2011 Belgrade Report.Indd
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
report OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 20th Annual Session Belgrade Strengthening the OSCE’s Eff ectiveness and Effi ciency – A New Start After the Astana Summit 20th Annual Session Report REPORT ON THE 20TH ANNUAL SESSION OF THE OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY CONTENTS Summary ........................................................................................................... 1 Belgrade Declaration ............................................................................ 2 Inaugural Plenary Session .................................................................. 4 Standing Committee ............................................................................... 10 General Committee on Political Affairs and Security ... 12 General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment ................................................... 14 General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions ................................................................. 16 Closing Plenary Sessions ..................................................................... 18 Officers of the Assembly ....................................................................... 22 General Committee Officers ............................................................. 25 2 20th Annual Session Report Summary Hosted by the Serbian Parliament, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 20th Annual Session took place at the historic Sava Centre in Belgrade from 6 to 10 July 2011. he 20th Annual Session of the OSCE Par- Offi cers to one-year terms on 9 July. In the Tliamentary Assembly was held from 6 to General Committee on Political Affairs and 10 July 2011 in Belgrade, Serbia, under the Security, Karl-Georg Wellmann (Germany) theme of “Strengthening the OSCE’s Effec- was re-elected Chair; Susanne Bratli (Norway), tiveness and Effi ciency – A New Start After the Vice-Chair and Vilija Aleknaite Abramikiene Astana Summit.” It concluded with the elec- (Lithuania), Rapporteur. tions of Assembly Offi cers and the adoption of The General Committee on Economic the Belgrade Declaration. Affairs, Science, Technology and Environ- Parliamentarians from across the OSCE ment elected Serhiy Shevchuk (Ukraine) as region voted on 10 July to pass the Belgrade Chair; Bruce Hyer (Canada), Vice-Chair; and Declaration, a political document fi lled with Tony Lloyd (United Kingdom), Rapporteur. recommendations for national parliaments and In the General Committee on Democracy, the Organization for Security and Co-opera- Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, tion Europe on economic, security and human Matteo Mecacci (Italy) was elected Chair; rights issues. Alain Neri (France), Vice-Chair; and Coskun “This Belgrade Declaration should remind Coruz (Netherlands), Rapporteur. us all that the best days of the OSCE are Vice-Presidents were elected to three-year ahead of us,” said President Petros Efthymiou terms on the fi nal day. Wolfgang Grossruck (Greece). “Since the beginning our region (Austria) was re-elected, while Walburga Hab- has constantly changed, and now it is impera- sburg Douglas (Sweden) and Tonino Picula tive for the OSCE to change as well. We look (Croatia) were elected after having served as forward to governments, parliaments and the Chair of the Third Committee and Rapporteur OSCE implementing these recommendations.” of the First Committee, respectively. Parliamentarians re-elected President Efthy- Several meetings were held on the margins miou to a second one-year term on the fi nal of the Annual Session, including a side meet- day of the Session. Treasurer Roberto Battelli ing on Belarus, a bilateral Armenian-Azerbai- (Slovenia) was re-elected to a two-year term. jani meeting, a working lunch on gender issues The three General Committees elected new and an event on organ traffi cking. 1 20th Annual Session Report Belgrade Declaration t the close of each Annual Session, the AAssembly adopts a Declaration with recommendations in the fi elds of political affairs, security, and economic, environmental and human rights issues, represents the collective voice of the OSCE parliamentarians OSCE PA President Petros Efthymiou and helps shape OSCE and national policy. SCE parliamentarians voted on 10 July Oto pass the Belgrade Declaration with recommendations for national parliaments and the OSCE on economic, security and human rights issues. To strengthen the effectiveness and effi ciency of the OSCE, the Belgrade Declaration recommends, inter alia, that the OSCE change the consensus rule for OSCE decision-making, at least on personnel, budget and administration matters. Further, the OSCE Permanent Council should allow the public and the press to attend its meetings. The OSCE should also provide assistance in North Africa, if asked, in the fi elds of democracy and human rights. In the fi eld of economic and environmental affairs, the Belgrade Declaration recommends that energy infrastructure be developed mindful of “environmental threats and nuclear safety.” Further, the international community should create a global system to notify governments of natural disasters, co-ordinate international assistance to affected areas, and promote international investment to help redevelop hard-hit communities. The document also recommends countries invest in environmentally safe industries and energy- saving technologies. In the human dimension, the Belgrade Declaration calls on participating States to implement in full the commitments they have assumed in the fi elds of human rights, fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law. To this end, the Assembly recommends utilizing the “consensus minus one” procedure in cases of “clear, gross and uncorrected violations of OSCE commitments.” The Declaration It is also recommended that the Permanent Council hold bi-weekly meetings to consider human rights issues. Members also approved 23 resolutions on a host of issues, including human rights in Belarus, cyber security, human traffi cking, internet freedom, nuclear safety and organ traffi cking. 2 20th Annual Session Report 3 20th Annual Session Report Inaugural Plenary Session peaking at the Speaker of Parliament Sopening of the Slavica Dukic-Dejanovic OSCE Parliamen- tary Assembly’s Speaker of 20th Annual Ses- the Serbian sion, President Parliament Petros Efthymiou Slavica Dukic- (Greece) called Dejanovic for signifi cant noted the sig- changes to the nifi cance for Petros Efthymiou operations of the Serbia of host- OSCE to make it ing the Assem- more effective in addressing modern political bly’s 20th and security crises. Annual Ses- Slavica Dukic-Dejanovic Noting the historic importance of the Sava sion. Centre, built in 1977 to host the fi rst work- The fact that ing meetings of the Conference for Security the gathering was beingheld in Belgrade, she and Co-operation in Europe, Mr. Efthymiou said, “is a singular recognition for Serbia, as recalled the OSCE’s success in South-East a founder of the OSCE and a State which con- Europe as a model for its role in other parts sistently implements the basic postulates of of the OSCE region. Reforms, however, are the OSCE in the spheres of political-security, needed in the Vienna-based operations, said economy and human rights in practice.” Mr. Efthymiou. Ms. Dukic-Dejanovic said, “It is my mes- “For the OSCE to be as effective as it has sage and hope that the session in Belgrade been in the past in regions like this one, I rec- will mark a truly new beginning for the OSCE ommend the Ministerial Council meet twice a Parliamentary Assembly so that it might take year to create more opportunities for high-level a central position in the OSCE family in the political consultations,” Mr. Efthymiou said. upcoming period and continue to be a strong “It is also high time that the OSCE change its and integrating factor in the development of consensus-based decision-making process in co-operation.” times of crisis so no one country can alone hold up needed progress on human security issues.” Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic Mr. Efthymiou stated that the OSCE, despite having helped to change the course of his- Serbia’s Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic tory in Europe, is now in a state of crisis. He emphasized the importance of the OSCE as a regretted the fact that at the Astana Summit in strategic partner for his country and praised the December only past commitments were reaf- work of the local OSCE Mission in promoting fi rmed while the Organization failed to defi ne the rule of law and reconciliation in Serbia, its plans for the future. describing the Mission as “creating a better The President said the real strength of the future, co-operation, and a common European OSCE lies in its comprehensive conception of perspective.” security and called for more co-operative work He stressed Serbia’s devotion to the OSCE between the various structures of the Organi- principles and considers the Organization as zation. a strategic partner in dealing with new chal- “The Parliamentary Assembly is fully part lenges such as terrorism, organized crime, of this Organization and has real legitimacy as human traffi cking, energy security and climate it represents the people in the OSCE area,” he change. said. He called for a closer working relation- The Prime Minister said that this Annual Ses- ship between the Assembly and the OSCE’s sion will contribute in reaching the common governmental side. goal of greater security in the region. 4 20th Annual Session Report Inaugural Plenary Session Speaking about European integration, the “Promoting Prime Minister