Annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly session to open in Istanbul

More than 260 parliamentarians from across the OSCE's 57 countries will participate in the 22nd Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey from 29 June to 3 July 2013.

The Turkish Grand National Assembly is hosting the annual gathering, which is taking place at the Lutfi Kirdar International Convention and Exhibition Center in Istanbul.

The session's Helsinki +40 theme underlines the Assembly's support for the OSCE Ministerial Council decision in Dublin to launch a set of objectives aimed at strengthening the OSCE in the run up to the 40th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act in 2015.

The debates and votes of the Assembly during the session will culminate in passage of the 2013 Istanbul Declaration to help shape OSCE and national policy. Members from 57 OSCE participating States will also elect a new Assembly president and other leadership positions during the session. All committee debates and votes, are open to the press and public and will stream live online.

Further information is available at http://www.oscepa.org/meetings/annual-sessions/2013-istanbul-annual-session