renew the appointment of Mr Spencer OLIVER as Secretary-General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in accordance with Rule 38. Speakers:  Mr  KANERVA  (Finland),  Mr  PACINI  (Italy),  Mr  YALÇINTA    (Turkey),  Ms ALBAYRAK (Netherlands), Mr HOYER (USA), Mr ABDILDIN (Kazakhstan), Mr LLOYD (United Kingdom), Mr KESSLER (Italy). The motion to renew the appointment of Mr Spencer OLIVER as Secretary-General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly was put to the vote. Ayes:     32 Noes:      8

3 DECISION: the Standing Committee renewed the appointment of Mr Spencer OLIVER as Secretary-General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly for a further five years at the end of his present term. Speaker: Mr Spencer OLIVER Mr  Spencer  OLIVER,  Secretary-General  of  the  OSCE  Parliamentary  Assembly,  asked  the Standing Committee to confirm the appointment of Ms Tina Schøn as Deputy Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. DECISION: The Standing Committee confirmed the appointment of Ms Tina Schøn a s Deputy Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly by consensus less one, only one objection to the appointment having been made. 8. REPORT ON THE SUB-REGIONAL CONFERENCE HELD FROM 12-14 MAY IN TROMSØ Mr HERNAES (Norway) reported on the outcome of the conference. 9. INFORMATION ON THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FOURTEENTH ANNUAL SESSION IN WASHINGTON. Mr SMITH (Head of the US Delegation) welcomed the Standing Committee to Washington. Speaker: Mrs SLISKA (Russian Federation). 10. INFORMATION ON THE MEETING OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE, CONFERENCE  AND MEDITERRANEAN FORUM TO BE HELD FROM 7-9 OCTOBER 2005 IN SVETI STEFAN, MONTENEGRO, SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO. Mr KRIVOKAPIC (Serbia and Montenegro) informed the Standing Committee about the arrangements for the Meeting of the Standing Committee, Conference and Mediterranean Forum to be held from 7-9 October 2005 in Montenegro. 11. REPORTS  ON  THE  ACTIVITIES  OF  THE  AD  HOC  COMMITTEES  AND SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVES. Mr SMITH (USA) reported on his work as the Special Representative on Human Trafficking Issues. Mr OSTASH (Ukraine) reported on the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on Belarus. Speaker: Mr ORDA (Belarus). Mr KILJUNEN (Finland) reported on the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on Moldova.

4 Mr LENNMARKER (Sweden) reported on his work as the Special Representative for Nagorno- Karabakh. 12. SUPPLEMENTARY ITEMS The  PRESIDENT  informed  the  Standing  Committee  that  17  Supplementary  Items  had  been submitted in accordance with Rule 20. The PRESIDENT asked for the Standing Committee to approve by a two thirds majority the inclusion of the Supplementary Items on the Assembly’s agenda. Speakers: Mr SAFAROV (Azerbaijan), Mr HOVANNISYAN (Armenia). The PRESIDENT put the Motion to place the Supplementary Item on ‘Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict’ on the agenda of the assembly to a vote by show of hands. DECISION: The Motion to place the supplementary item ‘Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno- Karabakh Conflict’ on the agenda of the Assembly was defeated (Rule 20 (1)). The PRESIDENT’s proposal for the distribution of Supplementary Items between the General Committees and the Plenary was agreed as follows: PLENARY Improving the Gender Equality in the OSCE Combating Anti-Semitism [on 4 July] FIRST COMMITTEE Terrorism by Suicide Bombers The situation in Abkhazia, Georgia Terrorism and Human Rights Moldova SECOND COMMITTEE Small Arms and Light Weapons Maritime Security and Piracy The OSCE Mediterranean Dimension Money Laundering

5 Fight against Corruption THIRD COMMITTEE Combating Involvement in Trafficking in Human Beings and Sexual Exploitation and abuse by International Peacekeeping Forces The need to strengthen the Code of Conduct for OSCE Mission Members Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Improving the effectiveness of the OSCE Election Observation activities Funding for the Office for ODIHR 13. RATIFICATION OF THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE GENERAL COMMITTEES. The Standing Committee ratified the membership of General Committees in accordance with Rule 34(2). 14. REPORT ON ELECTION OBSERVATION IN KYRGYZSTAN AND MOLDOVA. Mr KILJUNEN (Finland) reported on Election Monitoring in Kyrgyzstan and Moldova. Speakers: Ms BURJANADZE (Georgia), Mr HOYER (USA), Mr GRAFSTEIN (Canada), Mr KILJUNEN (Finland). 15. FUTURE MEETINGS. The PRESIDENT announced the dates of the future meetings of the Standing Committee and   Conference on Multi-Ethnic societies, and of the Bureau. Mr OSTASH (Ukraine), on behalf of the Ukraine Parliament, invited the Assembly to hold its 16^th Annual Session in Kiev in July 2007. 16. OTHER BUSINESS Mr KANERVA (Finland), drew members attention to a photograhic exhibition celebrating the 30^th anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki Final Act. 17. CLOSE OF MEETING The President closed the meeting at 12.35 pm