Like each of the 57 participating state governments of the OSCE, the Irish Government is represented on the key decision making bodies which are based in Vienna. These are the Permanent Council and the Forum for Security Co-Operation, both of which are accountable to the Ministerial Council.
While complementary to the work of these Vienna-based OSCE bodies, the Parliamentary Assembly is distinct in that its aim is to facilitate inter-parliamentary dialogue outside of the intergovernmental process. As such, the Assembly has its own rules and procedures, and any review of functions and operations would be for the members of the Parliamentary Assembly to decide.
The Government welcomes the valuable contribution that the Parliamentary Assembly makes to the OSCE’s overall goal of promoting peace and stability throughout Europe, and I encourage closer cooperation to this end. In particular, I value the Parliamentary Assembly's contribution to the 'Helsinki+40' reform effort that was launched by my predecessor, the then Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore as Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE in 2012. 'Helsinki +40' is a three year reform process that provides an opportunity to critically examine the OSCE's roles, structures, tools and instruments with a view to making them better suited to the peace and security challenges of the 21st Century in the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian region. The Government welcomes the active engagement of the Parliamentary Assembly in this process.
Parliamentarians are well positioned to ensure the involvement of citizens in developing peace and security and in raising awareness of the work of the OSCE. They serve as a vital link between the overall work of the OSCE and the people it intends to serve. I would hope that strengthening this area of activity will be among the recommendations to emerge from the reform discussions.
