The Secretary General
Members of the Standing Committee of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Copenhagen, 21 April 2021
Dear Members,
I would like to inform you that the Bureau of the OSCE PA, at its meeting of 19 April, has endorsed
the attached document on
Procedural / Practical Modalities and Timeline for the 2021 OSCE PA
remote Annual Session,
in full compliance with Rule 2 b (bb) of the OSCE PA’s
Provisional Rules
for emergency situations / Online meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Such Rules were
approved by the Standing Committee at its last meeting held on 24 February and entered into force
once the Standing Committee, by silent procedure, declared on April 2
nd
an emergency situation and
officially cancelled the 2021 Annual Session (initially scheduled for 7-11 July in Bucharest).
This comprehensive plan for the remote Annual Session has been meticulously designed to ensure a
framework for as much political debate as possible within the Assembly, with the organization of
meetings of the three General Committees, a meeting of the Standing Committee, and one Plenary
Session in a period comprising from 28 June to 6 July. As you will see two possible scenarios - fully
virtual or hybrid with the presence of the Standing Committee in Vienna - are contemplated for
Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 July
when the Standing Committee and the Plenary meetings will be held.
At its next meeting scheduled for 10 June the Bureau will decide on the final format.
As an integral part of the remote Annual Session, the International Secretariat, after a thorough
process of testing various electronic voting methods and providers, will implement the means to
ensure the proper conduct of the
election of Assembly and General Committee Officers
on 5 and
6 July ensuring a fair and reliable process.
In the meantime, you will be receiving information and a calendar of additional web dialogues and
other Assembly activities in May and June aimed at informing the work of the General Committees
ahead of the remote Annual Session. Please note that the International Secretariat will hold a
briefing
with secretaries and staff of delegations on 4 May 2021,
from 14:00 to 16:00 CET, to go through
the mentioned procedures and modalities in detail and answer any questions and facilitate your work.
In conclusion, I want to thank President Lord Bowness and the Bureau for their leadership, and all of
you all for your support, flexibility and understanding throughout these challenging times, which is
allowing us to carry out our work and serve you to the best of our abilities, despite the obstacles we
are facing. I hope, if the situation allows, to see as many of you as possible in Vienna in July.
Yours sincerely,
Roberto Montella, Secretary General
_________________
Tordenskjoldsgade 1, 1055 Copenhagen K., Denmark
Phone: +45 33 37 80 40 - Fax: +45 33 37 80 30 - [email protected] - www.oscepa.org