Efthymiou promotes co-operation in speech to OSCE Permanent Council

VIENNA, 3 November 2011 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Petros Efthymiou today laid out a vision to strengthen the world’s largest regional security organization during a speech before the Organization’s diplomatic body, the Permanent Council.

President Efthymiou called for closer co-operation between the Parliamentary Assembly’s and Permanent Council’s three committees covering politico-military security, economic and environmental co-operation, and humanitarian concerns.  He also relayed decisions voted upon by the Assembly recommending greater transparency at the Permanent Council. The full speech can be found here.

“Amid challenges to human rights and democracy throughout our region, we are convinced that our recommendations will facilitate the OSCE to seize the opportunity both to change itself and bring change in its area,” President Efthymiou said, speaking of the Parliamentary Assembly’s Belgrade Declaration, approved in July.

On the parliamentary role in conflict resolution, he said, “Governments conclude accords for peaceful solutions to conflicts, but it is parliamentarians who build the public support for these solutions, foster understanding about diplomatic processes, and raise public awareness about OSCE work toward lasting peace.”

President Efthymiou said joint meetings between the PC’s and PA’s three committees should be a “regular procedure.” He also referred to the Belgrade Declaration’s calls for the Permanent Council meetings to be made open to the public and press on an ad hoc basis, a modification of the consensus rule for personnel, budget and administration matters, and use of the consensus-minus-one rule for ‘clear, gross and uncorrected violations of OSCE commitments.’ 

“We still face a situation which is characterized by many stalemates, not only related to the frozen conflicts,” he said. “Our worst common enemy is routine, and often enough our routine proceedings suffocate us and limit our ability to come up with visions for the future.”

Referring to the debt crisis in Greece, President Efthymiou mentioned the need for greater economic co-operation within the OSCE. “Being in the eye of the storm, I can personally testify how closely economic issues are linked to fundamental issues of democracy and stability,” he said.

This is a press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The views expressed in this press release do not necessarily reflect those of the OSCE Chairmanship, nor of all OSCE participating States.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 320 parliamentarians from 55 countries spanning, Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.

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Neil Simon
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