OSCE PA President Muttonen fills leadership positions in counter-terrorism and migration committees, appoints new Mediterranean envoy

COPENHAGEN, 10 July 2017 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Christine Muttonen (Austria) made a number of appointments today to fill key roles in advancing the Assembly’s work on counter-terrorism, migration and Mediterranean issues.

For the Assembly’s newly established Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism, President Muttonen appointed Makis Voridis (Greece) as Chair, and Stephane Crusniere (Belgium), Richard Hudson (United States), Sofio Katsarava (Georgia) and Nikolay Kovalev (Russian Federation) as Vice-Chairs.

Since 2013, Kovalev has served as the OSCE PA’s Special Representative on Anti-Terrorism, and Voridis previously served as Chair of the PA’s Committee on Political Affairs and Security. Katsarava was elected Rapporteur of the PA’s economic and environmental committee in Minsk on 7 July. Hudson serves on the United States Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission) in Washington.

According to its mandate, the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism will work to advance the OSCE PA’s efforts in the field of counter-terrorism with a special emphasis on cross-dimensional issues. It is tasked with promoting inter-parliamentary dialogue and the exchange of best practices, as well as enhancing the role of the OSCE to develop effective and human rights-compliant counter-terrorism responses.

The new committee was formed following a unanimous decision taken by the OSCE PA’s Standing Committee of heads of delegation last week at the 26th Annual Session in Minsk. Also in Minsk, the Assembly adopted recommendations including proposals to counter terrorism by improving legal frameworks and law enforcement methods, and by strengthening the security of international transportation.

A resolution authored by Kovalev called for promoting the ratification and implementation of international agreements regulating co-operation between States in the fight against terrorism and stressed the need for enhanced international co-operation to counter violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism.

President Muttonen also appointed today Laurynas Kasciunas, Deputy Head of the Delegation of Lithuania to the OSCE PA, as Vice-Chair of the OSCE PA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Migration. Established in February 2016 and chaired by Swiss parliamentarian Filippo Lombardi, this committee serves as a focal point for the OSCE PA’s work in the field of migration in all three dimensions of the OSCE.

Muttonen appointed Deputy Head of the French Delegation Pascal Allizard as the Assembly’s Special Representative on Mediterranean Affairs, mandated with enhancing the Mediterranean dimension of the Assembly’s work, conducting ad hoc visits to Mediterranean Partner countries, maintaining contacts with the Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation, and participating in the OSCE’s annual Mediterranean Conference on behalf of the Assembly.

The appointments issued by President Muttonen follow her re-election to a second term as leader of the Assembly yesterday in Minsk.