OSCE Mission to Montenegro organizes workshop on security sector oversight for parliamentarians

Parliamentary oversight of the security sector was the topic of a two-day workshop organized in Podgorica by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro for members of the country’s parliament and parliamentary staff on 24 and 25 October 2019.

Peter Vanhotte, a former Belgian MP with over 15 years of experience working with parliaments in the region and around the world, led the interactive workshop. The participants examined the basics and practical approaches of parliamentary oversight of the police, defence and intelligence, the relevant legislative framework, and how classified information should be handled.

John Corrigan, the Mission’s Security Co-operation and Governance Programme Manager, said that while challenges may vary from country to country in the region, it must be acknowledged that all parliamentarians are confronted by a rapidly changing environment, in which information is more available, more instantaneous and more difficult to verify than ever before.

“This makes parliaments a uniquely valuable resource that should be proudly recognized and supported. It is the intention of the OSCE to continue to work together to build Montenegro’s parliamentary capacity to deliver high-quality information services to parliamentarians for its citizens,” said Corrigan.

Both through the Democratization and the Programme for Security Co-operation and Governance, the Mission will continue to support the parliament in its efforts to further strengthen the parliamentary services and its efficiency, as well as the work and the oversight role of the parliamentary committees.