ParlAmericas Delegation Attended the 30th Annual Session of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly
Today marked the close of the 30th Annual Session of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), which began on June 30 and took place in Vancouver, Canada, under the theme “Strengthening Regional Security by Fostering Democratic and Inclusive Societies.”
ParlAmericas was represented by a delegation of Board members Senator Verónica Noemí Camino Farjat (Mexico), President of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network for Gender Equality, Senator Germán Blanco (Colombia), and the Honourable Claudius Francis (Saint Lucia), Speaker of the House of Assembly, and by its International Secretariat through Alisha Todd, ParlAmericas Director General.
The delegation’s attendance at the Annual Session of the OSCE PA was instrumental in strengthening high-level collaborations between ParlAmericas and inter-parliamentary organizations. During its visit, the ParlAmericas delegation held bilateral meetings with delegates from Canada and the United States, and with OSCE PA member parliamentarians, outgoing President Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden); Secretary General Roberto Montella; and Deputy Secretary General Gustavo Pallares. In addition, the delegation had the opportunity to greet Member of Parliament Pia Kauma (Finland), incoming President of the Assembly.
The 30th Annual Session of the OSCE PA convened more than 225 parliamentarians from 50 countries across North America, Europe, and Central Asia, who adopted the Vancouver Declaration after several days of work in committees. The Declaration addresses a wide range of themes, including artificial intelligence; energy security; migration; economic security and post-COVID recovery; good governance and anti-corruption strategies; plastic pollution; and civil society participation in parliamentary decision-making processes. It also makes specific reference to the Russia–Ukraine conflict and stresses that any peaceful resolution must follow international laws and protocols, the Helsinki Final Act principles, and the Charter of Paris.
