OSCE, Alm.del - 2008-09 - Bilag 59: Minutes of the Standing Committee of the OSCE PA's Annual Session in Vilnius 29 June 2009.

The PRESIDENT welcomed the Standing Committee to Vilnius and thanked the Lithuanianhosts. He reported on his activities since the Committee’s last meeting at the Winter Meetingin Vienna, including his continued meetings with the Chairmanship of the OSCE, visits toBelarus, the Balkans and Central Asia, the Bureau meeting in Lisbon and the EconomicConference in Dublin.The PRESIDENT reminded the Standing Committee that, in accordance with paragraph 5 ofthe present Rule 40 of the Rules of Procedure, where the Assembly’s accounts showed that aMember country had not made its due contribution for a period of nine months. Members ofits delegation would not be allowed to vote until the contribution had been received.Speaker:4.Mr CARDIN (USA)

The President thanked the Treasurer.DECISION:The Standing Committee unanimously approved the Budget for the FinancialYear October 2009 to 30 September 2010.The Budget would be made available to the Assembly in accordance with paragraph 2 of Rule40 of the Rules of Procedure.5.Report by the Secretary General

The President informed the Standing Committee that the deadline for the nomination ofAssembly officers would be at 10 am on Thursday 2ndJuly, and that the elections would beheld on the morning of Friday 3rdJuly between 9 am and 11 am.The Standing Committee ratified the membership of General Committees in accordance withRule 35(2).7.Supplementary Items

The PRESIDENT informed the Standing Committee that 24 Supplementary Items had beensubmitted in accordance with Rule 21.DECISION:The Assembly approved the inclusion of Supplementary Items 1 and 2 on theAgenda.Supplementary Item 3 (DividedEurope Reunited: Promoting Human Rights and CivilLiberties in the OSCE Region in the 21stCentury)Speakers:Mr FEDEROV (Russian Federation), Ms ABRAMIKIENE (Lithuania), MsKARPOVICH (Russian Federation), Mr COMPAGNA (Italy), Mr TSERETELI (Georgia)DECISION:The Standing Committee approved the inclusion of the Supplementary Item onthe Assembly’s agenda.DECISION:The Standing Committee approved the inclusion of the remainingSupplementary Items on the Assembly’s agenda.The PRESIDENT’s proposal for the distribution of Supplementary Items between the GeneralCommittees and the Plenary was agreed as follows:2

Plenary:Strengthening the OSCE;Election Observation.First Committee:AfghanistanSecurity Sector Stabilization and Compliance With UN Black Lists;Small Arms and Light Weapons;A Renewed Discussion on Arms Control ad Disarmament in Europe;Labour Migration in Central Asia;The Role of the OSCE in Strengthening Security in its Region.Second Committee:Energy Security;Tax Havens;Energy Co-Operation;Climate Change;Freedom of Expression on the Internet;Water Management in the OSCE Area;European Union Seal Products Ban;Mediterranean Free Trade.Third Committee:Protecting Unaccompanied Minors and Combating the Phenomenon of Child Begging;Divided Europe Reunited: Promoting Human Rights and Civil Liberties in the OSCE Regionin the 21st Century;The Moratorium of the Death Penalty and Towards Its Abolition;Maternal Mortality;Strengthening OSCE Engagement on Freedom of Opinion and Expression;The Guidelines on Aid and Assistance to Refugees;Co-Operation for the Enforcement of Criminal Sentences;Anti-Semitism.Speaker:Mr BILORUS (Ukraine)

Ms CHRISTMAS-MØLLER (Denmark), Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Rules ofProcedure, presented the Committee’s proposed changes to the Rules of Procedure.A change was proposed to Rule 1, to add a new paragraph at the end of the Rule:“Each national Delegation should have both genders represented.”Speakers:Mr FRANKEN (Netherlands) Ms HABSBURG-DOUGLAS (Sweden).

It was proposed to amend paragraph 2 of Rule 21 as follows:“If more than one supplementary item is presented on the same issue, the Presidentmay askthe principal sponsors of the draft resolutions on the same issue to holdconsultationsin order to present a compromise draft resolution. If such a compromisedraft resolution is received at the Secretariat at leastfourteen daysbefore the openingof the first plenary session with signatures of the principal sponsors and at leasttensignatoriesof each of the two or more draft resolutions in question, it shall bepresented to the Annual Session as a supplementary item and all other draftresolutions on the same issue shall fall. The principal sponsor of the draft resolutionwhich was received first shall be the principal sponsor of the compromise draftresolution. If there is no agreement on a compromise draft resolution, the draftresolution which was received first shall be presented to the Annual Session andothers on the same issue shall fall”.DECISION:The Committee agreed to amend Rule 21 (2).

It was proposed to amend paragraph 1 of Rule 23 as follows:“A compromise amendment may be submitted in writing and signed by at least tenMembers, representing at least three OSCE countries, including at least two principalsponsors of amendments already submitted in accordance with Rule 22 on the sameissue to the same draft resolution. Any compromise amendment shall be submitted nolater than10 a.m. on the day before the Assembly or relevant Committee startsconsideration of amendments”.DECISION:The Committee agreed to amend Rule 23 (1).

Validation of Signatures“The signatures of Members of the Assembly who signed a supplementary item or anamendment are valid provided they register for the Annual Session”.DECISION:The Committee agreed to the proposal to insert a new rule after Rule 23.

It was proposed to insert a new paragraph (3) in Rule 30 as follows:“A Member who has an unavoidable obligation to leave an Annual Session before theday of the election of a President, Vice-President and a Treasurer has the right to voteearlier provided that he or she has notified in writing the Assembly Presidentaccordingly. Early voting shall start only when all candidates have been dulynominated”.4

Speakers:Mr NIEDERBERG (Switzerland), Mr CARDIN (United States), Mr VOISIN(France), Mr LLOYD (United Kingdom); Mr COMPAGNA (Italy), Ms CHRISTMASMØLLER, Mr VOISIN (France)DECISION:The Committee agreed to the proposed change to Rule 30 (3).

It was proposed to amend paragraph 4 of Rule 31 as follows:“In the case of election of officers, voting will take place in accordance with Rule 5above. Three tellers shall be appointed by the Chair.All duly appointed candidates orthose that represent them have the right to monitor voting procedure, the countingof the ballot papers and the tabulation of the votes in all polling places.Only thoseballot papers bearing the names of persons who have been duly nominated ascandidates shall be taken into account for the purpose of calculating the number ofvotes cast. The Chair shall announce the result”.DECISION:The Committee agreed to the changes proposed to Rule 31 (4).

It was proposed to amend paragraph 4 of Rule 36 as follows:“The Vice-Chair of each General Committee shall be responsible for the preparationof a report on the follow-up of the resolutions adopted by the General Committee andthe Parliamentary Assembly.These reports shall be presented by the Vice-Chairs atthe next Annual Session.The President of the Parliamentary Assembly shall assignthe resolutions adopted directly by the Assembly, to an appropriate GeneralCommittee for a follow-up report, after having consulted its Chair”.DECISION:The Committee agreed to amend Rule 36 (4).

A change was proposed to Rule 40, to amend paragraph 2 as follows:“The Treasurer shall circulate the draft annual budget to the Standing Committeeafter it has been discussed by the Bureau but not later than thirty days before theopening of an Annual Session”.Speaker: Mr RUMMO (Estonia)DECISION:The Committee agreed to the proposed change to Rule 40 (2).

Ambassador Marc PERRIN DE BRICHAMBAUT, the Secretary General of the OSCE,addressed the Standing Committee.The PRESIDENT invited the Secretary General to respond to questions from Members of theCommittee.Speakers:Mr GRAFSTEIN (Canada), Mr LLOYD (United Kingdom), Mr DE DONNEA(Belgium), Ms POZUELO (Spain), Mr CARDIN (United States).Ambassador DE BRICHAMBAUT responded to the questions.The PRESIDENT reminded Mr Lloyd of the possibility of raising a matter of urgency underRule 25.10.Reports and Information on the Activities of the OCSE Parliamentary Assembly

Deputy Secretary General SCHØN informed the committee about forthcoming electionobservation missions for the elections in Kyrgyzstan on 23rdJuly and Moldova on 29thJuly.Ms ZAPF (Germany) reported on her work as the Chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group onBelarus.Mr LENNMARKER (Sweden) reported on his work as the Special Representative onNagorno-Karabakh and Special Envoy for Georgia.Mr VOISIN (France) reported on his work as the Special Representative for AfghanistanSpeaker:11.Mr LENNMARKER (Sweden)

Mr LLOYD (United Kingdom) raised a question of urgency relating to the detention oflocally engaged staff of the UK embassy in Iran. A draft Resolution had been circulated andhad gained the required number of signatures.Speakers: Mr GRAFSTEIN (Canada)DECISION:The Committee agreed to put the Question of Urgency on the agenda of theAssembly.Mr FRANKEN (Netherlands) raised the matter of progress on a legal framework for theOSCE.Mr COMPAGNA (Italy) informed the Assembly that it would be invited to hold the AutumnConference 2010 in Palermo, Italy.13.Closeof Meeting