OSCE institutional leader calls for efforts to make OSCE stronger, more effective

A senior institutional leader of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Thursday said that a strong and effective OSCE is needed to help improve the security situation across North America, Europe and Central Asia.

Addressing the 23rd Ministerial Council of the OSCE, Parliamentary Assembly (PA) President Christine Muttonen stressed that the PA stands ready to do its part working for a more effective organization, noting that OSCE parliamentarians can help mobilize the political will needed for real results.

"Looking around the OSCE region today, it seems there is no end to the number of threats and challenges that we face," Muttonen, a member of parliament from Austria, said.

"Conflicts have emerged and been fueled in the OSCE area, and along with them, all of the tragedies of war that we are all too familiar with. We are struggling with developing a common response to the refugee and migrant crisis," she said.

At the same time, she added, we must continue our efforts in countering violent extremism, promoting arms control and even combating climate change.

The OSCE leader pointed out that these challenges are coming at a time of growing mistrust, rising populism and increasing political divides.

However, she noted, being paralyzed by politics is simply not an option in today's environment.

"It may at times seem that we are out of options. But we do have a choice: we can either 'see no evil and hear no evil,' or we can put our efforts and hopes in the power of multilateral co-operation and joint solutions. This choice means building bridges," she said.

She said the PA will continue to cooperate with the governments of the OSCE participating states to improve the security situation in the OSCE area.

"The Parliamentary Assembly stands ready to do its part in working for a more effective OSCE," she said, "Our parliamentarians are a powerful tool of people-to-people diplomacy. All our work is guided by the key principle of enhancing dialogue."

Muttonen stressed that as a political assembly unrestrained by the OSCE's consensus decision-making process, the PA can speak out and act quickly and clearly.

With 57 participating states, the OSCE is the world's largest regional security organization. It has a number of institutions and structures that help it implement its mandate. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly brings together parliamentarians from all participating states. Enditem