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Madam President, on behalf of the United Kingdom, welcome back to the Permanent Council. Thank you for your address.

We welcome the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly鈥檚 continued focus on Ukraine. As we approach two years since Russia launched its illegal, invasion we will not waiver in our support for Ukraine.聽 We are working in lockstep with the Chair and others to ensure the war remains high on the OSCE鈥檚 agenda. We will continue to deploy the OSCE鈥檚 toolkit extensively to counter Russia鈥檚 disinformation and shine a spotlight on its illegal actions.

We see the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly鈥檚 role as critical in these efforts, both in terms of the PA鈥檚 Parliamentary Support Team for Ukraine, but also through parliamentarians鈥� engagement in Capitals. We all have a responsibility to ensure our governments recognise the enduring value of the OSCE as a forum for dialogue and conflict resolution, as well as the need to support Ukraine. In this regard, we welcome the engagement you鈥檝e done personally, including through your visits to the participating States.

Beyond the conflict, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly faces an unprecedented year.聽2024 will prove a record-breaking year for elections globally. Over 4 billion voters across the world will head to the polls, marking a colossal exercise in democratic participation. 皇冠体育app manner in which these elections are conducted and their outcome will have significant implications for global politics and stability, and trust in democratic institutions and processes. Many of these elections will be held in our region and we welcome the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly鈥檚 observation role.聽 It is an integral part of democratic scrutiny, supporting electoral integrity and documenting whether elections are credible and inclusive. Just yesterday, OSCE PA members were in Azerbaijan observing its Presidential elections. I thank Vice-President聽De Ridder聽and Vice-Chair聽Gerasymov聽for leading the delegations and look forward to their findings.

We note the Parliamentary Assembly鈥檚 continued concerns about the institutional health of the organisation. We share these concerns. We welcome the consensus on support for Malta as this year鈥檚 Chair. We will continue to press for a more sustainable financial settlement for the organisation and work to appoint strong candidates to its four top leadership positions. Beyond this, we recognise the need for longer term solutions and political commitment to ensuring the OSCE鈥檚 effective functioning and relevance. In this regard, we welcome the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and its members鈥� continued efforts in highlighting Russia鈥檚 and Belarus鈥� obstruction and undermining tactics.

Madam President, to conclude, the UK thanks you and the Assembly for the work you are doing. We offer our full support and look forward to continued co-operation and collaboration in 2024.