  |
|
|
From 3 to 7 July 2006, seven Canadian parliamentarians were in Brussels to attend the fifteenth Annual Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE. The Honourable Senator Consiglio Di Nino led the delegation, which was composed of the Honourable Senator Jerahmiel Grafstein, the Honourable Raymond Chan and Bev Shipley, Jason Kenney, Francine Lalonde and Paul Szabo, members of Parliament. Denis Robert, secretary to the delegation, and Jean Rodrigue Paré, advisor, accompanied the delegation. Established in 1975 as the Conference on Security and Co operation in Europe (CSCE), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was given its current name at the Budapest Summit in December 1994. The current 56 participating States of the OSCE are “all the European states, the United States and Canada.”(1) Eleven other states in the Mediterranean and Asian region, called “Partners for Cooperation,” were added as observers. The organization defines itself as a primary instrument for early warning, conflict prevention and crisis management in the region. It is also recognized as a regional arrangement within the meaning of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, which means that the members of the United Nations that are members of such an arrangement “shall make every effort to achieve a pacific settlement of local disputes through such regional arrangements or by such regional agencies before referring them to the Security Council.” (2) However, the OSCE is not strictly speaking an international organization in international law; that is to say that the resolutions it adopts are not legally binding on the signatory countries. The organization’s 2006 budget is €168.2 million, almost three-quarters of which is allocated to field operations in 16 states. About 3,500 persons work for the OSCE, 500 of them in its various institutions, and 3,000 in field missions. One-quarter of the OSCE personnel is made up of seconded staff from participating States. A. An Inclusive, Comprehensive and Cooperative Approach to Security Above all, it is OSCE’s membership, which includes the United States and Canada as full-fledged members of a body that addresses European issues, that makes the organization unique. The OSCE favours inclusive dialogue rather than selective admission. As a result, it keeps the lines of communication on essential security matters open between Western countries and other states which are less exemplary with regard to democracy. It also favours exchanges between the European Union and the states of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan), which are not members of the Council of Europe. While the aim of the Council of Europe is above all the harmonization of democratic practices among member states, the OSCE seeks to promote the development of a vast geographic area, from Vancouver to Vladivostok, that is conflict-free, regardless of the democratic quality of the participants. The organization’s resolutions and activities stem from an original conception of security that is “global” in the sense that it goes beyond a merely political-military framework. In the Charter for European Security, adopted at the Istanbul Summit in November 1999, the heads of state and government of the OSCE member states undertook to “address the human, economic, political and military dimensions of security as an integral whole.” (3) All forms of peaceful cooperation between participating States are viewed as tending to reduce the risk of conflict within the region. The OSCE’s approach is called “cooperative” in that the 56 member states all enjoy equal status. Decisions are made by consensus rather than majority vote. (4) Following the Cold War, the OSCE developed its institutions and its operational capacity in response to often urgent requirements, not as a result of a strategic plan developed in a long-term perspective. The Paris Charter for a New Europe laid the foundation for the OSCE’s institutional structure in 1990. The OSCE allocates 75% of its budget to field operations and yet has no missions in Western Europe or North America. This fact is frequently cited by the Commonwealth of Independent States as a basis for the argument that the organization employs a double standard in its relations with the participating States, whereas it claims to be cooperative and egalitarian. The OSCE’s response is that its operations are conducted on the basis of commitments based on consensus and at the invitation of the countries themselves. The OSCE’s six missions in south-eastern Europe represent more than half of the organization’s budget. The Kosovo mission budget alone (€37 million in 2006) is almost equal to that of the Secretariat and all the institutions of the OSCE (€46 million). The Chairmanship of the OSCE changes every year, with the “Chairman-in-Office” function rotating among the ministers of foreign affairs of the participating States. As the organization’s senior diplomat, the Chairman-in-Office is supported by the Secretariat and its Secretary General. Mr. Karel De Gucht, from Belgium, is the OSCE Chairman-in-Office for 2006. Mr. Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, from France, has been the OSCE Secretary General since June 2005. C. OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Instituted by the OSCE (then the CSCE) in the Paris Charter for a New Europe in 1990, the Parliamentary Assembly held its first annual session in Budapest in July 1992, and its Secretariat in Copenhagen became operational in January 1993. It is an independent organization, with separate funding, which has a non-decision-making power of influence over the OSCE’s activities. More than 300 parliamentarians appointed by their respective parliaments meet twice a year to debate a large number of matters pertaining to the OSCE. The parliamentarians produce declarations and reports and issue recommendations to their governments, parliaments and civil society concerning the OSCE’s three areas of action. The Parliamentary Assembly plays a key role in the observation of elections in the OSCE’s region and regularly sends parliamentary delegations on field operations. The OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly meets every July for its Annual Session and in February for its Winter Meeting. At the Annual Session, the Assembly adopts a final declaration and resolutions at its plenary session. It elects the 11 parliamentarians who form the Bureau of the Assembly (President, nine Vice‑Presidents, Treasurer), as well as the Chair, Vice‑Chair and Rapporteur of each of the three General Committees. The members of the Bureau, the chairs of the General Committees and the 55 heads of delegation of the participating States together form the Standing Committee. At the Annual Session, decisions are made by majority vote, whereas the Standing Committee uses the “consensus less one” rule, except for appointing the Secretary General, which is done by majority vote. Mr. Göran Lennmarker (Sweden) has been President of the Parliamentary Assembly since July 2006. Its Secretary General has been Mr. Spencer Oliver (U.S.A.) since January 1993. The Honourable Jerahmiel Grafstein, member of the Canadian Senate, has been Treasurer since July 2004. The Honourable Senator Consiglio Di Nino has been the head of the Canadian delegation since February 2005. 2006 Annual session of the Parliamentary Assembly From July 3 to 7, parliamentarians from the OSCE participating States, together with representatives of the “Partners for Cooperation” states, met to discuss the topic “Strengthening Human Security in the OSCE Region.” On the first day, the heads of delegations took part in a meeting of the Standing Committee to approve the budget and receive various activity reports. At the inaugural plenary session in the afternoon, the participants heard a number of presentations, including the presentations by the outgoing President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Alcee L. Hastings (United States), Herman De Croo, Speaker of the Belgian House of Representatives, Anne‑Marie Lizin, Speaker of the Belgian Senate, Karel De Gucht, Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE and Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, René Van der Linden, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, Secretary General of the OSCE. The Special Representative on Gender Issues, Tone Tingsgård (Sweden) also presented her report. The next three days were devoted to the work of the three General Committees, parallel meetings on specific topics and meetings of the Ad Hoc Committees of the Assembly. On the fifth and last day of the Annual Session, the Brussels Declaration, which contains all of the resolutions adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly at this Annual Session, was adopted. The members then elected Göran Lennmarker (Sweden) to his first term as President of the Parliamentary Assembly. A. Standing Committee At the meeting of the Standing Committee, President Hastings informed the members of the admission of Montenegro as the 56th OSCE participating state. In accordance with the Rules of Procedure, the Committee officially admitted Montenegro as a full member of the Parliamentary Assembly. President Hastings then presented an overview of his activities since the last meeting of the Committee in February 2006. He stressed the important role played by parliamentarians in OSCE election monitoring missions. He also pointed to the importance of the opportunity that parliamentary meetings provides for dialogue, mutual understanding and learning. The Treasurer of the Parliamentary Assembly, Canadian Senator Jerahmiel Grafstein, presented a very positive report on the finances of the organization, noting the favourable opinion of the external auditors for the thirteenth consecutive year. He gave the credit for this to the International Secretariat. The 2006-2007 budget of €2.56 million was then adopted. Canada’s 2005-2006 to the Parliamentary Assembly was set at €129,231. Secretary General Spencer Oliver presented his activity report, highlighting the efforts made by the International Secretariat to keep delegations regularly informed about the activities of the PA, one method being the News from Copenhagen bulletin. The Chair of the Sub-Committee on Procedure, Pieter De Crem (Belgium), informed the meeting that the new proposals for amendments to the Rules of Procedure would be considered at the meeting of the Standing Committee in Malta in November 2006. The presentations that the Standing Committee then heard included: · President Hastings, as Special Coordinator of the Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE for the election monitoring missions in Belarus and Ukraine, presented his report on those two missions. In the case of the presidential elections in Belarus, he concluded that the people of Belarus deserved better. The government in office prevented opposition candidates and parties from offering voters a genuine choice. In the case of the legislative election in Ukraine, the observers concluded that the elections were free and fair, and President Hastings congratulated the Ukrainian parliamentarians. · Joao Soares (Portugal), who led the OSCE PA delegation to observe the partial re‑run of the legislative election in Azerbaijan, noted that there had been progress, particularly during the pre-election period, but also pointed to the public’s lack of confidence in the legitimacy of the electoral process. · Canadian Senator Jerry Grafstein, as Deputy Coordinator of the Montenegro Referendum Observation Mission, presented the report of the observers, which concluded that the referendum was in line with the OSCE Guiding Principles. Discussion followed on the possibility of defining objective criteria for evaluating elections, as the states of the Commonwealth of Independent States has long been calling for. · Anne-Marie Lizin (Belgium) presented her report as PA Special Representative on Guantanamo, following her visit to the detention facilities. · Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland) reported on the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on Moldova, and expressed his concerns about mounting tension in the region. · Tone Tingsgård (Sweden) reported on the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on Abkhazia (Georgia), and expressed her regret at the lack of progress. · Uta Zapf (Germany) presented the report of the Working Group on Belarus, and noted that in spite of the resolution adopted in Washington in 2005, no progress had been made. · In the absence of the Special Representative on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Christopher Smith (United States), Joseph Pitts (United States) presented a report stressing the tragic consequences of this practice. · Göran Lennmarker (Sweden), Special Representative on the Nagorno Karabakh Conflict, regretted that no movement had yet been made, but stressed that conditions were favourable for the negotiations led by the OSCE to achieve a solution. · Roberto Battelli (Slovenia), as the Special Representative on South East Europe, presented his first report, describing the activities of the OSCE in the region. B. Inaugural Plenary Session Before moving on to the regular business of the Inaugural Plenary Session, the Assembly officially welcomed the delegation from the Republic of Montenegro. Ranko Krivokapic, Head of the new delegation, vigorously reiterated Montenegro’s commitment to democracy. During the Inaugural Plenary Session, the Parliamentary Assembly heard the following presentations: · The President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Alcee L. Hastings (United States), first thanked the Belgian Parliament for its hospitality, and highlighted the Belgian delegation’s consistent involvement since the very beginning. He reiterated the PA’s desire to work more closely with the ministerial side of the OSCE and hoped that the next Ministerial Council, this coming December in Brussels, would provide fresh impetus to the organization. He then provided an overview of the activities of the PA during the past year. He expressed the support of the PA for field operations, and suggested that greater effort be made to convey the importance of those activities to the public. This would be one way, for example, of promoting joint efforts between North America and Europe on issues of common interest, for instance in relation to developing relations with the other Mediterranean states that are not members of the OSCE but that could use it as a platform. President Hastings also expressed his great pride in the Parliamentary Assembly’s election monitoring program and cited the need to strengthen that program further. He concluded by thanking the parliamentarians present for the support he had received during the two years of his term. · The Speaker of the Belgian House of Representatives, Herman De Croo, welcomed the Parliamentary Assembly. He stressed the importance of the OSCE as a pillar of European security. He noted the invitation issued to parliamentarians by the Chairman-in-Office to contribute to the OSCE’s reform efforts, and expressed his agreement with the need for greater involvement on the part of the Parliamentary Assembly in the decision-making process, and in particular regarding approval of the OSCE budget and the appointment of its Secretary General. Mr. De Croo said that election monitoring and field operations are the OSCE’s most important contributions, and they call for ongoing involvement on the part of parliamentarians. · The Speaker of the Belgian Senate, Anne-Marie Lizin, who is also the head of the Belgian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly, welcomed the parliamentarians. She said that she was proud of the achievements of the Parliamentary Assembly, and hoped that it would be able to take on greater responsibility for overseeing the budget of the OSCE executive. She stressed the importance of the relationships forged within the Assembly, for example between the Senate and the Kazakhstan parliamentarians. She expressed disappointment regarding the continuing absence of gender equity in the appointment of personnel on the Ministerial side. The Assembly must continue to tackle difficult issues, such as territorial integrity and the protection of minorities, or human rights, both east and west of Vienna. In her position as Special Representative on Guantanamo, she reiterated her recommendations that the American authorities should submit a detailed timetable for closing the detention centre as quickly as possible. She further suggested that that a proper balance should be established between the involvement of the Parliamentary Assembly and the role of the OSCE executive in organizing election monitoring missions. · The Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE and Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karel De Gucht, stressed the progress exemplified by the fact that the countries of Europe, the former Soviet Union and North American are able to meet within the framework of discussions based on the principles of the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris. He cited the priorities of the Belgian chairmanship of the OSCE, in particular improving the effectiveness of the organization, and hoped to be able to achieve lasting solutions by the end of his term. Regarding election monitoring missions, he noted that this was a collective responsibility of the OSCE and involved a key role to be played by parliamentarians, and also by the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. Mr. De Gucht reiterated his desire to strike a new balance in the work done in relation to the three aspects of the OSCE. On the political-military aspect, the OSCE continues to be in a good position to deal with issues such as redefining military doctrine, although more effort is needed. On the economic aspect, the priority of the Chairman-in-Office is transportation security and the fight against organized crime. He noted the need to resolve “frozen conflicts,” while stressing that the first prerequisite for resolution was the will to do so and leadership exhibited by the people directly involved in those conflicts. On that point, he mentioned progress that had been made in the conflicts in South Ossetia and Dnestr. He reiterated the importance of dialogue and cooperation between institutions and non-governmental organizations and pointed to the OSCE’s efforts to promote greater tolerance and respect for individual rights and collective identities, and undertook to promote that dialogue throughout his term. The Chairman-in-Office then took part in a question period. · The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the council of Europe, René Van der Linden, first thanked parliamentarians for their welcome and said that he wanted to highlight some elements that the two parliamentary assemblies have in common. He particularly noted the cooperation that occurred at the Third Parliamentary Conference on the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe and in relation to election monitoring missions. On that point, he cited the complementary relationship between the technical expertise of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the legitimacy provided by the involvement of parliamentarians. · The Secretary General of the OSCE, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, opened by citing the role of the Parliamentary Assembly, which provides a democratic foundation for the OSCE and protects it from bogging down in red tape, particularly when it comes to election monitoring. He noted that the importance of the work done by missions on the ground is often underestimated, particularly in the case of the missions in South East Europe, which take up half of the OSCE’s total budget. The organization is directly involved in the negotiations regarding the status of Kosovo, and it is anticipated that the OSCE will maintain an important presence in that region. On the question of reform of the OSCE, he is hopeful that there will be enough political will to overcome resistance to the adoption of lasting solutions at the Ministerial Council in December 2006. He outlined some possible solutions in areas for which he is directly responsible, including more stringent, results-based planning, more selective use of the personnel secondment process, the possibility of extending terms of employment at the OSCE, greater decentralization in the decision-making process and more consistent involvement of the participating States in overseeing missions on the ground. He stressed the work done by the OSCE in promoting tolerance through its contribution to the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations initiative. He concluded by expressing disappointment with the under-representation of women in leadership posts within the organization, and asked that the Assembly be patient on this question, where visible improvements can only occur after several years. A question period followed. · The Special Representative on Gender Issues, Tone Tingsgård (Sweden), reported on her activities, and in particular her participation in discussions as part of the 50th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. She noted the difference between how well represented women are in leadership positions in the Parliamentary Assembly as compared to the situation in the OSCE. At the end of the session, the Assembly discussed and adopted a Resolution on Combating Trafficking and the Exploitation of Children in Pornography that was introduced by Christopher Smith (United States). The resolution calls on participating States to enact severe legislation against these crimes and proposal effective ways of gathering information on these practices. C. General Committee on Political Affairs and Security Chair: Mr. Göran Lennmarker (Sweden) Vice-Chair: Mr. Jean-Charles Gardetto (Monaco) Rapporteur: Mr. Wolfgang Grossruck (Austria) In the Edinburgh Declaration of 2004, the Assembly called on the High Commissioner on National Minorities to prepare a report on policies affecting minorities. At the first meeting of the Committee, the High Commissioner, Rolf Ekéus, presented his report, entitled Policy on Integration and Diversity in Some OSCE Participating States, (5) a comparative analysis of policies adopted in democratic countries to promote the integration of minorities. In his presentation, Mr. Ekéus highlighted the serious approach to the problem of immigration that was being taken in participating States. He also noted the connection between diversity and economic development, a factor that should encourage participating States to adopt integration policies, even though the process can sometimes be complex. 1. Report and Main Resolution The Committee, with Göran Lennmarker (Sweden) in the chair, then considered the report submitted by Wolfgang Grossruck (Austria). The report dealt primarily with the situation in the Balkans, the OSCE missions in the region and the fight against corruption and organized crime. The principal resolution recommends that the OSCE intensify its collaborative efforts with the European Union in handling issues in South East Europe, in accordance with the Guiding Principles of the organization. The resolution also calls for more collaboration between the OSCE’s missions on the ground, the participating States involved and the local authorities. 2. Supplementary Items · Strengthening the role and improving the effectiveness of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE. The resolution, sponsored by Nino Burjanadze (Georgia), points to the need to adapt the organization to changes in security issues and to intensify cooperation between the Parliamentary Assembly and the OSCE. · Republic of Moldova. Discussion of the resolution, sponsored by Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland), was enlivened by the presence of William Hill, Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova. The resolution calls on the Government of Moldova and the authorities of Transnistria to undertake active efforts to find a peaceful comprehensive solution to the conflict between them. · Afghanistan. The resolution, introduced by Canadian Senator Consiglio Di Nino, calls on OSCE participating States to support efforts to restore a stable and more prosperous democracy in Afghanistan, and calls for greater cooperation among the participating States of Central Asia and Afghanistan in resolving regional issues, in particular drug trafficking. The resolution further calls on the Committee to examine the challenges presented by the situation in Afghanistan for the security of all participating States, in close cooperation with the representatives of Afghanistan at the Parliamentary Assembly. At the conclusion of the meetings, the members of the Committee elected Jean‑Charles Gardetto (Monaco) Chair, Hans Raidel (Germany) Vice-Chair and Kristian Pihl Lorentzen (Denmark) Rapporteur. D. General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment Chair: Benjamin L. Cardin (United States) Vice-Chair: Leonid Ivanchenko (Russia) Rapporteur: Roland Blum (France) 1. Report and Main Resolution The Rapporteur for the Second Committee, Roland Blum (France), noted that the primary objective of his report was to strengthen the economic aspect in the comprehensive approach to security advocated by the OSCE. The report argues for better integration of the countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia in the European economic area, in particular in relation to natural resources, including energy. He added that such integration would promote greater economic and environmental security. The resolution invites participating States and others to work more closely to define ways of ensuring a predictable and secure supply of energy. After the Rapporteur spoke, the OSCE Coordinator on Economic and Environmental Affairs, Bernard Snoy, told the Committee members about the OSCE’s most recent initiatives in this regard. Efforts have focused on fighting corruption and promoting entrepreneurship among women and minorities. He also reported on the work done at the Economic Forum in Prague last May, which dealt with improving the security of transportation systems as a way of promoting greater cooperation and economic stability in the region. 2. Supplementary Items · Risk management. The resolution introduced by Anne-Marie Lizin (Belgium) recommends that participating States consider developing an action program for security and systematic risk management. · Illicit air transport of small arms and light weapons and their ammunition. The resolution introduced by François‑Xavier De Donnea (Belgium) calls on participating States to implement the commitments they made in the OSCE document on small arms and light weapons. · Forming a global system of warning and eliminating consequences of natural disasters. The resolution introduced by Sergueï Glazyev (Russia) stresses the need to reduce the negative consequences of natural disasters through an international warning and alert system. · Monitoring of social development in the OSCE region. The resolution introduced by Doris Barnett (Germany) calls for identifying and remedying unequal compliance by OSCE member States with their human dimension commitments, and urges participating States to present periodic reports to their parliaments. · Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC). The resolution, signed by Canadian Senator Consiglio Di Nino but introduced by Bev Shipley, reiterates that corruption represents one of the major impediments to the prosperity and security of participating States and to the ability of parliaments to represent their citizens. It urges participating States to strengthen their efforts to combat corruption and to work closely to promote initiatives proposed by the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC). · Limiting immunity for parliamentarians in order to strengthen good governance, public integrity and the rule of law in the OSCE region. The resolution introduced by Benjamin Cardin (United States) encourages participating States to enact legislation providing for more clear, balanced, transparent and enforceable procedures for waiving parliamentary immunities in cases of criminal acts or ethical violations. At the conclusion of the meetings, the members of the Committee elected Leonid Ivanchenko (Russia) Chair, Petros Efthymiou (Greece) Vice-Chair and Roland Blum (France) Rapporteur. E. General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions Chair: Vacant Vice-Chair: Cecilia Wigström (Sweden) Rapporteur: Anne-Marie Lizin (Belgium) 1. Report and Main Resolution The Committee’s Rapporteur, Anne‑Marie Lizin (Belgium), first provided an overview of the issues addressed in her report. In the area of election monitoring, she stressed the need to maintain a high degree of collaboration between the Parliamentary Assembly and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). She called on participating States to identify references in their legislation to the ideas of “crimes of honour” and “vendetta,” to improve parliamentary oversight of security services, and to promote the integration of national minorities and respect for freedom of religion. She concluded by addressing the conduct of OSCE personnel in missions on the ground, and reiterated the need to maintain the strictest moral standards, particularly in respect of any practice that could in any way promote trafficking in human beings. 2. Supplementary Items · Improving the implementation of OSCE electoral standards and commitments and the effectiveness of OSCE election observation activities. The resolution introduced by Marieluise Beck (Germany) calls on participating States to place special emphasis on ways to improve implementation of their commitments in respect of elections. · Cooperation with civil society and non-governmental organizations. The resolution, also introduced by Marieluise Beck (Germany), seeks to strengthen ties with non-governmental organizations in accordance with the role assigned to civil society in the Helsinki process. · Combating anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance. The resolution introduced by Gert Weisskirchen (Germany) follows up on resolutions previously adopted by the Assembly, and recommends that priority be given to public awareness and education efforts. · Funding for positions of advisors in the tolerance and non-discrimination unit of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. The resolution introduced by George Voinovich (United States) urges the OSCE to provide the resources needed to support its activities in relation to tolerance and non-discrimination. At the conclusion of the meetings, the members of the Committee elected Anne‑Marie Lizin (Belgium) Chair, Cecilia Wigström (Sweden) Vice-Chair and Jesús López‑Medel (Spain) Rapporteur. About thirty members of the Assembly took part in discussions at the final meeting of the Assembly. Most topics of importance to the Parliamentary Assembly were addressed. The five candidates for President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Willy Wimmer (Germany), Solomon Passy (Bulgaria), Nino Burdjanadze (Georgia), Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland) and Göran Lennmarker (Sweden), had an opportunity to address the members. The Treasurer of the organization, Canadian Senator Jerry Grafstein, presented his report to the members, noting the excellent state of the Parliamentary Assembly’s finances. Secretary General Spencer Oliver then presented his report, noting the important contribution made to the organization under Alcee Hastings and the visibility he had given it. A supplementary item on the strengthening of parliamentary oversight of security and intelligence services was raised by Roberto Battelli (Slovenia) and adopted by the Assembly. Reports on the work done by each of the three Committees were then presented by Göran Lennmarker, Benjamin Cardin and Cecilia Wigström. The Brussels Declaration was then adopted with all of the supplementary items. President Hastings was presented with a commemorative plaque in thanks for his hard work during his two years in office. Canadian Senator Jerry Grafstein concluded by announcing the results of the election for President of the organization. By a close vote on the second round, Göran Lennmarker was elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE. The next Annual Session will be held in July 2007 in Kiev, Ukraine. Activities of the Canadian Delegation Both individually and as a delegation, the parliamentarians in attendance were very active during this annual session. Senator Consiglio Di Nino, Head of the Delegation, signed two resolutions that were adopted at the meetings, and spoke frequently in the discussions that took place on other matters. Bev Shipley introduced one of the two resolutions in question. Senator Grafstein, as Treasurer of the Parliamentary Assembly, presented his annual report (see above, p. 5), presented the report of the Montenegro Referendum Observation Mission (see above, p. 6) as Deputy Coordinator of that mission, and also performed the duties of returning officer for the elections of the President and other officers of the Assembly. Francine Lalonde and Paul Szabo spoke at the closing plenary session. A. Resolution on Afghanistan The resolution on Afghanistan was introduced at the Committee on Political Affairs and Security. (6) In introducing the resolution, Senator Di Nino stated: This resolution reflects the visionary definition of security that was adopted in the Helsinki Final Act 31 years ago. Political and military security in the OSCE region cannot be achieved without economic development and the protection of human rights. … Our efforts in the near future should focus as much on the consolidation of security within the OSCE region, as on the improvement of security in other areas where threats exist, such as Afghanistan. Afghanistan should be a priority because the OSCE and a majority of its participating states have already taken significant steps and committed significant resources to supporting the rebuilding of the country. … Afghanistan now has a newly elected parliament, led by an elected president. For the first time in decades, the economy is growing and security has largely returned to many areas of the country. … Children, both boys and girls, are going to school again. … The future now looks brighter, notwithstanding the many serious problems the country still faces. Drug trafficking is one such problem that has consequences for all of us. … Afghanistan is a country which has been in a near constant state of war for over 25 years. There is an entire generation of Afghans who have known only two times when the spectre of war seemed to recede – once under the Taliban and again now under the democratically-elected government of President Karzai, supported by coalition and NATO troops. It is essential that they are convinced that the democratic option is the only one that will lead to lasting security and prosperity. This resolution is an opportunity to send a strong message to the troops, diplomats and NGOs of all our countries who toil everyday in the most dangerous of situations, that we understand and appreciate their contribution to world peace; and as well a strong message to the Afghanis that we are prepared to help them deal with and find solutions to this challenging predicament and that we will not abandon them until the task is complete. The introduction of this resolution was greeted with very lively debate, in particular with the German and British delegations, which acknowledged the importance of the resolution but stated reservations regarding the tone, which some thought was not critical enough. In reply, Senator Di Nino stressed the need to ensure that all positions are heard, including critical positions, but said that there was no balance at present and that the most successful aspects of this mission were not being reported in the media. Senator Grafstein supported that position. In the end, the parliamentarians gave their support to Senator Di Nino’s position and the resolution was adopted unanimously. The Chair of the Committee, Göran Lennmarker, remarked on the quality of the debate and said that this was the reason why the Parliamentary Assembly exists. B. Resolution on the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption This resolution was introduced at the Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment. (7) It was signed by Senator Di Nino, but it was introduced by Bev Shipley, who said: The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is a forum. It promotes dialogue. Since the Parliamentary Assembly has agreed last year on the basic principles of the fight against corruption, our first action according to these principles and the nature of this assembly should be to promote dialogue and understanding on this issue. The best vehicle for the promotion of this dialogue is GOPAC, the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption. Since the adoption of the Washington Declaration last year, two new national chapters have been created in the OSCE region, one in Kyrgyzstan and one in Armenia. … In some parts of the OSCE region, parliamentarians fear for their security if they speak out against the corruption they have witnessed. GOPAC is there to support them publicly, and help them design a strategy to protect their safety. By insisting on the accountability of parliamentarians to the electorate, and not to the government, parliamentarians can use their representativeness as a force that will convince them to stand against corrupt practices they have witnessed. … The newly created Kyrgyz National Chapter held a conference last March in Bishkek with the help of the Government of Canada and the OSCE Center in Bishkek. This collaboration between the OSCE and GOPAC was very fruitful and could be expanded in many countries where the OSCE has field missions. The debate the followed the introduction of the resolution dealt with the various forms that corruption can take in different political systems. The Chair of the Committee, Benjamin Cardin, vigorously supported the resolution, citing serious problems in the United States, relating to election financing in particular. The resolution was adopted unanimously. C. Closing Plenary Session In her speech, Francine Lalonde warned parliamentarians against using the concept of the “war on terror” for political gain, particularly when it is presented as an ideological justification for the pursuit of less lofty interests, such as economic interests, and when it is civilian populations who suffer the consequences. Paul Szabo criticized the way that parliamentarians’ participation is often limited to acting as “voting machines” on resolutions, and also criticized the lack of follow-up on resolutions that have been adopted in the reports of the Parliamentary Assembly. D. Bilateral Meetings The Canadian delegation also held two bilateral meetings, one with the delegation from Serbia and the other with the delegation from Portugal. The Serbian parliamentarians expressed their concerns about the independence of Montenegro and described the enormous challenges they have had to face in building institutions that are sufficiently solid to reassure the international community as to the sincerity of the democratic convictions on the part of the country’s authorities. The major challenge is still the persistent assumptions arising out of the civil war regarding the violence that supposedly reigned in Serbia, which is unfortunately often still described by foreigners as a characteristic of the Serbian people themselves. The meeting with the Portuguese delegation was an opportunity to learn about the major issues in that country, which often seems to be familiar to Canadians but about which not a lot is known. One of the things discussed was Portuguese emigration to Canada, along with the harmonious manner in which the Portuguese authorities have managed immigration in comparison with a number of other countries in Europe.
Respectfully submitted,
|
|
 |