OSCE PA session highlights organization's key role in documenting human rights violations

At the 31st annual session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA) which takes place June 29 - July 3 in Bucharest, Romanian MPs highlighted the crucial importance of the organization's activities in documenting violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, emphasizing the key role legislature members have in promoting OSCE values and in ensuring support for its activities.According to a Chamber of Deputies release, the session included working meetings of the Assembly's committees and of the OSCE PA ad hoc committees on migration and counter-terrorism.Addressing the plenary of the General Committee on Political Affairs and Security, committee vice-chairman, deputy Costel Dunava emphasized the seriousness of the situation in Ukraine and the importance of OSCE actions in the given context."Russia's unprovoked, unjustified and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, with the complicity of Belarus, represents a threat to European and global security and stability, as well as a human tragedy," Dunava said as cited in the release.In the plenary session of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, deputy Hajdu Gabor voiced his concern about the breach of human rights in Ukraine."It is highly disturbing to learn to what extent the civilian population, children in particular, are affected," Hajdu said, urging a firm stance to collectively support the legitimate demand of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people that all those responsible for these violations of fundamental rights and freedoms be brought to justice.On the sidelines of the session, the chairman of the Romanian Parliament's delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, deputy Dan Barna, and OSCE PA's Special Representative on gender issues, the head of the Canadian Parliamentary Delegation Hedy Fry offered the working breakfast on gender issues, a traditional event at the annual sessions of this major dialogue forum.Remarks were given on this occasion by Monica Ferro, Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Office in London, Liliana Palihovici - Special Representative on Gender issues of OSCE Chair-in-Office and OSCE PA President Pia Kauma, and OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella.Deputies Christine Thellmann and Hajdu Gabor had a meeting with OSCE PA Vice-President and Special Representative for South-East Europe Kyriakos Hadjiyianni, with whom they approached the issue of national minorities' rights in the said region, with the two lawmakers showing that Romania has a comprehensive legal framework regarding the situation of national minorities.Also, the concern was emphasized about the rise of extremist currents in Europe, which could erode the rights of national minorities, and possible OSCE courses of action were discussed to prevent regressions in this field, the release also shows.