Report

From May 14 to May 16, 2010, Senator Consiglio Di Nino took part in the 2010 Trans-Asian Parliamentary Forum, organized jointly by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) and the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Over 100 parliamentarians from 35 OSCE participating States and Mediterranean partner countries, as well as parliamentarians from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Qatar, participated in the Forum during which the high points were

two special sessions with lively discussions on Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Parliamentary representatives from the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Turkic-speaking countries (Turk-PA) also participated.

The agenda of the forum included pressing issues on regional security, including Afghanistan and terrorism, economic concerns such as trade and the environment, and the human dimension – religious tolerance, freedom of the

media, human trafficking, and gender equality. The following report is mainly based on the “Report on the Second Trans-Asian Parliamentary Forum”, as published by the OSCE PA.

Inaugural Session

Welcoming participants to the Trans-Asian Parliamentary Forum on 14 May, President Joao Soares warmly thanked the Parliament of Kazakhstan

for hosting the conference. In particular, he applauded the work conducted by Vice-President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and welcomed the opportunity to hold important debates on Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. Mr. Soares reminded Members of the work that the Assembly had conducted in working to

address the difficult situation in Kyrgyzstan following April 2010’s unrest. The President noted that the OSCE PA had always been a strong supporter of the Kazakh Chairmanship of the OSCE and applauded the personal work of the

Secretary of State and Foreign Minister, Kanat Saudabayev. In this regard, he expressed his full support for the efforts of the Kazakh Chairmanship to organize an OSCE summit meeting this year. President Soares referred to a number of the diffi culties facing the region, including challenges to the rule of law, press freedom and political pluralism, and welcomed the openness of the Kazakh authorities in facilitating a visit by a senior OSCE PA Member to imprisoned

human rights activist Yevgeny Zhovtis.

Foreign Minister Saudabayev welcomed the opportunity to address the conference, noting that the high participation indicates a keen interest in the topics of discussion. He took the opportunity to reiterate a number of the priorities

of the Kazakh OSCE Chairmanship, and highlighted in particular the work to facilitate a timely adoption of the OSCE budget and efforts aimed at resolving protracted conflicts.

Mr. Tokayev, who serves as Chairman of the Kazakh Senate and as Vice-President of the OSCE PA, noted that this was his third time welcoming

the Assembly to Kazakhstan, following the first Trans-Asian Parliamentary Forum in 2003 and the 2008 Annual Session in Astana. He expressed his appreciation to the Chairmanship for its efforts in enhancing relations with the OSCE PA. Pointing to the unrest in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, Mr. Tokayev stressed the importance of trans-regional co-operation for stability and argued that holding an OSCE summit meeting would be worthwhile in this regard.

Mr. Muhamejanov, Chairman of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, noted the importance of Kazakhstan being chosen to host this forum where participants would debate and help define some of the most important issues on the international agenda. He stressed that the Eurasian dimension was critical to the OSCE and said that Kazakhstan served as a natural bridge between the Asian and European areas.

The OSCE Secretary General, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, welcomed the holding of the Trans-Asian Parliamentary Forum, noting that it confirmed the unique role of the Parliamentary Assembly in raising and debating new issues. He stressed that while the OSCE region is diverse, all countries are united around the same vision of an indivisible security. There are numerous shared challenges, just as there are dividing lines, he said. Mr. Perrin de Brichambaut referred to the bold ambitions of the Kazakh Chairmanship, noting that holding a summit meeting would be the natural fulfilment of this ambitious agenda.

SESSION I: Regional security - Afghanistan, combating terrorism, drug trafficking, disarmament

Calling the meeting to order, Senator Di Nino, Chair of the OSCE PA’s First General Committee, introduced the topic, and reminded participants of previous work by the Assembly regarding Afghanistan, including the adoption of several resolutions on the topic. His full remarks can be found at the end of this report.

Keynote speakers for this session included Mirwais Yasini, First Deputy President of the Wolesi Jirga (House of Representatives) of the National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; Abdullah Abdullah, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, OSCE Secretary General; Michel Voisin, OSCE PA Special

Representative on Afghanistan; and Dulat Bakishev, Executive Director

of the Secretariat of the Conference on Interaction and Confi dence Building

Measures in Asia (CICA).

In the ensuing debate, Members were reminded of the real human losses that regularly take place in Afghanistan. Participants stressed that greater effort must be made to work closely with the Afghan people, and to strengthen the political, and particularly, the parliamentary and electoral systems. Several participants stressed that there is no real military solution to the conflict. There was also a great deal of discussion regarding how to overcome the challenges presented by the drug trade in Afghanistan. Overall, participants urged greater commonality in the work being conducted by the international community in Afghanistan.

SESSION II: Eurasia - Emerging Markets and Growing Challenges

As moderator for this session, OSCE PA Vice-President Petros Efthymiou stressed that the economies of Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, have experienced growth in recent years, although such positive tendencies are still heavily overshadowed by the economic hardships felt by most citizens due to the current crisis. Economic recovery and longer-term prosperity will only be possible following economic reform on a variety of levels.

Keynote speakers included Zhanar Aitzhanova, Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Kazakhstan; Muratbek Imanaliyev, Secretary General of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization; Ambassador Norbert Jousten, Head of the European Union Delegation to Kazakhstan; and Murat Musatayev, Deputy Secretary General of the Eurasian Economic Community.

During the general debate that followed the keynote presentations, Members addressed a variety of topics, including the effects of the economic crisis in Central Asia, the role of Parliaments in finding means to improve co-operation among nations in the fields of environmental protection, and the importance to Afghanistan of continuous economic development. Mr. Efthymiou concluded by recalling that security throughout Eurasia is ultimately linked to economic prosperity and environmental stability. He expressed his gratitude for the generosity of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

SESSION III: The Human Dimension

The moderator of the third session, OSCE PA Vice-President Pia Christmas-Moeller, welcomed participants on 15 May and introduced the topics of religious tolerance, political development, trafficking in human beings, labour migration, and gender equality.

Keynote speakers included Ambassador Miroslav Jenca, Special Representative

of the UN Secretary General and Head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive

Diplomacy for Central Asia; Askar Shakirov, Commissioner on Human Rights in the Republic of Kazakhstan; Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings; and Kathleen Ferrier, OSCE PA Special Representative on Migration.

A range of political views were expressed in the debate, with some Parliamentarians noting the need for a greater human rights focus in migration management, especially when discrimination issues arise. Some commented on

the positive contribution made by migrants in the OSCE area, while others expressed concern over the demographic changes in Europe. Parliamentarians also called for strengthening democratic institutions in the OSCE area. The issue of independence of the judiciary in Kazakhstan and the OSCE more widely

was raised as were issues of managing migration flows, easing the regulation of remittances, non-discrimination, gender-sensitive labour migration, and the role of legislators in regional co-operation and conflict prevention.

SPECIAL SESSION: The Crisis in Kyrgyzstan: Implications for Parliamentary Democracy

Welcoming participants to the special session on Kyrgyzstan, OSCE PA President Joao Soares described the active engagement that the Assembly had undertaken since the unrest in Kyrgyzstan, and highlighted the importance of

this opportunity to further consider the ongoing difficulties in the country.

Reports and/or comments were presented by Zhanibek Karibzhanov, Special Envoy of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office to Kyrgyzstan; Adil Akhmetov, OSCE PA Special Envoy to Kyrgyzstan; Zhanysh Rustenbekov, Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan

to Kazakhstan; Kimmo Kiljunen, Vice-President of the Assembly and OSCE PA Special Representative for Central Asia; Pia Christmas-Moeller, Vice-President of the OSCE PA; Goran Lennmarker, OSCE PA President Emeritus; and Senator Di Nino, Head of the Election Observation Mission in Kyrgyzstan in 2009, who

noted that democracy is not a linear process and that nonetheless, differing opinions must be heard for democracy to function. Senator Di Nino urged continued support by the OSCE to Kyrgyzstan, noting that the comprehensive security approach of the Organization means it is well placed to provide effective help.

In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed some of the challenges that Kyrgyzstan now faces, including signifi cant security and political vacuums. Members stressed that efforts must now be dedicated to averting a civil war,

and considered various efforts through which the OSCE PA could continue effective work in Kyrgyzstan. Some participants urged more effective communication with the actual population of Kyrgyzstan, and it was also stressed

that we should not discourage an active political scene with multiple parties in the country.

On May 14, delegates attended a dinner hosted by the Presidents of the Senate and the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan and on May 15, they attended a reception hosted by the Mayor of Almaty, Mr. Akhmetzhan Yessimov. On May 16, delegates were offered a visit to the Akbulak Mountain, located 40 km east of Almaty in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains. The full “Report on the Second Trans-Asian Parliamentary Forum” is available in English at www.oscepa.org

Respectfully submitted,

The Honourable Consiglio Di Nino, Senator
Director
Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA)