Cetinje Parliamentary Forum explores human rights and gender equality in the security sector
The 17th annual Cetinje Parliamentary Forum on Human Rights and Gender Equality in the Security and Defence Sector was held on 28 and 29 April 2015 in Cetinje, Montenegro, bringing together parliamentary, government representatives and academia from the Western Balkans. The Forum was organized by the Parliament of Montenegro and supported by OSCE Mission to Montenegro.
Opening the Forum, Montenegrin Parliament Speaker, Ranko Krivokapic, said that the countries of the region had managed to mitigate some “mistakes form the past”, adding that he hoped that the time of tensions will be replaced by a time of security.
Director of the Office of the OSCE Secretary General, Ambassador Marcel Pesko emphasized the importance of Cetinje Parliamentary Forum as a unique initiative for strengthening of regional cooperation.
“Human rights and gender equality are the key aspects at the normative and operational levels in reform processes in all areas of security and defence sectors,” he said. “The OSCE Mission to Montenegro and our presences across the region play an important role in providing assistance to strengthening national capacities in addressing challenges regarding security sector reform and governance, including at the regional level.”
U.S. Ambassador to Montenegro, Margaret Uyehara, congratulated the country on its progress in modernizing the military and reforms necessary for NATO and EU accession..
Chairman of the Security and Defense Committee Mevludin Nuhodzic noted the importance of human rights and gender equality in the defence and security sector.
Representatives of Parliaments and Governments from the region participated in the two-day event and shared experiences and lessons learned on the perception of human rights and gender for security and armed forces personnel and the legislative and institutional framework, human rights and gender training in practice.
The participants adopted a joint declaration and a set of recommendations acknowledging that equal rights of women and men and the respect for and protection of human rights of security and armed forces personnel are essential elements of security. Furthermore, the participants recalled one of the milestone documents of the OSCE, the Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security, and expressed their readiness to respect accepted international commitments and to commit to the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.