[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 101 (Thursday, July 19, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7944-S7945]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 REPORT ON ACTIVITIES OF U.S. DELEGATION TO THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY 
       OF THE ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE

  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, I am pleased to report to my colleagues 
in the United States Senate on the work of the bicameral congressional 
delegation which I chaired that participated in the Tenth Annual 
Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security 
and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE PA, hosted by the French Parliament, 
the National Assembly and the Senate, in Paris, July 6-10, 2001. Other 
participants from the United States Senate were Senator Hutchison of 
Texas and Senator Voinovich of Ohio. We were joined by 12 Members of 
the House of Representatives: cochairman Smith of New Jersey, Mr. 
Hoyer, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. McNulty, Mr. Hastings of Florida, 
Mr. King, Mr. Bryant, Mr. Wamp, Mr. Pitts, Mr. Hoeffel and Mr. 
Tancredo.
  En route to Paris, the delegation stopped in Caen, France and 
traveled to Normandy for a briefing by General Joseph W. Ralston, 
Commander in Chief of the U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied 
Commander Europe, on security developments in Europe, including 
developments in Macedonia, Kosovo, and Bosnia- Herzegovina as well as 
cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former 
Yugoslavia.
  At the Normandy American Cemetery, members of the delegation 
participated in ceremonies honoring those Americans killed in D-Day 
operations. Maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission, the 
cemetery is the final resting place for 9,386 American servicemen and 
women and honors the memory of the 1,557 missing. The delegation also 
visited the Pointe du Hoc Monument honoring elements of the 2d Ranger 
Battalion.
  In Paris, the combined U.S. delegation of 15, the largest 
representation by any country in the Assembly was welcomed by others as 
a demonstration of the continued commitment of the United States, and 
the U.S. Congress,

[[Page S7945]]

to Europe. The central theme of OSCE PA's Tenth Annual Session was 
``European Security and Conflict Prevention: Challenges to the OSCE in 
the 21st Century.''
  This year's Assembly brought together nearly 300 parliamentarians 
from 52 OSCE participating States, including the first delegation from 
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia following Belgrade's suspension from 
the OSCE process in 1992. Seven countries, including the Russian 
Federation and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, were represented at 
the level of Speaker of Parliament or President of the Senate. 
Following a decision taken earlier in the year, the Assembly withheld 
recognition of the pro-Lukashenka National Assembly given serious 
irregularities in Belarus' 2000 parliamentary elections. In light of 
the expiration of the mandate of the democratically elected 13th 
Supreme Soviet, no delegation from the Republic of Belarus was seated.

  The inaugural ceremony included a welcoming addresses by the OSCE PA 
President Adrian Severin, Speaker of the National Assembly, Raymond 
Forni and the Speaker of the Senate, Christian Poncelet. The French 
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hubert Vedrine also addressed delegates 
during the opening plenary. The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Romanian 
Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana, presented remarks and responded to 
questions from the floor.
  Presentations were also made by several other senior OSCE officials, 
including the OSCE Secretary General, the High Commissioner on National 
Minorities, the Representative on Freedom of the Media, and the 
Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human 
Rights.
  The 2001 OSCE PA Prize for Journalism and Democracy was presented to 
the widows of the murdered journalists Jose Luis Lopez de Lacalle of 
Spain and Georgiy Gongadze of Ukraine. The Spanish and Ukrainian 
journalists were posthumously awarded the prize for their outstanding 
work in furthering OSCE values.
  Members of the U.S. delegation played a leading role in debate in 
each of the Assembly's three General Committees--Political Affairs and 
Security; Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment; and 
Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions. U.S. sponsored 
resolutions served as the focal point for discussion on such timely 
topics as ``Combating Corruption and International Crime in the OSCE 
Region,'' a resolution I sponsored; ``Southeastern Europe,'' by Senator 
Voinovich; ``Prevention of Torture, Abuse, Extortion or Other Unlawful 
Acts'' and ``Combating Trafficking in Human Beings,'' by Mr. Smith; 
``Freedom of the Media,'' by Mr. Hoyer; and, ``Developments in the 
North Caucasus,'' by Mr. Cardin.
  Senator Hutchison played a particularly active role in debate over 
the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in the General Committee on Political 
Affairs and Security, chaired by Mr. Hastings, which focused on the 
European Security and Defense Initiative.
  An amendment I introduced in the General Committee on Economic 
Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment on promoting social, 
educational and economic opportunity for indigenous peoples won 
overwhelming approval, making it the first ever such reference to be 
included in an OSCE PA declaration. Other U.S. amendments focused on 
property restitution laws, sponsored by Mr. Cardin, and adoption of 
comprehensive non-discrimination laws, sponsored by Mr. Hoyer.
  Amendments by members of the U.S. delegation on the General Committee 
on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions focused on the 
plight of Roma, by Mr. Smith; citizenship, by Mr. Hoyer; and Nazi-era 
compensation and restitution, and religious liberty, by Ms. Slaughter. 
Delegation members also took part in debate on the abolition of the 
death penalty, an issue raised repeatedly during the Assembly and in 
discussions on the margins of the meeting.
  While in Paris, members of the delegation held an ambitious series of 
meetings, including bilateral sessions with representatives from the 
Russian Federation, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the United 
Kingdom, and Kazakhstan. Members met with the President of the French 
National Assembly to discuss diverse issues in U.S.-French relations 
including military security, agricultural trade, human rights and the 
death penalty. A meeting with the Romanian Foreign Minister included a 
discussion of the missile defense initiative, policing in the former 
Yugoslavia, and international adoption policy.
  Staff of the U.S. Embassy provided members with an overview of U.S.-
French relations. Members also attended a briefing by legal experts on 
developments affecting the right of individuals to profess and practice 
their religion or belief. A session with representatives of U.S. 
businesses operating in France and elsewhere in Europe provided members 
with insight into the challenges of today's global economy.
  Elections for officers of the Assembly were held during the final 
plenary. Mr. Adrian Severin of Romania was re-elected President. 
Senator Jerahmiel Graftstein of Canada was elected Treasurer. Three of 
the Assembly's nine Vice-Presidents were elected to three-year terms: 
Alcee Hastings, U.S.A., Kimmo Kiljunen, Finland, and Ahmet Tan, Turkey. 
The Assembly's Standing Committee agreed that the Eleventh Annual 
Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will be held next July in 
Berlin, Germany.

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