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

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) held an online meeting to discuss policy priorities in the Arctic region. The meeting was chaired by Special Representative on Arctic Issues Bryndis Haraldsdottir (Iceland), and representatives of all eight Arctic countries (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States). The Canadian Delegation to the OSCE PA was represented by Honourable Senators Patricia Bovey and Marilou McPhedran, as well as Ms. Yvonne Jones, M.P., and Mr. Bob Zimmer, M.P. Participants emphasized the effects of climate change on inhabitants of the Arctic, including Indigenous peoples, and on the economy of the region. Ms. Jones characterized climate change as one of the most important challenges for communities in the Canadian Arctic. Participants also discussed the possibility of presenting a resolution on Arctic issues at the OSCE PA 2022 Annual Session, reiterating that the Arctic must remain an area of cooperation.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) held a virtual event on the contribution of youth to the rule of law, democracy and human rights within the OSCE. The event was chaired by the OSCE PA Special Representative on Youth Engagement, Ms. Farah Karimi. Panellists spoke about the importance of meaningfully including young people in decision making and policy development. The Canadian Delegation to the OSCE PA was represented by Senator Marilou McPhedran and Mr. Bob Zimmer, M.P. During the event, Senator McPhedran spoke about the importance of enhancing international and intergenerational communication. She also discussed her bill to lower the federal voting age from 18 to 16 (Bill S-201).

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) held a virtual event on the “clean energy revolution”. Parliamentarians from the OSCE region, OSCE officials and members of the scientific community discussed current energy trends, the latest technological developments in energy production and possible implications of the transition from greenhouse gas-emitting energy to renewable and clean energy. They considered policies needed to promote the carbon-neutral and sustainable energy sector and the role of national parliaments and interparliamentary in this regard. The Canadian delegates present included the Honourable Senators Clément Gignac, Stanley Kutcher, Julie Miville-Dechêne and Lucie Moncion, as well as Mr. Ziad Aboultaif, M.P., Ms. Kristina Michaud, M.P., and Ms. Ya’ara Saks, M.P.

The Geneva Center for Security Sector Governance (DCAF), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), and the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) co-hosted a webinar on the gendered dimensions of defence spending. The event was part of a series of webinars organized by DCAF, UN Women and ODIHR to explore emerging gender and security issues. 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, participated as a panelist. Among other points, she spoke about the need for diverse and inclusive parliaments to ensure that gender perspectives are integrated into parliamentary oversight of the defence sector. She also highlighted the role of parliaments in supporting the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), in close collaboration with Dr. Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P. and Special Representative on Gender, held a Web Dialogue on “Violence Against Women Journalists and Politicians: A Growing Crisis”. This special event underlined the negative effect gender-based violence (GBV) on democratic institutions and looked for practical solutions to be implemented in all 57 states of the OSCE. The Web Dialogue also served as the opportunity to officially launch the annual report on Gender Issues which had been tabled virtually at the Annual Session in July 2021. The Canadian delegates present included Dr. Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P., Honourable Senators Gwen Boniface and Tony Loffreda, Mr. John Aldag, Mr. Luc Berthold, Mr. Ken Hardie and Ms. Andréanne Larouche.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) held a virtual event on empowering young political actors in policymaking to address regional and global challenges. The event was part of the OSCE PA’s Call for Action – Helsinki+50 initiative, which aims to revitalize dialogue and the spirit of multilateralism within and beyond the OSCE. The Canadian Delegation to the OSCE PA was represented by Senators Marilou McPhedran and Kim Pate. During the event, Senator McPhedran spoke about the importance of enhancing youth political participation. She shared data on youth political participation in parliaments worldwide and discussed some of the systemic challenges that make it difficult for young people to participate in politics and parliaments.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office of Human Rights (ODIHR) hosted a webinar entitled ‘Gender responsive short-term visa policies: Overview of practices in the OSCE region and recommendations for improvement’. The event was organized to call attention to ODIHR’s policy brief on the topic and to allow for a discussion on best practices and on how to improve gender responsiveness in this area. The Honourable Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P., head of the Canadian Delegation to the OSCE PA and Special Representative on Gender Issues participated as a panelist. She noted that the policy brief contained several Canadian examples and shared more details about Canada’s visa policy, specifically about its temporary resident visas and permits. She also spoke about three Canadian visitor visa initiatives that address gender and about Canada’s commitment to Gender-based Analysis Plus.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA)’s Ad Hoc Committee on Migration met to continue its discussion on the situation facing migrants on Lesbos and other Aegean islands. The group heard from OSCE PA Vice-President Margareta Cederfelt (MP, Sweden), Acting Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, from Mr. Dimitrios Markopoulos (MP, Greece), Member of the Committee and from Ms. Sofia Voultepsi (MP, Greece), Deputy Minister of Migration and Asylum in charge of Integration. The group discussed Covid-19 mitigation measures and roll-out of vaccination programmes for the asylum-seeking population of the Aegean Islands and heard about the status of the Reception and Identification Centres (RICs) The Honourable Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P., head of the Canadian Delegation to the OSCE PA and Special Representative on Gender Issues, participated as a member of the committee. She questioned the panelists about the protections provided to asylum seekers in Greece, particularly in the realm of maternal health, access to education, and pediatric care.