frsrdg · GV04OSSE1 · 2008-01-01 00:00:00 — Considering that the essence of democracy is the right of the sole holder of sovereignty, the people, to decide who will assume the positions that entail the exercise of authority and that, by carrying out independent and evidence-based observation in cooperation with the host countries, Election Monitoring Missions serve to promote democracy and human rights, Reaffirming the need for the participating States legal frameworks fully to respect the commitments, including the principles of transparency, equal opportunities, freedom of expression and regular elections, Attaching great importance to the special position of parliaments as the only directly accountable democratic bodies to which citizens grant their representation and also bearing in mind the fact that governments must obtain the trust of parliamentary institutions, Attaching great importance to the representative value of those who assume democratically elected positions at an institutional level, Considering it to be fundamental that holding elections offers the greatest credibility, at both domestic and international levels, Bearing in mind that, without detriment to other bodies, the offers the greatest reliability and international credibility, given the experience of its , Considering the validity and relevance of the 1997 Cooperation Agreement between the , The Parliamentary Assembly: Reaffirms the strengthening of parliaments as directly accountable democratic institutions and essential channels through which citizens grant their representation, since it is the citizens who must clearly establish the standards binding the authorities; Recommends that the participating States ensure that their electoral legislation meets the demands of pluralism, transparency, equal opportunities and freedom of speech; Requests that States guarantee that election practices respect the aforementioned principles, underlining the importance of the neutrality of public officials; Considers that the right to participate in elections should not be unduly restricted, thus rejecting the imposition of unnecessary and excessive requirements to stand as a candidate in an election; Reaffirms the importance of the fact that elections held in the area fully comply with commitments regarding truly democratic elections; Reiterates the relevance here of Electoral Observation Missions in demonstrating support for a democratic process and assisting participating States to conduct genuine elections in line with commitments; Emphasizes the importance of combining the technical and political dimensions, the perception of those who run as candidates in their countries of origin being especially valuable in this regard; Emphasizes the fact that the final assessment of an electoral process has an undeniable political relevance, and that, in this regard, an effort must be made to define clearly the conclusions to be made public; Reaffirms its to maintain the technical cooperation provided by ODIHR, reiterating the need fully to observe the Agreement and show the greatest willingness to make cooperation possible; Is firmly convinced that long-term and short-term election monitoring along with election monitoring by experts and parliamentarians complement one another; that the ODIHR methodology is based on long-term on-site observations that make a valuable contribution to reaching objective findings and solid conclusions in a joint effort; that parliamentarians contribute a wide range of professional political experience and give election monitoring missions visibility; Reaffirms its previously-expressed unanimous will that, for the benefit of credibility and trust in electoral observation missions, the role of the Parliamentary Assembly and its leadership regarding these tasks be respected and supported by all, being solely subject in this regard to the said Cooperation Agreement. Reinforcement of the principle of participation Considering the vital need to reinforce mechanisms for a better organization of civil society, and the essential nature in this regard of the participation principle as tool for democratic participation, Affirming the importance of a society with a life and organization of its own besides the institutional workings of the authorities, The Parliamentary Assembly: Expresses its commitment to the promotion, by the participating States themselves, of the strengthening of civil society, an expression of the principle of participation, boosting rather than suffocating any initiatives emerging from society itself; Promotes the true and effective recognition of the right of association in all fields and makes a commitment to broaden the scope of action of social groups and NGOs. V. Transparency and the fight against corruption Considering the importance of the authorities acting with transparency and being subject to the rule of law, together with the need for administrative, political and judicial control to act properly in a system of freedom of information, Bearing in mind the fact that the institutional authorities must not allow the existence of influential groups that are not subject to the rule of law or to or judicial controls, The Parliamentary Assembly: Reaffirms its commitment to reinforce the transparency of the authorities actions, taking firm measures against any form of corruption, at political or social level, and promoting where necessary legislative measures for that purpose; Promotes the adoption of measures to fight mafia-like criminal organizations which are not only linked to public corruption relating to finances, politics or town planning, but are also of a transnational nature; Affirms the need to step up the fight against drug-trafficking organizations, which not only severely damage the health and lives of individuals but also generate insecurity and a flow of funds, owing to an atmosphere of impunity or at least to the flagrant inadequacy of resources to fight them; Reiterates the need to strengthen the mechanisms to fight trafficking in human beings, particularly women and children, as forms of exploitation and degradation of the dignity of persons. Considering that immigration is a reality calling for a response based on common action and a multi-faceted approach, in which, alongside security measures, other decisions of a political, economic, social and humanitarian nature must be taken, Reaffirming the existence of fundamental human rights that all human beings are entitled to, regardless of their country of origin, Considering that a key element of migration is a situation of absolute vulnerability and the total lack of expectations in the countries of origin, problems that the developed world has been unable to solve, The Parliamentary Assembly: Reiterates the need to reinforce cooperation in migration flow control mechanisms so that the participating States can absorb migration in terms of labour and society; Urges all authorities addressing the issue of migration to reconcile the need to preserve the cultures of participating States with the notion that plurality is enriching for everyone; Points to the need to strengthen integration tools, thus avoiding ghettos and granting migrants not only civil but also social rights, including the rights to health, education and a decent livelihood. Protection of persons belonging to minorities and of religious freedom Considering that democracy is based, among other fundamental rules, on the respect for the rights of persons belonging to minorities and the promotion of mutual respect and tolerance, Considering that tolerance which does not in itself assume any kind of superiority is clearly a value to be preserved in pluralistic societies, The Parliamentary Assembly: Acknowledges the progress made with regard to the protection of members of minority groups, but considers that it is still necessary to safeguard the conditions for members of minority groups to be able to express their own ethnic, cultural, linguistic or religious identities within an integrated and cohesive society; Urges that access to all social benefits be provided to all residents, subject to any citizenship requirements, on a non-discriminatory basis; Reaffirms the absolute need to guarantee religious freedom, which should not work as a discriminating element, thus rejecting any form of religious intolerance including anti-Semitism, Islamophobia or Christianophobia and promoting the respect for symbols of all religions. Aware of the fact that the acute poverty faced by a majority of the human population derives from structural causes, corruption and an absence of democracy, inter alia, Also aware of the fact that another of the reasons is the lack of effective commitment on the part of the First World to show more commitment in implementing measures to fight this scourge, Bearing in mind the first of the United Nations Millennium Goals, namely the decision to halve the worlds poverty by the year 2015, Also bearing in mind that millions of people lose their lives every year owing to extreme poverty, Recognizing that an increasing number of specialized asset management companies, commonly known as vulture funds, buy the distressed commercial debt of heavily indebted poor countries and then engage in abusive litigation against these countries in the hope of benefiting from multilateral debt relief, The Parliamentary Assembly: Demands a more intense application of the principles of solidarity and for those facing situations of total vulnerability, by increasing development aid for these countries; Calls for stronger measures to ensure that, alongside basic social welfare policy, this cooperation respects human rights, the promotion of democracy and equality between men and women; Urges the to intensify the buy-back of outstanding commercial debt of all eligible countries to remove at-risk debts from the public domain, and to expand the International Development Associations debt reduction facility so that it is available sooner to heavily indebted poor countries and includes debts owed to semi-commercial enterprises of non-OECD countries; Recommends that participating States provide greater legal and technical assistance to heavily indebted poor countries facing possible litigation, and develop a code of conduct on responsible lending for commercial creditors that discourages or prohibits vulture fund profiteering and provides greater legal protection to debtor countries; Undertakes to strengthen coordination between migration policies and policies in the field of development cooperation, defining these countries as priority areas for cooperation; Considers the development of humanitarian aid to refugees and displaced persons to be a priority, promoting their voluntary return whenever possible. RESOLUTION ON CONFLICT SETTLEMENT IN THE AREA Reaffirming the role of the as a regional arrangement under Chapter VIII of the UN Charter and a key instrument for early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation in its region, Recognizing the essential role of the negotiation process with the participation of all sides for the full-scale settlement of the conflict, Reiterating its deep concern over the persistence of conflicts in various regions in the area, in particular in the territory of the Republic of , and the Republic of , Recognizing that unresolved conflicts in the area threaten the observance of the principles and have an impact on regional and international peace and stability, Stressing the urgent need for the international community, including the , to exhibit the necessary political determination towards the settlement of long-standing problems in the region, in accordance with international law, principles and pertinent resolutions, Acknowledging that persisting conflicts in the area undermine the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the participating States concerned, impede democratic reforms and sustainable development in those states, hinder regional cooperation and development, Reaffirming its adherence to the principles of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the participating States and the inviolability of their internationally recognized borders, Emphasizing the commitment assumed by participating States, on account of their membership, to respect the principles of this Organization, as well as the need for the to ensure observance by participating States of its principles pertaining to international law, by reviewing and reinforcing its oversight mechanisms for commitment implementation, The Parliamentary Assembly: Expresses its deep regret at the lack of substantial progress toward a political settlement of the existing conflicts in various regions of the area; Urges all parties involved to engage in good faith in the search for negotiated solutions in order to achieve a comprehensive and lasting political settlement based on the norms and principles of international law; Maintains that the peaceful settlement of conflicts in the area should remain a top priority, and supports the facilitation of a political settlement to the conflicts, elimination of the sources of tension among the parties, restoration of confidence and promotion of political reconciliation, including signing of the agreements on non-resumption of hostilities and security guarantees; Supports all efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement of the frozen conflicts in and based on the principles of territorial integrity of these countries and the complete fulfilment of the 1999 Commitments; Calls upon all parties to make full use of the available negotiating mechanisms and formats in a constructive spirit; Expresses its concern at the persistence of blockades and closed borders between participating States; Warns against using settlement of some conflicts as precedents for resolving the others; Urges parliamentarians of the participating States to intensify their efforts in order to promote negotiated solutions to these conflicts; use of cooperation between conflicting parties as a confidence-building measure in order to facilitate the search for settlement. RESOLUTION ON WOMEN IN PEACE AND SECURITY Underlining the fact that civilians, particularly women and children, account for the vast majority of those affected by armed conflicts, Recalling that armed conflicts are a breeding ground for atrocities against women and other vulnerable groups of civilians such as children and elderly people, Underlining the fact that the participation of women and girls and the inclusion of gender perspectives in both formal and informal peace processes are crucial in the of sustainable peace, Welcoming the discussions and decisions initiated by the Resolution on Women, Peace and Security, Welcoming the fact that several participating States have already developed and adopted National Action Plans on UNSC Resolution , The Parliamentary Assembly: Encourages participating States to develop, adopt and implement national action plans on women, peace and security; Recommends that the works as a regional network supporting, coordinating and reviewing the development and implementation of national activities in this field. RESOLUTION ON THE BOMBS Stressing the importance of the Conference held in on 22 and 23 February 2007, where those states which participated committed themselves to conclude by 2008 a legally binding international instrument to ban cluster bombs, Underlining the serious humanitarian consequences and the highly destructive impact on civilians of the use of such weapons in all conflicts where they have been deployed, Being aware of the threat unexploded munitions continue to pose for years to people who come into contact with them, particularly to children because of their toy-like appearance, The Parliamentary Assembly: Calls on participating States to adopt legislation prohibiting the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions that gravely affect civil populations; Urges participating States to stimulate a global campaign and a process that could lead to an international ban on cluster bombs. RESOLUTION ON THE ILLICIT AIR TRANSPORT OF SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS AND THEIR AMMUNITION Reaffirming the importance of the multidimensional concept of the OSCEs common, global, cooperative and indivisible security according to the principles contained in the Strategy to Address Threats to Security and Stability in the Twenty-First Century and the Strategy Document for the Economic and Environmental Dimension, Recalling the 2006 Resolution of the on the Illicit Transportation of Small Arms and Light Weapons and their Ammunition, Recalling that the Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons forms the political framework for action in this field for the participating States and that it already contains many elements important to help combat illicit transportation of small arms and light weapons, including the improvement of cooperation in the field of law enforcement, Underscoring that the implementation of some elements of the Document, such as the 2004 Principles on the Control of Brokering and the Standard Elements for End-User Certificates, are important accompanying policies, Welcoming the special meeting of the for Security Co-operation on 21 2007 on Illicit Trafficking by Air of Small Arms and Light Weapons, the first meeting on this subject on the international calendar, Taking note of the conclusions of that meeting, namely the usefulness of an information exchange between States, the clear added value of a dialogue with and within the air cargo transportation sector and with relevant international organizations as well as the development of a best practice guide, Concerned that no specific international regulations on the transport of small arms and light arms as cargo exist, Mindful of the devastating effect on human security of the uncontrolled spread of small arms and light weapons and their ammunition, The Parliamentary Assembly: Calls upon the participating States to follow up on the results of the 21 meeting on Illicit Trafficking by Air of Small Arms and Light Weapons, in particular to: criminalize the violation of arms embargoes; engage in a dialogue with the air cargo transportation sector with a view to closing the loopholes for illegal transportation of small arms and light weapons; promote the wider introduction and use of air traffic control systems; promote the use of air traffic control data for purposes of ex post facto analysis and of notification for control of flights suspected of engaging in trafficking in small arms and light weapons; Recommends the adoption in the area of a best practice guide on the transportation of small arms and light weapons and ammunition by air; Urges participating States to establish coordination between their relevant national authorities; Calls upon participating States to ensure that effective procedures are established for the management and security of national stockpiles of weapons and their ammunition and for the safe destruction of surplus stocks, and encourages participating States to provide assistance for this purpose; Calls upon participating States to support and implement national regional and international efforts and regulations on arms trade, export licensing and brokering; Calls upon participating States and for Co-operation also to discuss the issue of illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons in the appropriate regional forums in and of which they are a member; Encourages participating States to promote and engage in international cooperation, particularly in and with , to create better conditions to combat the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons. RESOLUTION ON ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY STRATEGY Underlining the importance environment-related issues can have as part of the global security, Noting the fact that environmental co-operation can be an effective catalyst for reducing tensions, broadening co-operation and promoting peace, Welcoming the discussions and decisions taken by the Economic and of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, held in 2007 in , Recalling the efforts and experiences participating States as well as other international organizations have already undertaken in fostering environmental security, The Parliamentary Assembly: Welcomes every constructive effort the undertakes to help its 56 participating States and 11 Partners for Co-operation to tackle environmental security threats and thus to promote stability; Encourages the ongoing work of the to develop an Strategy for the Organization to be debated at the in in ; Recommends that the works closely together with participating States as well as national and other international organizations experienced in the field of environmental security; Calls upon participating States to develop their own environmental security strategies. RESOLUTION ON LIBERALIZATION OF TRANSATLANTIC TRADE Remembering the historical events that shaped the common cultural values of Europe and North , and on which the is based, Recognizing the importance of international trade for economic growth, the stability of peaceful international relations and the promotion of these shared values, Reiterating the vital importance of the economic and environmental dimension of security for the , Recalling the importance that the attaches to the development of international trade as underlined by the on Strengthening Stability and Cooperation through International Trade, held in on 24 and 25 2007, Recalling the recommendations of for a Positive Business and Investment Climate, published by the Office of the Coordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities, which advocate stronger international trade policies and conditions favourable to the circulation of international capital, Concurring with the conclusions of the Coordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities that free trade agreements and the reduction of tariffs are vital to a strong trade policy, Drawing the appropriate lessons from history and economic integration, free trade zones and investment compacts, which demonstrate that cooperation among trade partners produces more shared economic benefits than protectionism, Recalling the commitments made by the participating States at the in regarding the liberalization of trade and the elimination of barriers limiting market access, Recognizing the considerable impact that North and Europe now have on international trade conditions, Considering that the economic ties linking Europe and North have reached such proportions in recent decades that their respective economic growth is increasingly interconnected, Considering that stronger transatlantic economic ties would be beneficial to all participating States, Noting that the appeal of the emerging markets of and South is not sufficient to reduce the scope and depth of the economic integration of Europe and North , Recognizing that, despite this integration, trade barriers limit the development of significant growth and employment potential, The Parliamentary Assembly of the recommends that the parliaments of the participating States of the : Vigorously support all initiatives to promote the liberalization of transatlantic trade, including the harmonization of standards and the elimination of regulatory barriers; Facilitate the development of transatlantic partnership agreements among members of existing free trade zones, including the North American Free Trade Agreement, Union, and the Central European Free Trade Agreement; Raise awareness among participating States of the considerable shared benefits of stronger initiatives to promote the liberalization of trade. RESOLUTION ON STRENGTHENING ENGAGEMENT WITH HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AND NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS