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In anticipation of an invitation to observe the upcoming parliamentary elections, expected to be held on 4 December 2011, and in accordance with its mandate, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) undertook a Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) from 21 to 23 September.

Address by the President of the Republic of Lithuania, H.E. Dalia Grybauskaitė.

Minutes of the proceedings. Recent events in Abkhazia, Georgia. Statements by the Delegations of the Russian Federation, Georgia, Norway, Canada, United States of America, Azerbaijan and Chairperson of the PC annexed.

Introduction by the RF of its request of 9 June 2008 for a Joint FSC-PC Meeting, in accordance with par. 16.3 and 16.3.1.1, chap. III of the Vienna Document. Statements by the Delegation of the Russian Federation and by the Delegation of Georgia annexed.

Introduction by the Russian Federation of its request of 9 June 2008 for a Joint FSC-PC Meeting, in accordance with paragraph 16.3 and 16.3.1.1, chapter III of the Vienna Document. Statement by the Delegation of the Russian Federation annexed.

On 15 July 2011, the Bulgarian parliament set the date of the presidential election for 23 October. President Georgi Parvanov issued a decree calling municipal elections for the same day, in line with transitional provisions of the Election Code providing for simultaneous presidential and municipal

On 23 June 2011 the Minister of Justice of Ukraine, Mr Oleksandr Lavrynovych, requested the Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR to comment on the text of the draft Law of Ukraine on Election of the People’s Deputies of Ukraine (Doc. CDL-REF (2011) 034) hereinafter, the “draft law”). The draft law was prepared by the Working Group on reforming and codifying the electoral legal framework with the aim to bring it in line with democratic standards following the presidential decree of 2 November 2010. The Working Group consists of representatives of different state institutions, parliamentarians, civil society representatives, academics and domestic legal and constitutional experts. Invitations to the working group meetings were also made to international experts.

In a letter dated 22 June 2011, the President of the National Assembly of Armenia requested the Council of Europe’s European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) to provide an assessment of the recently adopted Electoral Code of the Republic of Armenia (CDL-REF(2011)029rev). This joint opinion comments on the most recent version of the Electoral Code, adopted 26 May 2011. Earlier opinions of OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission as well as the numerous election reports from previous OSCE/ODIHR and Council of Europe observation missions to Armenia provide an excellent background for understanding the historical development of electoral legislation in Armenia.

Statements by the UK on the new programme of defence and security co-operation and on the entry into force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (Annexes 1&2). Statement by the USA on Implementation of the Vienna Document 1999 (Annex 3).