PRAGUE, 14 September 2023 – Irene Charalambides (Cyprus), Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Special Representative on Fighting Corruption, along with Artur Gerasymov (Ukraine), Vice-Chair of the PA’s economic and environmental committee, participated today in the Forum on the Economic and Environmental Dimension of the OSCE, held in Prague, Czech Republic, from 14 to 15 September.
Vice-Chair of the Second Committee Artur Gerasymov and Vice-President Irene Charalambides at the 2023 Prague Forum, 14 September 2023In her address, Charalambides highlighted the OSCE PA’s role as a platform for policy convergence, emphasizing the importance of good governance and public trust. She encouraged participants to explore the resolutions of the Vancouver Declaration, addressing challenges such as climate change and corruption.
Additionally, Charalambides underscored the vital role of national parliaments in preventing corruption and advocated for robust institutions with accountability measures. She stressed that political will, when coupled with advancements in technology, is essential to combat corruption effectively, while promoting the use of open data for transparency and citizen engagement.
“We should not expect that new digital technologies will automatically solve our 'human' problems, starting from corruption,” Charalambides said. “But we must do our utmost to ensure that the possibilities offered by these new tools and advancements are fully harnessed in the interest of good governance. Together – me and you, parliaments and governments – can make a difference.”
Vice-President Irene Charalambides and Special Representative of the OSCE Chairpersonship on Combating Corruption Anita Ramasastry, Prague, 14 September 2023Vice-Chair Gerasymov actively participated in the discussions, shedding light on the OSCE PA's efforts in tackling both current and enduring issues, including climate change, plastic pollution, energy insecurity and connectivity disruptions, as well as in better understanding the impact of Artificial Intelligence on security, democracy and privacy. He also deplored the appalling environmental consequences of the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which will have ripple effects throughout Europe.
Overall, the two-day conference - convened by the OSCE 2023 Chairpersonship of North Macedonia - provided a unique platform for national experts, academia, civil society and the business community to interact on a wide set of contemporary policy and security challenges in the economic, environmental, digital and technological spheres.
