Organization

Each year the Assembly's Annual Session is hosted by a Parliament of the OSCEThe OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is the parliamentary dimension of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, whose 56 participating States span the geographical area from Vancouver to Vladivostok.

The primary task of the 320 member Assembly is to facilitate inter-parliamentary dialogue, an important aspect of the overall effort to meet the challenges of democracy throughout the OSCE area.

The Assembly is led by a President, elected each year by the Assembly at the Annual Session. Between sessions, the work is led by the Standing Committee and the Bureau.

The Assembly elects a Treasurer, who drafts the annual budget, and a Secretary General, who is in charge of the International Secretariat, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Recognized as a regional arrangement under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, the OSCE is a primary instrument for early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation in its area. The Parliamentary Assembly, originally established by the 1990 Paris Summit to promote greater involvement in the OSCE by national parliaments, has grown into a very active and esteemed member of the OSCE family.