The role of armed forces in democratic societies in Mediterranean discussed at OSCE Malta conference

ST. JULIAN’S /VIENNA, 11 September 2013 –Security sector governance and the role of armed forces in democratic societies are the topics of a three-day OSCE conference on the Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security starting today in Malta.

The Code, adopted in 1994, is a landmark document for security sector governance and for the role of armed forces in democratic societies.  It contains key principles and commitments on security relations between states and also on the control of all armed forces within a state.

The event brings together high-ranking armed forces officials, senior representatives of foreign ministries as well as of the League of Arab States, academia and representatives of national parliaments from 21 states to share regional experiences of international humanitarian law, security sector reform, the rights of armed forces personnel and parliamentary oversight of security forces.

Maltese Foreign Minister George Vella, whose country will chair the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation in the first trimester of 2014, opened the conference by highlighting the role of the OSCE as the world’s largest regional organizations with vast experience and lessons to share:
“This regional conference fosters the involvement of the OSCE’s Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation and constitutes an excellent platform to discuss common challenges and to learn from each other.”

“If the military enjoys prestige, possesses advanced bureaucratic skills but challenges and overrules civilian leadership and control, democracy and the rule of law will be seriously threatened,” he said.

The OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre in partnership with the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies of Malta (MEDAC) organized the conference with the support from Austria, Germany and Switzerland. It is the sixth of its kind; previous seminars were held in Kazakhstan (2008), Bosnia and Herzegovina (2009), Belarus (2010), Ukraine (2011) and Latvia (2012).

For further information, please contact Fabian Grass from the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre at: fabian.grass@osce.org