Newsroom
New Yugoslav law on security services important step in improving democratic control over armed forces
BELGRADE 3 July 2002
BELGRADE, 3 July 2002 - The adoption of the Law on Security Services by the Parliament of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) on 2 July is an important step forward in the process of establishing democratic control over the armed forces. It is expected that this law will open the way for other legislative initiatives aimed at developing a comprehensive framework for parliamentary oversight and civilian control in this field.
This is the shared opinion of international experts of the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), the EastWest Institute (EWI), and the OSCE Mission to the FRY which, at the request of the Speaker of the Federal Parliament's Chamber of Citizens, Dragoljub Micunovic, has been involved in the drafting process of this law.
"In view of the importance the OSCE attaches to the role of Parliament in controlling the activities of the armed forces, the adoption of this Law is a very positive development", said Ambassador Sannino, the Head of the OSCE Mission to the FRY. He expressed the belief that "progress in this area will also help Yugoslavia's integration in other regional structures, such as the Council of Europe and NATO's Partnership for Peace programme".
EWI Senior Vice President Istvan Gyarmati said. "By opening the processes of political control to many, Yugoslavia minimizes the risk of political manipulation by one and takes a critical step forward in returning its security forces to the tradition of professionalism and capacity for which they were so famous".
The security services law, which was completed in June by a special Parliamentary commission chaired by the Speaker Micunovic, had previously been sent to international experts who provided thorough comments on the law, based on their concrete experiences in the intelligence services and in intelligence oversight in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States. According to Mr. Micunovic, after meeting the international experts, the drafting commission was "very grateful to EWI, DCAF, and the OSCE for their comments. These were of great help and the drafting commission hopes that co-operation can continue in the future".
DCAF, EWI and the OSCE Mission to the FRY reaffirm their continued willingness to support the follow-up to the adoption of the law, including the preparing of other legislative acts aimed at enhancing the democratic control over the armed forces.
This is the shared opinion of international experts of the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), the EastWest Institute (EWI), and the OSCE Mission to the FRY which, at the request of the Speaker of the Federal Parliament's Chamber of Citizens, Dragoljub Micunovic, has been involved in the drafting process of this law.
"In view of the importance the OSCE attaches to the role of Parliament in controlling the activities of the armed forces, the adoption of this Law is a very positive development", said Ambassador Sannino, the Head of the OSCE Mission to the FRY. He expressed the belief that "progress in this area will also help Yugoslavia's integration in other regional structures, such as the Council of Europe and NATO's Partnership for Peace programme".
EWI Senior Vice President Istvan Gyarmati said. "By opening the processes of political control to many, Yugoslavia minimizes the risk of political manipulation by one and takes a critical step forward in returning its security forces to the tradition of professionalism and capacity for which they were so famous".
The security services law, which was completed in June by a special Parliamentary commission chaired by the Speaker Micunovic, had previously been sent to international experts who provided thorough comments on the law, based on their concrete experiences in the intelligence services and in intelligence oversight in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States. According to Mr. Micunovic, after meeting the international experts, the drafting commission was "very grateful to EWI, DCAF, and the OSCE for their comments. These were of great help and the drafting commission hopes that co-operation can continue in the future".
DCAF, EWI and the OSCE Mission to the FRY reaffirm their continued willingness to support the follow-up to the adoption of the law, including the preparing of other legislative acts aimed at enhancing the democratic control over the armed forces.