Chair-in-Office Gilmore visits OSCE PA, reinforces value of parliamentary input to security

COPENHAGEN, 9 March 2012 – Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Eamon Gilmore visited the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly International Secretariat today and expressed his support for parliamentarians being more closely involved in the comprehensive work of the OSCE.

Ireland’s Ambassador to Denmark Brendan Scannell accompanied Gilmore, the Chair-in-Office of the OSCE, in his meetings with OSCE PA Secretary General Spencer Oliver and later the full staff of the Secretariat.

“I am delighted to visit the headquarters of the Parliamentary Assembly in Copenhagen and to meet the staff who have dedicated themselves to the noble goals of the OSCE,” said Gilmore.

Dublin will host a conference on 27 April dedicated to sustainable peace initiatives, using the Northern Ireland peace process as a case study with lessons for other OSCE countries in conflict.

“As an elected parliamentarian himself, Minister Gilmore has invaluable experience in working with politicians who constitute the very foundation of democratic countries in the OSCE, and he understands the many diverse challenges facing the region today,” said Oliver.

The Assembly expressed its full support for the 2012 Irish Chairmanship agenda at a meeting in Dublin 1 February, when Gilmore hosted OSCE PA President Petros Efthymiou, former president Joao Soares, and Oliver.

Members of the Parliamentary Assembly have passed several resolutions in the last two years aimed at promoting dialogue to resolve conflicts, increasing the free flow of information online, and combating hate crimes, all chairmanship priorities.

Media Contact:
Neil Simon, Director of Communications, OSCE PA, neil@oscepa.dk, +45 60 10 83 80

This is a press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The views expressed in this press release do not necessarily reflect those of the OSCE Chairmanship, nor of all OSCE participating States.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 320 parliamentarians from 55 countries spanning, Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.