Members begin arriving in Istanbul

ISTANBUL, 28 June 2013 – The stage is set at Istanbul's Lutfi Kirdar International Convention and Exhibition Center and parliamentarians and staff are starting to arrive for the 22nd Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

More than 260 parliamentarians from across the OSCE's 57 countries are expected to participate in the meeting, debating security and human rights policies from 29 June through 3 July.

Secretaries of delegation will receive a tour of the conference center and receive a briefing from organizers this afternoon.

The Assembly's Rules Committee will meet tonight at 19:30 to consider proposed amendments to the Assembly's Rules of Procedure.

Delegates from Europe, Asia and North America will conclude their meeting by electing officers and adopting a declaration expected to cover:

• Protection of fundamental freedoms, including freedom online,
• The negative consequences of economic austerity measures,
• The need for releasing political prisoners in the OSCE region,
• Creation of binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions, and
• Improvements in military transparency and ratification of the UN Arms Trade Treaty.

The Annual Session, including committee debates and votes, are open to the press and public. Further information, committee reports and resolutions are available here.