MINUTES

STANDING COMMITTEE

OF THE OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

 

Portoroz

 

Sunday 30 September 2007

 

3:00 p.m.

 

1.         Call to Order

The meeting was opened at 3:05 p.m. with Mr Göran LENNMARKER (Sweden), President of OSCE PA, in the Chair.

 

 2.        Adoption of the Agenda

 

The draft agenda was adopted.

 

 

3.         Remarks by the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly,

Mr Göran Lennmarker (Sweden)

 

The PRESIDENT addressed the Standing Committee.

 

Speaker:  Mr VIZZINI (Italy).

 

4.         Welcoming Remarks by the Head of the Slovenian Delegation to the

OSCE PA

 

The PRESIDENT thanked the Slovenian Delegation for their hospitality and for the arrangements for the meetings.

 

Speaker:  Mr BATTELLI (Slovenia)

 

The President thanked Mr Battelli.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.         Information on the Results of the Conference on “Security through Co-operation in South-Eastern Europe: the Role of Parliamentarians,”and Arrangements for the OSCE PA Forum on the Mediterranean

 

The PRESIDENT gave the floor to Mr Battelli.

 

Speaker: Mr BATTELLI (Slovenia).

 

6.         Report by the Treasurer

 

Mr RAIDEL (Germany) presented the Treasurer’s report to the Standing Committee.

 

 

7.         Report by the Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

 

Mr Spencer OLIVER (Secretary General of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly) presented his report.

 

The Secretary General formally announced that Mr Vitaly EVSEYEV, Deputy Secretary General, would be retiring at the end of the year. He thanked him for all his work for the Parliamentary Assembly. The Secretary General also formally announced that he was appointing Mr Gustavo PALLARES, currently Presidential adviser, to succeed Mr Evseyev.

 

Speakers: Mr GARDETTO (Monaco), Mr SOARES (Portugal) (Vice President of the Assembly), Mr NIINISTO (Finland), Mr KASSYMOV (Kazakhstan), Mrs POZUELO (Spain), Mr LLOYD (United Kingdom), Mr De DONNEA (Belgium), Mr HASTINGS (United States) (President Emeritus).

 

The Secretary General replied.

 

Speaker: Mr KASSYMOV (Kazakhstan).

 

8.         Confirmation of the Appointment of Deputy Secretary General

 

The President asked the Standing Committee, in accordance with Rule 39.1, to confirm the appointment of Mr Gustavo PALLARES as Deputy Secretary General from 1 January 2008 in succession to Mr Vitaly EVSEYEV.

 

It was agreed unanimously.

 

Speakers: Ms Walburga HABSBURG DOUGLAS (Sweden), Secretary General.

 

 

 

9.         Reports on Election Monitoring and Other Activities

 

Mr Martin HØGLUND (Norway) reported on the election monitoring in Kazakhstan.

 

Special Representative on Central Asia

 

Mr Kimmo KILJUNEN (Finland) (Vice President of the Assembly), Special Representative on Central Asia, addressed the Committee.

 

 

Special Representative on the Mediterranean

 

Mr Alcee HASTINGS (United States) (President Emeritus), Special Representative on the Mediterranean, addressed the Committee.

 

 

 

10.       Follow-up on the Kyiv Annual Session with Remarks by the Secretary General, followed by an informal discussion on the work of the three General Committees and consideration of proposals on a common theme for the next Annual Session in Astana, Kazakhstan.

 

The Secretary General reported on the follow-up to the Kyiv Annual Session.

 

 

11.       Briefing by the OSCE Secretary General, Ambassador Marc Perrin de Brichambaut on the proposed OSCE Budget for 2008

 

Mr Perrin de Brichambaut addressed the Committee.

 

Speakers: Mr BLONDAL (Iceland), Mr SOARES (Portugal) (Vice President of the Assembly), Ms Haering (Switzerland) (Vice President of the Assembly), Mr EFTHYMIOU (Greece), President.

 

Mr Perrin de Brichambaut replied.

 

The Secretary General spoke.

 

            Mr Perrin de Brichambaut replied.

 

 

12.       Future Meetings of the OSCE PA

 

 

The PRESIDENT announced that the dates proposed by the Kazakh delegation for the 2008 Annual Session were 29 June to 3 July.

 

The dates were agreed.

 

The PRESIDENT announced further meetings, as follows:

 

-  Meeting of the Bureau on 28 November 2007 in Madrid, Spain (in conjunction with the Ministerial Council Meeting)

 

-  Participation in the Ministerial Council Meeting of the OSCE PA Delegation on 29 and 30 November in Madrid

 

-  Winter Meeting on 21–22 February 2008 in Vienna (meeting of the Standing Committee, joint and individual meetings of the three General Committees)

 

-   Bureau in  April 2008  in Copenhagen (dates to be fixed)

 

-  Fall Meetings 2008 (Standing Committee, Conference and Mediterranean Forum), Toronto, Canada  (18-21 September 2008)

 

 

 

14.       Close of Meeting

 

The PRESIDENT closed the meeting at 5:47 p.m.