Special Representative
To:
PA President
and
PA Secretary General
PC Brief Weeks 39/40, 2016
During these two weeks, again no regular meeting of the Permanent Council (PC) was
scheduled, due to the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) in Warsaw and the
Annual OSCE Mediterranean Conference in Vienna. However, there were two extraordinary
meetings of the PC, two meetings of the Forum for Security and Co-operation (FSC) as well
as meetings of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom), the Advisory Committee on Man-
agement and Finance (ACMF) – including a retreat -, the Economic and Environmen-
tal Committee and other informal meetings. In addition, there was the 5th CFE Review Con-
ference and a Security Day on “Revitalising Military Confidence-Building, Risk Reduction and
Arms Control
in Europe”. Francesco, Marc and I spent several days in Skopje for the PA Au-
tumn Meeting and a short pre-electoral visit to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
The PC extended
the Deployment of OSCE Observers to Two Russian Checkpoints on the
Russian-Ukrainian
Border (PC.DD/25/16 of 7 September 2016) and decided that the Human
Dimension Seminar will take place in Warsaw from 21 to 23 November 2016 and will be de-
voted to the topic “Promoting effective and integral justice systems: how to ensure the inde-
pendence and quality of the judiciary”. It also permitted the ODIHR to use unspent funds for
the Election Observation Missions in the
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova
and Uzbekistan. In his report, Secretary General Zannier reported on his fruitful participation
in Skopje and the good spirit of cooperation that emanated from his meetings there. He also
presented the draft Unified Budget proposal for 2017 (144,5 Million Euros), which will be dis-
cussed in the coming weeks. Following a Ukrainian letter referring to a Verkhovna Rada
Resolution calling for participating States and international organizations not to accept the
newly elected Russian State Duma, Ukraine called on the PA not to accept “illegally elected”
Russian Duma members.
During the reinforced ambassadorial retreat, ambassadors and representatives from the cap-
itals discussed possible “deliverables” for the Hamburg Ministerial Council in December. De-
spite the little likelihood of consensus, the Chairmanship wants to make another endeavour
to get consensus on a political declaration and a text on Ukraine.
The highlight of the ministerial part of the Mediterranean Conference was a debate with the
Foreign Minister of the UN backed Libyan Unity Government and UN Special Representative
Martin Kobler. Kobler reiterated the call he had made already earlier this year at the retreat in
Madrid (I reported) for the PA to organize a “Youth Parliament” in the form of a mock parlia-
ment in order to provide young future decision-makers, in a particular from Libya, with a prac-
tical example of parliamentary work.
Andreas Nothelle
Ambassador
October 10, 2016