MINUTES of the STANDING COMMITTEE
OF THE OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL SESSION
Astana
Sunday 29 June 2008
09.00 a.m.
1. Call to Order
The meeting was opened at 9.02 am with Mr Göran LENNMARKER (Sweden), President of OSCE PA, in the Chair.
2. Adoption of the Agenda
DECISION:Â Â The agenda was adopted.
3. Remarks by the President
The PRESIDENT welcomed the Standing Committee to Astana and reported on his activities since the Committee’s last meeting, including contacts with other inter-parliamentary bodies and a meeting with the “quintet†of Chairmen-in-Office.
Mr. TOKAYEV (Head of the Kazakhstan Delegation) welcomed the Standing Committee to Astana.
4. Financial questions, Report of the Treasurer
- Present financial situation and annual contributions
- Approval of the Budget for 2008/2009 Financial Year
Mr Hans RAIDEL (Canada) (Treasurer of OSCE PA) addressed the Standing Committee and, together with the Secretary General, replied to questions
The PRESIDENT reminded the Standing Committee that, in accordance with paragraph 5 of Rule 40 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.Â
DECISION: Â Â Â The Standing Committee unanimously approved the Budget for the financial year October 2008 to 30 September 2009.
The Budget would be made available to the Assembly in accordance with paragraph 2 of Rule 40 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.
6. Reports on the Activities of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Mr Roberto BATTELLI (Slovenia) reported on election monitoring in Serbia.
Mr Joao SOARES (Belgium) reported on election monitoring in Georgia.
Mrs Pia CHRISTMAS-MOELLER (Denmark) reported on election monitoring in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
The President reported on the dialogue that he had initiated on election monitoring with the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.
Mr Alcee HASTINGS (USA) reported on a meeting of an OSCE PA delegation to St Petersburg to discuss election monitoring with the CIS IPA.
Speakers: Â Â Mr LLOYD (United Kingdom), Mr HASTINGS (USA), Secretary General, Mrs LIZIN (Belgium), Mr KANERVA (Finland).
Ms Tina Schoen, Deputy Secretary General of the OSCE PA, reported on future election monitoring missions to Belarus and the United States.
Mrs ZAPF (Germany) reported on the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on Belarus.
Mr HASTINGS (USA) reported on his work as the Special Representative for the
Mediterranean.
Mr BLONDAL (Iceland) reported on his work as Special Representative on the OSCE Budget.
Mr BATTELLI (Slovenia) reported on his work as the Special Representative for South East Europe.
Ms SOLIS (USA) reported on her work as the Special Representative on Migration.
7. Information on the arrangements for the Seventeenth Annual Session in Astana
The President spoke about the arrangements for the Seventeenth Annual Session in Astana.
8. Ratification of the Membership of the General Committees.
The Standing Committee ratified the membership of General Committees in accordance with Rule 35(2).
9.        Supplementary Items
The PRESIDENT informed the Standing Committee that 19 Supplementary Items had been submitted in accordance with Rule 21.
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 KOZLOVSKY (Russia), Mr DARCHIASHVILI (Georgia).
Ayes:Â Â Â 22
Noes:Â Â 3
DECISION:   The Motion to place the supplementary item ‘Expressing Concern over the Security Environment in Georgia’ on the agenda of the Assembly was agreed (Rule 21(1)).
Speakers: Mr KOSLOVSKY (Russia), Mr BILORUS (Ukraine), Mr TOKAYEV (Kazakhstan).
Ayes:Â Â Â 27
Noes:Â Â 2
DECISION: The Motion to place the supplementary item ‘The Holodomor of 1932-33 in Ukraine’ on the agenda of the Assembly was agreed (Rule 21(1)).
The PRESIDENT’s proposal for the distribution of Supplementary Items between the General Committees and the Plenary was agreed as follows:
PLENARY
Transparency and Further OSCE Reform: Reinforcement of Parliamentary Participation in the Organization
FIRST COMMITTEE
Expressing Concern over the Security Environment in Georgia
Afghanistan
Cyber Security
The Ban of Cluster Munitions in Participating States of the OSCE Area
SECOND COMMITTEE
A Mediterranean Free Trade Area
Expanding Trade between North America and Europe
Water Management in the OSCE Area
Encouraging Transparence in the Extractive Industries
Illicit Air Transport of Small Arms and Light Weapons and their Ammunition
Chernobyl
Urging Adoption of Paris Club Commitment regarding Vulture Funds
THIRD COMMITTEE
Combating Sexual Exploitation of Children
Violence against Women
Recognizing the Economic, Civic, and Social Contributions of Migrants
The Holodomor of 1932-33 in Ukraine,
Strengthening Efforts to Combat all forms of Trafficking in Human Beings and Addressing the Special Needs of Child Victims
Combating Anti-Semitism, especially its Manifestations in the Media and in Academia
Observation Missions
10. Future Meetings
The President announced the dates of the next Fall Meeting, Winter Meeting and Annual Session.
Speakers: Mr DI NINO (Canada), Mrs LIZIN (Belgium), Mr DOMARKUS (Lithuania).
Mr CALLELY (Ireland), on behalf of the Irish Parliament, invited the Assembly to hold its Economic Conference in May 2009 in Dublin.
Mr EFTHYMIOU (Greece), on behalf of the Greek parliament, invited the Assembly to hold its fall meeting in October 2009 in Athens.
11. Other Business
The President informed the Standing Committee that Mr Blum, Rapporteur of the Second Committee, was unable to come to Astana because of ill health. Mr Stéphane DEMILLY, also of the French delegation, would substitute for him. On behalf of the Assembly the President wished Mr Blum a speedy recovery.
12. Close of meeting
The President closed the meeting at 11.38 a.m.