Reinhold Lopatka addresses Counter-Terrorism Coordination Meeting of Parliamentary Assemblies in Doha, 13 December 2021DOHA, 14 December 2021 – To develop inter-parliamentary collaboration and build overall capacity in preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism, the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism this week is holding the First Counter-Terrorism Coordination Meeting of Parliamentary Assemblies in Doha, Qatar, as well as a roundtable on the role of parliamentarians in implementing national action plans for preventing terrorism in Central Asia.
Austrian parliamentarian Reinhold Lopatka, Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism (CCT) and OSCE PA Vice-President, has actively participated in the events, speaking Monday at the opening session on the role of parliamentarians in addressing terrorism, holding bilateral meetings, and urging more collaboration among parliamentary assemblies to increase the effectiveness of their counter-terrorism efforts.
Addressing representatives of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, Arab Parliament, Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union, African Parliamentary Union, Andean Parliament, Asian Parliamentary Assembly, and the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Lopatka said yesterday that the OSCE PA believes that an efficient co-ordination mechanism on counter-terrorism matters is crucial.
“Ultimately,” he said, “the goal is the full implementation of the global counter-terrorism framework through targeted parliamentary actions at both international and local levels, thereby greatly expanding the reach of our work.” He added that engaging parliaments in global counter-terrorism efforts is essential, including by developing national action plans. “As parliamentarians we are responsible for shaping the legislative and policy frameworks of our countries, and we have a vital role in supporting the implementation of international counter-terrorism obligations too.”
Lopatka highlighted the priorities of the OSCE PA’s CCT, namely the prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration of FTFs and their families; strengthening border security; fostering prevention efforts and de-radicalization; and supporting victims of terrorism. He also stressed the importance of Afghanistan for the OSCE region.
“Since the Taliban takeover in August, the domestic security situation in Afghanistan remains tense, with widespread economic insecurity, a growing humanitarian crisis, political exclusion, and violent security crackdowns by Taliban government forces,” Lopatka said at today’s roundtable.
The CCT Chair emphasized the importance of aligning the efforts of parliamentary assemblies and boosting the impact of their actions. He called for the establishment of a common strategic framework for the counter-terrorism work of parliamentary assemblies, including by offering a new platform to assess the latest regional trends, share lessons learned and consider shared priorities. This would serve to streamline efforts, avoid duplication, and prioritize activities, he said.
Reinhold Lopatka speaks with colleagues in Doha, 13 December 2021“The mechanism would also offer us a privileged forum where to interact multilaterally with the United Nations, keep abreast of the latest international developments and jointly lobby to better reflect the key contribution of parliamentary assemblies in future UN resolutions, strategies and reports,” stressed Lopatka. He added that the new mechanism will feature up to two meetings per year, under a rotating presidency of the assemblies, with the Secretariat support of UNOCT.
While in Doha, Lopatka met bilaterally with several representatives of parliamentary assemblies, including the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean to discuss future joint steps such as a possible event on victims of terrorism, with the IPA-CIS for discussions on the Fourth Global Parliamentary Conference on Countering Terrorism in St. Petersburg in 2023, and with the African Parliamentary Union, Andean Parliament, and Asian Parliamentary Assembly to establish contacts and networks. With the UNOCT, Lopatka discussed ways to further expand co-operation.
For more information on the work of the OSCE PA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism, please click here.
