OSCE Chairman-in-Office to address Parliamentary Assembly Winter Session in Vienna

VIENNA, 15 February 2002 - The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) will hold its Winter Session in Vienna, on Thursday 21 and 22 February 2002, in the OSCE premises in the Hofburg Congress Centre (Heldenplatz). This is the first such Winter Session which will provide the Parliamentarians with an additional opportunity to be briefed by senior OSCE representatives of the Governmental dimension, followed by question/answer sessions. The Winter Session will also deal with preparations for the next Annual Session to be held in Berlin from 6 to 10 July, which is expected to focus on the role of the OSCE and the OSCE PA in the international fight against terrorism. The OSCE PA is composed of 317 Parliamentarians from the 55 OSCE participating States.

There will be a press briefing by the President of the Assembly, Adrian Severin, on Wednesday, 20 February, at 14:00 in the Bibliotheksaal.

Representatives of the Media are invited to attend all the Winter Session meetings on Thursday and Friday, including the Standing Committee Meeting (Thursday, 21 February, 9:30 to 11:00, in the Ratsaal).

Thursday 21 February

At 11:00 in the Neuer Saal a joint session of the Assembly's three General Committees will be addressed by the President of Austria, Dr. Thomas Klestil, and by the Portuguese Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Jaime Gama. Following the conclusion of the joint meeting, each of the three General Committees will hear presentations from senior OSCE officials in the fields of security, economics and human rights.

At 15:00 in the Neuer Saal the General Committee on Political Affairs and Security (1st Committee) will be addressed by the Chair of the Permanent Council, Ambassador Joao De Lima Pimentel, and the Chair of the Forum for Security Co-operation, Ambassador Pavel Vacek.

Concurrently at 15:00 in Ratsaal the General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and the Environment (2nd Committee) will hear presentations by the Acting Co-ordinator for OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, Marc Baltes and from the Head of the OSCE Centre in Tashkent, Ambassador Gantcho Gantchev.

Friday 22 February

At 10:00, in the Neuer Saal the General Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions (3rd Committee) will be addressed by the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Ambassador Gerard Stoudmann, and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Freimut Duve.

At 15:00 in the Neuer Saal there will be a Closing Session held as a joint meeting of the three General Committees which will hear a presentation by OSCE Secretary General Jan Kubis, concluding remarks by the Chairs of the Committees and by the OSCE PA President.

For accreditation, please either bring your OSCE badge or a press identification card. Parking is available for press on Thursday from 14:00 to 19:30 and on Friday from 9:30 to 18:30 in the OSCE-reserved parking area for those with clearly marked "Presse" signs.