OSCE meeting in Ukraine discusses democratic control of armed forces by civil society

KYIV, 17 June 2003 - Improving the integration of armed forces into civil society and strengthening parliamentary oversight of the army, police and security forces were on top of the agenda of a two-day OSCE workshop which ended in Kyiv, Ukraine today.

The event, which was a joint initiative of the OSCE's Vienna-based Conflict Prevention Centre and the Organization's Parliamentary Assembly (PA), was attended by parliamentarians and government officials from Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine.

Welcoming the participants to the meeting, Borys Andresyuk, Deputy Head of Defence and National Security Committee of the Supreme Rada of Ukraine, emphasized the importance of democratic principles and standards in civil-military relations.

The President of the OSCE PA, Bruce George, stressed in his welcoming speech the need for parliamentary scrutiny of decisions over military expenditure throughout the region.

"I am particularly pleased that legislation is currently being introduced that will greatly improve parliamentary oversight of the armed forces in Ukraine", he said.

Throughout the two days, government officials, military personnel and parliamentarians discussed ways to enhance the capacity of national parliaments to guide and monitor defence planning processes. Practical examples were provided by parliamentarians from Belgium, Slovenia and Sweden on issues ranging from public access to defence information to the full observance of international humanitarian law.

Participants from across the region also benefited from expert analysis from international and Ukrainian research institutes, including the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces, the European Association of Military Organizations, the Ukrainian Centre for Economic and Political Studies, the Centre for European Security Studies, and the International Society for Human Rights.

It is hoped that the event will improve contacts and co-operation between parliamentary and military representatives from across Central and Eastern Europe, and will help ensure the full implementation of commitments under the OSCE's Code of Conduct for Politico-Military Aspects of Security.

The event was financially supported by the governments of Norway and Hungary.