Security committee highlights need for military transparency, continued work on Afghanistan

ISTANBUL, 1 July 2013 — The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's political and security committee today passed a resolution to increase military transparency and strengthen international agreements on arms control.

The resolution calls for parliaments and governments to ratify the Arms Trade Treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, renew negotiations on the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, and update the Vienna Document to lower the threshold at which states are to inform each other of military exercises.

"The vote we have taken today says we are ready and willing to change, now we need the proper follow up from governmental leaders to make our security agreements  match the modern challenges in our region," said Vilija Aleknaite Abramikiene (Lithuania), rapporteur of the political affairs and security committee and author of the resolution.

The committee resolution recommends maintaining the OSCE Office in Baku, and strengthening the Office in Yerevan, and the Mission in Moldova. The resolution also calls for reestablishing an OSCE presence in Georgia, which was closed in 2008. The draft also seeks to increase OSCE efforts to train border and law enforcement officers in Central Asia and to deepen co-operation with Afghanistan.

"As we consider the changes on the ground in Afghanistan, this resolution is a reminder of how we must change as well, to ensure that the OSCE offer all it can to strengthen regional co-operation to improve security in Afghanistan and neighboring countries," said Asa Lindestam (Sweden), committee chair.

The resolution now heads to the full plenary of the Parliamentary Assembly for adoption as the Istanbul Declaration, which helps shape OSCE and national policy. Parliamentarians from more than 50 countries will vote on the declaration Wednesday.

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 323 parliamentarians from 57 countries spanning, Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international cooperation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.