Netherlands’ OSCE PA Delegation Head Farah Karimi Meets OSCE Academy Leadership

On the first of December, Ms. Farah Karimi, head of delegation of the Netherlands to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and head of its ad hoc group on migration, as well as its former special representtive on Central Asia visited the OSCE Academy. Ms. Karimi, a member of the Senate of the Netherlands was met by the Director of the OSCE Academy, Dr. Pal Dunay, Deputy Director, Dr. Shairbek Dzhuraev, Head of the Research and Training Department of the Academy, Dr. Burulcha Sulaimanova, and Ms. Aiym Chotoeva, Programme Specialist for the MA in Human Rights and Sustainability (MAHRS) programme.

Ms. Karimi shared the state of affairs at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly with an emphasis on the role of the Russian Federation following its suspension of membership in July 2024, and the current level of U.S. engagement. Ms. Karimi also shared her impressions about the elections to the Zhogorku Kenesh, the Kyrgyz parliament that took place on the 30th of November 2025.

Ms. Karimi called the attention of the OSCE Academy of its low visibility at the Parliamentary Assembly although a reference to the Academy was made in one of its resolutions. Ms. Karimi also mentioned that if the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly would visit Kyrgyzstan, and would also meet the students and the faculty of the OSCE Academy, it may bring about a major change in this. This may be also essential to reach out to many national legislatives that are represented at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and which are in close contact with their national govrenments.

Ms. Karimi and the representatives of the OSCE Academy exchanged views on the significant reduction of funding to international cooperation and development and to moving funds to defence. The Netherlands that was once committing 0.7% of its GDP to it now spends approximately only 0.3% on international cooperation from the GDP as the needs of defence have increased strikingly in Europe overall and funds have been reallocated in national budgets.

The team of the OSCE Academy informed Ms. Karimi about the situation of the Academy, how if overcame certain difficulties and how its plans are shaping up for the future. Cooperation in supporting Afghan students in their education was discussed. The potential of the OSCE Academy to contribute to capacity-building and short-term training programmes as part of life-long learning was also discussed with an emphasis on the support by colleagues who studied in Türkiye for their under-graduate or post-graduate studies.

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