The Osce Parliamentary Assembly

THE OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY -- (Extensions of Remarks - July 31, 2007)

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SPEECH OF
HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS
OF FLORIDA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2007

* Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I hereby submit, for the RECORD, the text of my report to you on the activities of the U.S. Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, held in early July in Kyiv, Ukraine.

* I had the honor to chair the U.S. Delegation, which included Senator Ben Cardin as the deputy head of delegation, as well as our Majority Leader, Mr. Steny Hoyer. Other participants on the U.S. Delegation were Representatives Chris Smith, Marcy Kaptur, Louise McIntosh Slaughter, Michael McNulty, Robert Aderholt, Mike McIntyre, Hilda L. Solis, G.K. Butterfield, Doris Matsui and Gwen S. Moore.

* As the report details, the delegation was active at the Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which is an inter-parliamentary body consisting of 56 participating States from North America, Europe, the Caucuses and Central Asia, as well as numerous partner states from the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. Like the OSCE as a whole, its mandate embraces the comprehensive definition of international security to include not only the traditional military political-military issues

but also human rights, economic cooperation and environmental protection.

* In submitting this report, I want to stress the value of American engagement in world affairs, particularly by Members of Congress. In Kyiv, we engaged in a dialogue on issues of concern not only to us, but to our counterparts from other countries. Having served as the President of the OSCE PA, I remain active as President Emeritus as well as a Special Representative on Mediterranean Affairs. Senator Cardin serves as a Vice President. In Kyiv, our colleague Hilda Solis was elected Vice Chair of the ``Third'' Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs. Members of the U.S. delegation introduced resolutions, suggested amendments and participated in the voting which led to the adoption of a declaration. The text of the declaration can be found on the Assembly's Website, www.oscepa.org.

* Our activity was not confined to the meeting halls. We also met President Yushchenko and other Ukrainian officials, in recognition of the importance of Ukraine. We laid wreaths at Babyn Yar and at the Ukrainian Famine memorial. We traveled to Chernobyl, the site of the nuclear accident in 1986.

* These activities, I would argue, advance our country's national interest. The U.S. Delegation represented the wonderful diversity of the United States population. It also highlighted a diversity of opinion on numerous issues. It nevertheless revealed a common hope to make the world a better place, not just for Americans but for all humanity. The delegation helped to counter the negative image many have about our country.

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