Special Representative
TO:
OSCE PA BUREAU
THROUGH: OSCE PA SECRETARY GENERAL
MONTHLY REPORT for JANUARY 2023
The work of the of the executive side of the OSCE in January was marked by the official
beginning of North Macedonia’s 2023 Chairmanship-in-Office and PA President Cederfelt’s
address to the Permanent Council, which, per usual practice, takes place in January and
September of each year. Main developments can be summarized in thematic order, as follows:
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The
COVID-19 pandemic
continues to burden the work of the Organization, limiting
the number of physical participants in meetings to 1+1. However, the City of Vienna is
expected to lift the last restrictions soon, allowing for the usual working conditions in
Hofburg.
The
Chairmanship
Team of
North Macedonia
has hit the ground running: the first
week on the helm of the Organization was marked by CiO Osmani’s visit to Kyiv and
the OSCE Mission in Skopje, and by 4 PC meetings (out of which 3 were special: the
opening; on Ukraine; and on Armenia). The inauguration of the CiO was traditionally
attended by the PA Secretary General Montella.
The
Program
of the North Macedonia’s Chairmanship includes numerous priorities
which have in focus the wellbeing of people (“it’s
all about people”),
as the ultimate
recipients of the OSCE services. They perfectly resonate to the positions and priorities
of the PA.
While the CiO will continue to work under “no business as usual” terms and will
continuously address the Russia’s war on aggression against
Ukraine,
one special PC
meeting was held at the request of
Armenia
with Foreign Minister Mirzoyan focusing
on the issue of Lachin Corridor, causing heavy exchanges with the Delegation of
Azerbaijan. The President of the
International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance
(IHRA), Ambassador Ann Bernes (Sweden) spoke in the framework of marking the
International Holocaust Remembrance Day, while the Foreign Minister of Iceland
Gylfadottir appeared in her capacity of the 2023 CoE Chair.
The presentation of PA
President Cederfelt
aroused great interest among participating
States, with 14 respondents at the meeting. Further, the unprecedented number of her
bilateral meetings (with Bosnia&Herzegovina, Serbia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Canada,
Poland, USA, Ukraine, EU, North Macedonia, Turkmenistan and with the Coordinator
on Trafficking of Human Beings) were used for talks on specific topical issues of
importance for the work of the PA (e.g. Ukraine’s participation at the WM).
Particular attention of the participating States was devoted to the confiscation without
prior notification of OSCE
vehicles
by the Russian authorities for the purpose of alleged
“judicial investigation” of the work of the SMM. It should be noted that the OSCE
Secretariat has not been notified of any seizure protocols, nor has any request to access
their assets or information been made to them.
Several
members
of the
SMM
that are still
detained
by the RF contrary to their
functional immunity, remain in focus of the Delegations. Their continuing detention is
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OSCE PA Headquarters
Tordenskjoldsgade 1, 1055 Copenhagen K., Denmark
Website:
www.oscepa.org
Vienna Office
Neutorgasse 12/12-13, 1010 Vienna, Austria
E-Mail:
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