VIENNA, 26 January 2023 – Elected by more than one billion people to pass laws, scrutinize governments, and implement fiscal policies, OSCE parliamentarians have a strong mandate to defend and uphold the European security order, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden) said today at the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna.
“We are elected by the people, we act for the people, and we report back to the people,” she said.
With the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine constituting the most prominent threat to the foundation on which the OSCE was founded, she continued, the PA has concluded that Moscow has violated all principles of the Helsinki Final Act and continues to do so on a daily basis with its ongoing assault.
“There is a great desire within the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to support Ukraine to the best of our ability in this struggle for its independence, sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders, and the dignity of its people,” President Cederfelt said. “Our goal as members of the PA is to speak out against the ongoing war crimes, keep ourselves informed and act as an alarm bell wherever we are.”
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She noted that the PA will continue to put collective pressure to pursue accountability for atrocities committed in Ukraine, and regretted that diplomacy has not been been successful in ending the war. The PA, she said, is active in promoting a return to peace in conformity with international law and the Helsinki principles.
President Cederfelt also informed the ambassadors about the OSCE PA’s upcoming Winter Meeting and its ongoing activities related to the Ukraine war, including the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, which has prioritized building joint responses to the challenges associated with large numbers of refugees fleeing the violence. Last month, committee members visited the Czech Republic, Cederfelt reported, which shelters the largest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita. The committee, in collaboration with the European Commission and the OSCE, is working to identify best practices to ensure that OSCE participating States can most effectively support refugees, she said.
While in Vienna, the President, accompanied by OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella, met with Igor Djundev, the Permanent Representative of North Macedonia, which this year is serving as Chair of the OSCE. She held a number of other bilateral meetings, including with OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Valiant Richey, and the Permanent Representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Estonia, European Union, Poland, Serbia, Sweden, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and the United States.
In discussions, Cederfelt informed ambassadors about the priorities of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and listened to concerns of participating States. She stressed that the PA continues to play an instrumental role as the parliamentary dimension of the OSCE.
“Today, when the Helsinki principles and the European security order are under pressure, our collaboration is more important than ever,” she said.
For President Cederfelt’s full remarks to the OSCE Permanent Council, please click here.
