Special Representative
To:
PA President
and
PA Secretary General
PC Brief Weeks 37/38, 2016
During these two weeks, no regular PC was scheduled, due to the Human Dimension Im-
plementation Meeting in Warsaw and a special meeting of the Human Dimension Committee.
However, there was the opening of the Portuguese Chairmanship of the Forum for Security
and Co-operation (FSC) and another FSC meeting. There were also meetings of the Prepar-
atory Committee (PrepCom), the Advisory Committee on Management and Finance (ACMF),
the Security Committee, Economic and Environmental Committee, the Informal Working
Group on Migration and a two-day Representative on Freedom of the Media Conference, as
well as another “hour with the Secretary General”. Marc Carillet and I spent two days in Bela-
rus on the Election Observation Mission, and Francesco Pagani spent five days on the Elec-
tion Observation Mission to Russia.
The FSC took a decision on enabling the Publication of Information Exchanges in the Field of
Small Arms and Light Weapons, Conventional Arms Transfers and Anti-Personnel Mines.
The ODIHR has requested additional funds for three election observation missions (former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Uzbekistan). Another attempt to agree on the
spending failed because of Russian objections. Russia wants ODIHR to squeeze the re-
quired 946 200 Euros from ODIHR unspent money for 2016, which according to the ODIHR
is impossible. This might have a direct impact on at least the next Election Observation Mis-
sion, which is the one to Moldova.
There is still no decision on the successor for Dunja Mijatovic (Freedom of the Media), whose
term has been extended beyond the regular limit of her mandate, or Astrid Thors (High
Commissioner on National Minorities), a post that is vacant. After the second hearing, the
opinion of the participating States on the four candidates for the latter post is still not known.
It might well be that the choice will be determined by aspects like geographical representa-
tion and gender balance.
Also next week will be impacted on by the Human Dimension Meeting in Warsaw. In ex-
change, there will be the annual Mediterranean Conference and an Extended Ambassadorial
Retreat right after the PA Autumn Session in Skopje.
I had a first meeting with the Head of the Task force of the incoming Austrian Chairmanship,
Amb. Florian Raunig, and another one with the Ambassador of Israel, Talya Lador-Fresher.
Andreas Nothelle
Ambassador
September 23, 2016