Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (SECO)

On 15 June 2023, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) hosted a web dialogue on “Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2250 and Youth, Peace and Security Agenda: Role of Parliamentarians” organized by Ms. Farah Karimi (the Netherlands), the Special Representative on Youth Engagement. The meeting included remarks by OSCE PA President, Ms. Margareta Cederfelt and a video address by Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth. The meeting also featured presentations by Ms. Gracia-Romeral Ortiz Quintilla, Programme Management Officer on Democracy and Political Participation in the Office of the UN Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth, Ms. Anu Apo, National Coordinator for Youth, Peace and Security at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, and Mr. Marjus Ceveli, President and Co-Founder of Sustainable Cooperation for Peace & Security and member of the United Network of Young Peacebuilders.

Discussions focused on best practices related to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2250, with particular emphasis on the adoption of National Action Plans on Youth, Peace and Security. Following the presentations, several OSCE PA members took the floor during the open debate. Participants spoke about youth engagement in the context of current and emerging global and regional challenges, including the impact of armed conflicts on young people in the OSCE region. The Canadian parliamentarians who participated in the meeting were Senator Rebecca Patterson and Senator Marilou McPhedran.

On 7 June 2023, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) and the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) jointly held a web dialogue on “Countering online violence against women: OSCE Guidelines for monitoring online violence against female journalists.” Ms. Teresa Ribeiro, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media provided opening remarks, which were followed by panel presentations from the Honourable Dr. Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P., head of the Canadian delegation to the OSCE PA and the OSCE PA Special Representative on Gender Issues, and Johan Büser (Sweden), Rapporteur of the OSCE PA Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions on the role of national parliaments in monitoring and combatting online violence against female journalists and politicians. Diana Maynard, Senior Research Fellow, Department of Computer Science at the University of Sheffield, presented the OSCE Guidelines for monitoring online violence against female journalists. Presentations were followed by questions and answers.

Dr. Fry’s presentation focused on good practices in the Parliament of Canada to address violence against women journalists and politicians, including the use of Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) to assess the impact of laws, policies, programs and budget measures on different groups. Ms. Lisa Hepfner, Member of Parliament, also attended the meeting.

This meeting – held in the context of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) Call for Action – Helsinki +50 initiative – focused on challenges to the effective functioning of the OSCE due to Russia’s war in Ukraine. The meeting included interventions by OSCE PA President Margareta Cederfelt; Secretary General Roberto Montella; Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Matteo Mecacci; Allison Hart, Senior Advisor/Chief of Staff to the OSCE Secretary General; and Doug Wake, former US diplomat and senior OSCE official. During the open debate, participants spoke about the need for continued international support for the OSCE to ensure it has the funding necessary to continue its peace and security work.

On 5 April 2023, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) hosted a web dialogue entitled “Dialogue on Future Generations” organized by Ms. Farah Karimi (the Netherlands), OSCE PA Special Representative on Youth Engagement, and Mr. Askar Shakirov (Kazakhstan), OSCE PA Vice-President and Special Representative on Sustainable Development Goals. Opening remarks were delivered by Ms. Karmini and Mr. Shakirov, followed by remarks by Ms. Margareta Cederfelt, OSCE PA President and Ambassador Yoka Brandt, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations. Participants then heard presentations by Mr. Thomas Hale, Professor of Global Public Policy at the University of Oxford, Ms. Cat Zuzarte Tully, Director of the School of International Futures, and Mr. Jacob Ellis, Lead Change Maker in the Office of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales.

During the open debate, several OSCE PA members took the floor to discuss ways to ensure the safety and wellbeing of future generations in the context of current and emerging challenges, and to bring increased political attention to the issues they face. The Canadian parliamentarians who participated in the meeting were Mr. Dave Epp, Member of Parliament (M.P.), Mr. Earl Dreeshen, M.P., Ms. Andréanne Larouche, M.P., and Mr. Philip Lawrence, M.P.

The Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) held a seminar on the issue of gender equality in electoral processes. The Honourable Dr. Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P., head of the Canadian delegation to the OSCE PA and OSCE PA Special Representative on Gender Issues, participated as a panellist. She highlighted some of the obstacles affecting the ability of women to enter, remain and assume leadership positions in politics, such as sexist stereotypes regarding the role of women in society, as well as gender-based violence against politicians. Among other points, she also spoke about the potential role of parliaments in promoting equal access to elected office, including by addressing the legal, social, and financial barriers that women face.

On 19 October 2022, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) held a virtual meeting about the war in Ukraine in the context of its Call for Action – Helsinki +50 initiative. The meeting was moderated by OSCE PA High-Level Expert Lamberto Zannier and included opening remarks by OSCE PA President Margareta Cederfelt. A keynote speech was delivered by Mr. Marco Pedrazzi, Professor of International Law, University of Milan. Mr. Pedrazzi spoke about the so-called referenda orchestrated by Russia in occupied Ukrainian territories in late September 2022 which he said violated international law and norms. A presentation was also made by Mr. Mykyta Poturaiev, Head of the Ukrainian Delegation to the OSCE PA, who stressed the need to counter Russian disinformation and called for additional sanctions on Russian officials.

During the open debate, a number of OSCE PA members, including several Ukrainian parliamentarians, spoke about the need for ongoing international support for the Ukrainian people. Participants also discussed Russian nuclear threats and emphasized the need to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime. The Canadian participants in the meeting were the Honourable Senator Marilou McPhedran and the Honourable Senator Hassan Yussuf.