OSCEs Parlamentariske Forsamling 2020-21
OSCE Alm.del Bilag 32
Offentligt
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Remote Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
30 June
–
6 July 2021
Report on the Activities of the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Peter Lord Bowness
Dear Members,
Since our last meeting in February, and as it quickly became clear that we would be unable to
hold a fully in-person Annual Session as planned in Bucharest, a great deal of effort has been
devoted to ensuring that our Parliamentary Assembly be given the opportunity to discuss
committee reports and elect a new leadership this July.
While most of us, including myself, will unfortunately find themselves unable to participate
from Vienna in our 2021 Remote Annual Session, I am glad that we have taken the steps
necessary to ensure that you will be able to engage in vigorous debates to advance the work
of the OSCE.
I would like to thank the International Secretariat for the efforts undertaken since the start of
the COVID-19 pandemic to adapt the work of our Assembly to this unprecedented challenge.
In the past 18 months, the wealth of experience gained through the organization of our
Parliamentary Web Dialogues
and Standing Committee, Bureau, and various other online
meetings, including our latest virtual Winter Meeting, means that our Assembly will be able
to fulfil its mission this July despite the complicated circumstances.
I also take this opportunity to thank the Bureau for our important discussions and collegial
work in recent months. These have given the necessary guidance to carry on with our work in
this emergency situation.
I am afraid that, despite some improvements, the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to
impact our calendar of activities until 2022. Indeed, we will also be unable to organize our
Autumn Meeting in person in Dublin. Nevertheless, I am grateful that the Delegations which
had planned on hosting PA meetings unfortunately cancelled by the pandemic will be using
them as a foundation for future conferences once the global health situation allows it. This
already ensures that the OSCE PA will have host venues for its annual and autumn meetings
for the next three years.
Despite all these logistical challenges, I am glad to report that the OSCE PA continues to
provide an important platform for dialogue on key political issues. Our Winter Meeting
allowed our Members to discuss issues such as protracted conflicts, the crisis in and around
Ukraine, building economic and environmental security, and the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on security and democracy. Since then, online meetings hosted by our General
Committees or as part of the
Call for Action
initiative have given ample opportunities to our
Members to hear from experts and exchange on many key areas of activities of the OSCE,
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 OSCE, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 32: Rejserapport fra OSCE PAs årlige sommersession virtuelt og i Wien, Østrig den 30. juni - 6. juli 2021
including gender-based violence, climate change, youth engagement and empowerment,
pollution, public health, and the right to healthcare, or military transparency and confidence-
building measures. These conversations have been useful to share concerns, experiences, and
best practices,
and to inform the work of our Assembly in the preparation of this year’s
Annual Session.
Even though field travel remains complicated, our Ad Hoc Committees have continued to put
the spotlight on issues of concern. The Migration Committee has discussed the plight of
asylum-seekers and migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the challenges facing Greece
through a series of virtual meetings. Our Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism (CCT)
also carried an interesting hearing on the challenge of repatriating, prosecuting, rehabilitating,
and reintegrating foreign terrorist fighters, which examined the experience of Kazakhstan as a
case study for lessons learned and good practices. Both of our Ad Hoc Committees also
reinforced valuable institutional synergies, as the migration committee conducted a series of
web-conferences with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to
address and understand the needs of unaccompanied minors and other vulnerable refugees,
and the CCT held a joint session with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean
(PAM) as part of an international conference on terrorism and violent extremism organized
by the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of
Independent States (IPA CIS).
I would like to thank Members and staff for continuing to actively participate in our election
observation missions, including in Bulgaria, Albania, and Armenia. Immediately after our
Annual Session, we will also deploy two simultaneous missions to Moldova and Bulgaria, as
a clear signal that our Parliamentary Assembly will continue to assist OSCE participating
States in implementing their democratic commitments.
As I underlined during our Winter Meeting, it is the role of the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly to speak out and hold participating States accountable when core OSCE principles
are trampled upon. Although we maintain open and honest communication channels with our
colleagues in the Parliament of Belarus, it is also our collective duty to relay the concerns
expressed by an overwhelming majority of PA Members regarding the clear escalation of
violations of human rights and democratic principles witnessed since the last presidential
election in August 2020, not least the grounding of Ryanair flight 4978 and the subsequent
arrest of opposition activist and journalist Roman Protasevich. It is well within our role to
regularly exchange with as many stakeholders as possible, including with leading opposition
figures, which is why we have also met online on several occasions with Leonid Volkov, a
close aide to jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, to hear about his detention
conditions and discuss political developments ahead of the Russian parliamentary elections.
OSCE parliamentarians have an important role to play in keeping these specific issues, as
well as many others, on the agenda of national governments. This was one of my key
messages in a hearing on the work of the OSCE PA hosted by the European Parliament’s
Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET): while we can certainly raise issues, we need
Ministers and Heads of State to address them to bring about the changes we seek. It is
therefore vital that we carry on reinforcing synergies with our institutional partners and that
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we work together to fully exploit our political role and generate interest in the work of the
OSCE, both in our national parliaments and with our governments.
Finally, when I assumed the duties of President last December, I committed to handing over
the Assembly in good order and without any commitments. For this reason, I have decided to
terminate the appointment of all Special Representatives and Rapporteurs to ensure that my
successor has an opportunity to consider the number of portfolios, the subject of their
mandates, and who should fill these positions without being under any obligation to existing
holders. I have also placed my chair of the Sub-Committee on Rules of Procedure and
Working Practices at the disposal of the new President, to whom I wish every success in
guiding our Assembly for the next year.
As a word of conclusion and considering the challenging environment we have been forced to
deal with for over a year, let me once again underline my appreciation for the work of the
International Secretariat under the leadership of Secretary General Roberto Montella. I would
also like to thank you all for your assistance and for your continued engagement to meet our
common challenges through honest international dialogue and strong multilateral co-
operation.
Yours sincerely
Peter Lord Bowness
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