The Secretary General
Copenhagen, 21 July 2021
Dear Members of the Parliamentary Assembly,
Dear Friends,
As we approach a well-deserved summer break after an intense year, which was profoundly marked
by the COVID-19 pandemic impacting both our professional and private lives, I wish to express
my deepest gratitude to you for your continued engagement in the OSCE PA, for your belief in
multilateralism and parliamentarism, and for your unwavering support to the International
Secretariat. It is, as always, a privilege and honour to work to support you.
I also wish to thank you for your participation
–
which was the highest participation in a statutory
meeting - in the 2021 Remote Session. The term
“remote” does not
necessarily do justice to the
hard work that went into putting together the session, particularly as it regards the many challenges
stemming from hosting an event in hybrid format with both in-person and online presence, as well
as holding elections through a newly implemented electronic voting system. In this regard, I am
glad that the Remote Session was a success and that we could deliver on what was of utmost
priority: holding a statutory meeting, creating space for political debate, and facilitating the election
of Assembly Officers. The hybrid format was a
first
for the OSCE PA and whilst there is room for
improvement, I am incredibly proud of my team for their outstanding job on the Remote Session.
On this note, I would like to pay special words of gratitude to Deputy Secretary General Gustavo
Pallares, who oversaw to the entire process of the Remote Session, together with Odile Lelarge and
Dana Bjerregaard, as well as to Stephen Paul and Anzhelika Ivanischcheva, the main ITC drivers
of the OSCE PA digital transition, together with Alessia De Rosa. I also extend my heartfelt thank
you to all
–
and I stress all
–
colleagues in the Secretariat for having each contributed in putting
together the many pieces of a new and challenging puzzle.
Last week, I welcomed newly elected OSCE PA President Margareta Cederfelt to our Headquarters
in Copenhagen - we discussed a wide range of issues, including upcoming activities. We both look
forward to a gradual return to normality allowing us to meet in person free of restrictions.
Unfortunately, this will not possible for our Autumn Meeting, which was originally planned to be
held in Dublin; we are however working on alternatives, which I will inform you of in due time.
Now time has come for all of us to take a break, and return to work in September, as I always say,
“fired up”, with passion, commitment, dedication and team-spirit,
which are trademarks of the
Secretariat. I wish you all a restful and enjoyable summer.
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