Winter Meetings
The sixth annual Winter Meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly took place in Vienna on 22-23 February 2007. The Meeting was attended by over 250 parliamentarians from 53 OSCE participating States, as well as partner countries. Main speakers at the Winter Meeting included Goran Lennmarker, PA President; Josep Borrell, Special Envoy of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office; Barbara Prammer, President of the Austrian Parliament; and OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut. Borrell talked of the growing importance of the Parliamentary Assembly and stressed that it provided "inspiration and ideas as well as parliamentary support to the work of the OSCE."
The important task of election observation was discussed at length during the meetings. Members stressed that this is a key area of work for the OSCE, and the leading role played by the Parliamentary Assembly remains absolutely necessary. The parliamentarians also heard presentations of the Rapporteurs of the three General Committees on political affairs and security; economic affairs, science, technology and environment; and democracy, human rights and humanitarian questions, and discussed their draft reports being prepared for the Annual Session to be held in July 2007.
From 23-24 February 2006, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly held its fifth annual Winter Meeting in Vienna. Attended by over 200 parliamentarians from across the OSCE region and from partner States, the Winter Meeting consisted of two joint sessions of the Assembly's three General Committees, as well as separate meetings of the Committees, and a special debate.
OSCE PA President Alcee L. Hastings opened the Winter Meeting at the first joint session, which was addressed by , and by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht.
Following the first joint session, the three General Committees met individually to follow-up on previous work, and to prepare for the Assembly's July 2006 Brussels Session. The Committees were addressed by OSCE officials with responsibilities related to the work of each of the three Committees, and heard reports by the Rapporteurs of each Committee, who informed Members about their ideas and intentions for their upcoming reports.
More than 200 parliamentarians met from 24-25 February 2005 in the OSCE premises in Vienna for the fourth Annual OSCE PA Winter Meeting. The Winter Meeting consisted of two Joint Sessions as well as separate meetings of the three General Committees. On the first day, parliamentarians heard welcoming remarks by OSCE PA President Alcee L. Hastings, followed by addresses by the President of the Republic of Austria, Dr. Heinz Fischer and the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, who took questions from the floor.
On 19 and 20 February 2004, more than 250 parliamentarians from 50 OSCE participating States met in the OSCE premises in Vienna to discuss current international developments and to be briefed by senior representatives of the OSCE Governmental side. The Winter Meeting was also attended by OSCE diplomats and officials from Europe, North America and Central Asia, as well as observers from partner states in North Africa and Asia.
The second annual Winter Meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly was held in Vienna on 20-21 February 2003. The Meeting was attended by some 250 parliamentarians as well as many OSCE diplomats and officials from around Europe, North America and Central Asia, and observers from North Africa and Asia.
The parliamentarians were addressed by the President of Austria, Dr. Thomas Klestil, as well as the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Dutch Foreign Minister Jaap De Hoop Scheffer. Addressing the gathered parliamentarians, Minister Scheffer stressed that "Your wisdom and insight are needed on many levels. If there is nothing that can replace experience, there is certainly nothing that can replace parliamentary experience. In many OSCE regions a reinforcement of democratic structures and institutions is urgently needed. That is something that cannot be achieved through government alone. It requires parliamentary action as well."
On 21 and 22 February 2002, more than 230 parliamentarians from 50 OSCE participating States met in the OSCE premises in Vienna to discuss current international developments and to be briefed by senior representatives of the OSCE Governmental side. The Winter Meeting also served as an opportunity for parliamentarians to hear presentations by the three General Committee Rapporteurs, Mr. Theo van den Doel, Mrs. Barbara Haering and Mr. Svend Robinson and to discuss their draft reports on the role of the OSCE in the fight against terrorism, which is the theme of the upcoming OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Annual Session in July.