Continued relevance of the Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security highlighted at OSCE seminar in Larnaca

The democratic control of armed and security forces in the context of the eastern Mediterranean region was the focus of a seminar organized by the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre and Cyprus from 20 to 24 May 2019 in Larnaca. The discussion brought together more than 60 participants from OSCE participating States and the Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation. The participants included senior officers from the armed forces, senior government officials, and representatives of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, academia and civil society.

As well as the democratic control of the armed and security forces, participants explored parliamentary oversight and respect for international humanitarian and human rights law for armed forces personnel, and regional security challenges.

Participants also shared experiences and best practices in applying the inter- and intra-state level commitments and principles enshrined in the OSCE Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security, a landmark document adopted in 1994 detailing the governance of the security sector and the role of armed and security forces in democratic societies.

“Cyprus has decisively embarked on implementing its vision of creating a web of co-operation in the Eastern Mediterranean transforming the region into a model of prosperity, stability, and peace,” said Nikos Christodoulides, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, as he opened the event.

Ambassador Idibek Kalandar, Chairperson of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) and Permanent Representative of Tajikistan to the OSCE, said: “We are convinced that the rebuilding of the spirit of comprehensiveness, transparency and co-operation among all participating States is crucial for our common future in the West and in the East.”

Marcel Peško, Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, recalled that “the Code of Conduct is a visionary document. This seminar creates an opportunity to engage in forward-looking dialogue and to build trust in the OSCE region including with the Partners for Co-operation”.

The Code of Conduct contains key principles and commitments for the 57 OSCE participating States related to security relations between States and to the control of all armed and security forces within a State.

The seminar was held in line with an FSC decision according to which the OSCE Secretariat is requested to organize at least one specialized seminar or workshop annually in order to facilitate better implementation and promote awareness of the Code of Conduct and support outreach in its regard. 

The seminar was co-hosted by the OSCE and Cyprus, with donor support provided by Germany, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.