Rapporteur Vilija Aleknaite-Abramikiene presents her plans for the 2012 Annual Session in Monaco, 23 Feb 2012.VIENNA, 24 February 2012 – The meeting of the OSCE PA's General Committee on Political Affairs and Security on Thursday, chaired by German parliamentarian Karl-Georg Wellmann, included a report from the committee rapporteur on her plans for the upcoming Annual Session in Monaco, and a follow-up report from the vice-chair regarding developments related to OSCE PA recommendations from the PA's 2011 Belgrade Declaration.
"The OSCE, due to its broad membership and comprehensive approach to security, offers a unique platform to discuss new threats including cyber threats," said Rapporteur Vilija Aleknaite-Abramikiene. She mentioned that existing OSCE tools for confidence- and security-building could be used on new threats such as cyber crime.
Aleknaite-Abramikiene said that the OSCE must focus on multidimensional threats to security in the OSCE region while maintaining a focus on the human dimension. She regretted that a number of OSCE participating States had retreated from the principle of comprehensive security during the Ministerial Council in Vilnius. The rapporteur reiterated that protracted conflicts remain one of the greatest threats to security and stability, and welcomed progress made in resuming the 5+2 talks on Transnistria.
In her presentation, Vice-Chair Susanne Bratli elaborated on the work that had been achieved in following up from the OSCE PA Belgrade Declaration. She focused on activities performed beyond the OSCE area and the support that has been expressed for the role of women in southern Mediterranean politics. She highlighted the field of election observation as an area where the PA can provide a direct input to democracy and human rights beyond the OSCE area.
Ms. Bratli also prioritized the matter of re-establishing an OSCE presence in Belarus and Georgia, regretting the lack of consensus on the issue. She stated that it was important not to lose hope while finding new ways to address the issue.
A lively discussion was held on the fight against terrorism and crime, with presentations by Mauro Miedico, Chief of the Specialized Terrorism Prevention, Terrorism Prevention Branch, UNODC; Manuel Marion, Senior Programme Officer, OSCE Transnational Threats, Action Against Terrorism Unit; Murat Yildiz, Police Affairs Officer, Training Adviser, OSCE Transnational Threats, Strategic Police Matters Unit; and Nemanja Malisevic, Cyber Security Officer, OSCE Secretariat.
In the debate, parliamentarians offered their views on cyber threats, the need to harmonize the legal framework across participating States, the issue of counter-terrorism measures' compliance with international and human rights law, and the ongoing threat of transnational terrorism.
