frsrdg · GX04OSSE1 · 2010-03-22 00:00:00 — Asks for a review of the failure of the Organisation effectively to implement the 2004 Decision (MC.DEC/14/04) on the 2004 Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality, and urges immediate steps to correct this; Calls on participating States to provide Field Operations with relevant mandates and with sufficient financial and human resources; Regrets the actual cut in the 2009 budget, which will weaken the Organisations ability to fulfil its operational mandate, following the non-official policy in previous years of zero nominal growth of the budget, which in reality has led to a reduction of resources as a result of inflation; Emphasises the need for timely adoption of the budget, increased long-term programme and financial planning, including a time limit for each operation instead of renewable one-year mandates for the field missions, and full transparency in the financial process by updating the Financial Regulations; Stresses the importance of transparency for the credibility of the Organisation and recommends the of a regulatory framework applying to the extrabudgetary funding of programmes; Recommends that reliance on secondments for staffing Field Operations be reduced, that more contracted positions be made available in the field, along with enhanced transparency regarding the recruitment process, and that professional staff term limits be eliminated in order to attract and keep highly qualified professional staff, while at the same time preserving the flexibility and effectiveness of operations in general; Calls for the to be given an oversight role in relation to the budget and for confirmation by the Assembly of the Secretary General, once nominated, as called for in the 2005 Colloquium Report on the Future of the ; Urges the engagement of independent, external professional auditors to oversee the disbursement and expenditure of all funds within the , to report directly to the Chairmanship and the President of the Parliamentary Assembly, and to make their findings, observations, conclusions and recommendations available to participating States and the Parliamentary Assembly. Reiterating the commitment of all participating States to invite as stated in the Document of the Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE (1990), Recalling that election observation missions, comprised of the Parliamentary Assembly and ODIHR, are a means of co-operation as well as an opportunity to learn from each others experiences, Welcoming ODIHRs efforts to diversify the national composition of election observation and election assessment missions, and calling upon all participating States to provide experts for such missions, Underlining that , including the Parliamentary Assembly and ODIHR, remains a leading organisation for the support and the observation of elections and has served as an example for many other organisations in this field, Reaffirming the value of the field-tested standards of the election observation methodology, developed by ODIHR and the Parliamentary Assembly, while also underlining the necessity to continuously improve and adapt these standards, particularly in view of new voting techniques, Considering that voter registration is a particularly delicate field in the election process, which therefore calls for special attention in the preparation and conducting of election observation missions, Stressing the importance of the expertise of both the Parliamentary Assembly and ODIHR in carrying out election observation missions, and the importance of their effective co-operation, The Parliamentary Assembly: Reaffirms that election observation missions are part of the core competence of the ; Emphasises that the political expertise of parliamentarians lends unmatched credibility to election observation; Calls upon the Parliamentary Assembly to continue providing political leadership to election observation missions, as called for in the 1997 Cooperation Agreement; Urges participating States to honour fully their commitment to inviting the , including , to observe national elections, without placing undue restrictions on the operability of election observation missions; Urges participating States to implement fully all provisions of the Document of the Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE (1990), and all other commitments for the conduct of democratic elections that have been freely entered into since and including the Final Act as well as the 1997 Co-operation Agreement, as endorsed by the in 2006; Calls upon ODIHR to step up its efforts to prepare guidelines for the observation of electronic voting; Calls upon ODIHR, in consultation with , to prepare a discussion paper on guidelines for the observation of voter registration, in accordance with the report on Common responsibility: Commitments and Implementation (2006); Calls upon the Director of ODIHR to report to the and the Parliamentary Assembly on general trends with regard to the follow-up and implementation of recommendations of election observation missions. THE : ADDRESSING NEW SECURITY CHALLENGES POLITICAL AFFAIRS AND SECURITY Crisis and Security in the Area Emphasising that one of the pillars of the Final Act was, and remains, the notion of the indivisibility of security and that this principle means that security is an overarching issue, and that the security of any single State cannot be pursued to the detriment of another, Noting that the concept of the indivisibility of security implies that shared values require a shared effort and a shared commitment to security that all participating States on an equal footing must abide by, Recognising that indivisibility implies that we are all producers and consumers of security at the same time and in the same way and, as such, it is becoming increasingly necessary to think in terms not only of security in, but also the security of, the area, Highlighting consequently that the indivisibility of security has to be conceived across two , one pertaining to violations of international law and fundamental human rights by one State against another State and, the other, the fullyfledged cross-cutting challenges which globalisation is posing to every participating State without distinction, Bearing in mind that the indivisibility of security today means a shared stance to counter large-scale organised crime (including illicit human trafficking), illegal activity in conflict zones, terrorism, cyber attacks, the production and illicit trafficking of drugs, as well as production and illicit transfer of arms and the financial crisis, Noting that the current global financial crisis has also become an economic and social crisis helps us to better understand the new indivisible security challenges and the multipolar, inclusive and cross-dimensional approach that offers the best possible way of combating them, Stressing that, whereas the right to food is explicitly mentioned in Article 25 of the , one new and major challenge, also for the area, is that of food security, which implies food availability and accessibility through food production and stable food supply and the related political issues on a world scale, Taking note that in 2008 a number of serious incidents broke out in many countries, including the area, and , and that, primarily owing to the marked increase in grain prices, some Asian countries blocked rice exports, and some supermarkets limited purchases to four units per person to prevent hoarding, Noting that alongside the dramatic issue of famine is the dangerous neocolonialist rationale that urges governments and banks to buy up millions of hectares of land to produce food abroad, thereby leading to a potential crisis for local food availability which would mean a serious risk of food insecurity for the national population, both rural and urban, Stressing the fact that the great race to control foreign staple-food production has proven to be one of the latest trends in the global economy, and that some participating States have been targeted for such investments by , the , South , and Saudi Arabia, Noting the emerging difficulties caused by the competition between crops for food and crops for biofuels, and the use of food crops for biofuel production; by the progressive loss of arable soil due to degradation; by national disasters made worse by ongoing climate change; by the fact that rural populations are in sharp decline; and by the current exponential rise in demand for food in and , also due to changing diets, Noting that the lack of food and water affects, most of all, the most vulnerable groups in poor societies, not only children but also women, who in the most difficult situations continue to deal with the burden of family care and are often left alone by the heads of the family, for reasons of work or due to wars, Emphasising that conflict prevention and the peaceful settlement of protracted conflicts on the basis of the appropriate principles of the 1975 Final Act through dialogue between peoples and governments are also essential to ensure food security, Welcoming the agreement reached at the first G8 Agricultural Ministers meeting, which took place in , on , and the overall consensus on strategies to fight famine and to support food security, The Parliamentary Assembly: Emphasises that one new and major challenge to security in Europe and in participating States is food self-sufficiency and the related political issue of world food security; Emphasises that the issue of food security must therefore become a top priority on the agenda, embracing attention and commitment to all three areas traditionally falling within the remit of the Organisation (conflict prevention, economic environmental co-operation and human rights), since the right to food must be considered intrinsic to other fundamental human rights, including political rights; 17.Urges parliaments to adopt food security laws and policies which permit the of adequate instruments, regulations and tools in order to prevent hunger and malnutrition among the population; Urges parliaments to adopt fiscal measures and provide funding to improve living standards in rural areas in order to stem depopulation; Notes that parliaments and governments of participating States, together with the common resources and structures of the , must also become players to guarantee respect for the fundamental right to adequate and healthy food; Urges participating States to take a co-ordinated and consistent approach, jointly with other international players, to attain an objective which must be given top priority by the whole of the international community; Supports the work of the Task Force on the Crisis which was established on by the United Nations Secretary General, , to make a single and unified response to the food crisis on the part of Member States; Endorses the processes set in motion by the organised by the Food and on 3-5 2008, attended by 181 States, and with the adopted on 27 January 2009 by 126countries; Requests parliaments to commit themselves to take measures to help curb increases in the price of agricultural commodities, and maintain a certain degree of price regulation, bearing in mind that low food prices are good for consumers, but that higher prices are a prerequisite for necessary investment in the agricultural sector, particularly in developing countries; Urges, in particular, that parliaments provide resources and adopt legislation to encourage balanced agricultural use of land to meet both food and energy demands, and support research centres and universities to face the most difficult emergencies of the planet; Urges that direct action be taken to reduce political instability caused by the infringement of the fundamental right to food, which leads to the radicalisation of conflict and unacceptable inequalities; Draws attention to the need to consistently pursue the Millennium Development Goals according to the provisions of the 1996 , which was designed to halve the malnourished population by 2015, a goal which is still far from being reached; Urges parliaments to adopt measures which, while respecting fundamental economic freedoms, discourage massive investments that ultimately lead to rural depopulation and undermine food sovereignty; Endorses public finance policies consistent with the commitment entered into in the Millennium Development Goals according to which each government undertook to devote of GDP to combating poverty by 2015, and urges parliaments to work in the same direction; Agrees that it is appropriate to encourage the of a world network of food and agriculture experts to co-operate in the common pursuit of improved food security levels, primarily in those countries where the minimum acceptable limit is still a distant ; Recommends the adoption of an international strategy for reviving the cultivation of agricultural crops in the steppe regions and supports the development of the agricultural potential of the appropriate participating States with a view to helping to ensure food security in the area; 31.Undertakes to participate in the work of the Special Summit which FAO will be organising in in the autumn of 2009, in which 189 governments are expected to participate. ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 32.Deeply concerned about the devastating effects the current global financial crisis is having in the area, including the fall of several governments, as well as creating social unrest which in some cases has led to violence, Noting that the current financial crisis has led to world recession and was generated by the financial system itself, caused by an overstretch of financial speculation and a lack of financial regulations as well as lax governmental oversight of financial markets, Stressing that the financial crisis has a greater impact on poorer countries, which are already victims of high oil and food prices and lack adequate mechanisms for overseeing their economic systems, Calling upon international financial institutions and industrialised countries to renew their adherence to the Millennium Development Goals in support of poorer countries, Reaffirming that the current financial crisis affects all three dimensions of security as described in the Final Act of 1975, Recalling the Strategy Document for the Economic and Environmental Dimension adopted by at its meeting in in , Recalling the Parliamentary Assemblys Astana Declaration, which noted that without economic growth there can be no peace or stability, Noting the consensus achieved at the G-20 Summit held in on to address the financial crisis in synergy and coordination towards a new way of running the world economy, Recalling the on the World Financial Crisis held in , , from 27 to 29 2009, Emphasising the historical link between economic difficulties and political extremism, xenophobia, nationalism, political instability and international turmoil, Noting that, despite indications of a gradual and modest easing of the recession, the fragility of the financial sector remains a major obstacle to growth, Stressing the need for strengthened oversight and regulation of the financial system, at both the national and the international levels, to ensure greater transparency and accountability, Condemning the attempts of some governments to introduce protectionist and economic nationalist measures in response to the crisis, Recalling that the affirms that Everyone has the right to work and protection against unemployment, Acknowledging that democracy, the rule of law and human rights are ultimately linked to open markets and open economies, Taking into consideration the negative impact of closed borders within the area on overcoming the financial and economic crisis, Recognising that the current economic crisis disproportionately affects the most vulnerable members of society, including immigrants, forced settlers and refugees, persons belonging to minorities, women and young people, The Parliamentary Assembly: Calls for greater co-ordination among participating States in the development of a coherent response to the crisis; Supports the recommendations of the United Nations Stiglitz Commission calling for a global economic co-ordination council at the level of the General or the and a new global reserve system; Supports the initiative of the to establish a vulnerability fund to help developing countries, focusing on safety net programmes, investments in infrastructure and support for small and medium-sized enterprises; Supports the initiative of the Group of Twenty (G-20) to create a to globally co-ordinate regulation, and a stronger role for the in lending to distressed countries; Supports the fight against tax evasion, financial crime and money laundering and invites participating States to introduce binding rules for offshore banking centres so as to ensure their cooperation and the transparency of their activities; Calls for better regulation of banks equity and, in particular, the constitution of additional reserves; Encourages banks to keep on their balance sheets at least 10 per cent of the debts that they issue and sell on, in accordance with the securitisation technique; Invites participating States to draft common principles for the remuneration of market players and, in particular, mechanisms to avoid remuneration being linked to excessive risk taking; Calls for participating States to refrain from protectionist and economic nationalist measures, rescind those that have been implemented and take measures to enlarge developing countries markets; Calls on participating States to refrain from economic coercion designed to subordinate to their own interest the exercise by another participating State of its sovereign rights, to secure advantages of any kind; Emphasises that economic recovery initiatives should not only incorporate efforts to promote environmental sustainability, but also be used as an opportunity to adopt new economic practices that respect the environment, to curb climate change; Encourages participating States to invest in and support environmentally friendly industries, including the development of energy efficiency and renewable energies, and supports further development of the energy security dialogue in the ; Invites the international community and international financial institutions to consider holding a conference to establish the bases for a new global financial infrastructure that includes the reform of the IMF and the of more efficient global financial rules; Welcomes the conclusions of the Seventeenth Annual Economic and on Migration management and its linkages with economic, social and environmental policies to the benefit of stability and security in the region; Urges participating States to adopt a comprehensive and balanced approach to migration, including strengthening the international dialogue on migration; developing real partnerships between countries of origin, transit and destination; exploring the management of migration and the promotion of development; and working to prevent manifestations of xenophobia and other forms of intolerance at country border entry areas by formulating and implementing training programmes for law enforcement, immigration and border officials, prosecutors and service providers; Stresses that policy proposals must include a gender perspective in solutions to the global crisis and welcomes the decision of the Commission for the Status of Women (CSW) to address the emerging issue Gender Perspectives of the Financial Crisis at its 53rd Session held in in 2009; Calls upon the Kazakh Chairmanship of the in 2010 and the Office of the Economic and Environmental Co-ordinator to address the consequences of the current financial and economic crisis in the area at the Eighteenth Annual Economic and and its preparatory conferences in 2010; Encourages national parliaments to ensure that national budgets continue to enable parliamentarians to engage in international activities by providing the necessary funds for them to attend, participate in and contribute to the work of international parliamentary assemblies and other relevant international parliamentary events. DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN QUESTIONS Recognising the devastating effect that the current global financial crisis is having on people across the world, Recognising that accentuated socio-economic disparities between and within States resulting from the crisis threaten social cohesion and hence security, and hamper efforts towards sustained growth, Underlining that vulnerable and marginalised sections of the population are affected disproportionately and are suffering particular hardship, Noting that no part of the region is immune to the social and humanitarian consequences of the ongoing crisis, Recalling previous declarations addressing the particular challenges of vulnerable groups such as women, children, persons belonging to national minorities, and migrants, Acknowledging that persons with disabilities and elderly persons represent economically vulnerable groups and require special attention in times of crisis, and urging participating States to take the necessary steps to ensure adequate social protection and empowerment of the elderly and persons with disabilities so as to minimise the risk of economic dependency, Convinced that urgent action is needed to safeguard against further marginalisation of at-risk groups, Recalling the provision of the Document of the 1991 Cracow Symposium on the Cultural Heritage acknowledging the important contribution of religious faiths, institutions and organisations to cultural heritage, and the commitment of the participating States to cooperate closely with them to preserve cultural heritage and give due attention to monuments and objects of religious origin whose original communities no longer use them or no longer exist in the particular region, Noting the provisions of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its Protocols as well as those of the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the , Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, the 1995 Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects, and other international instruments, resolution , which specifically notes the disproportionate impact of armed conflict on women, and recognises the undervalued and under-utilised contributions of women to conflict prevention, peace-keeping, conflict resolution and peace-building, Concerned at the continued sexual abuse and exploitation of children and calling attention to the need for enhanced action by participating States to prevent such abuse and exploitation, prosecute the perpetrators, and provide appropriate care to child victims and their families, The Parliamentary Assembly: Notes that at-risk groups are typically the first to suffer from economic difficulties, and the last ones to recover; Encourages participating States to promote policies to increase inclusiveness in the workforce including adopting and implementing legislation that addresses discrimination in employment, and working with the private sector to adopt preventive initiatives such as programmes that facilitate vulnerable groups entry into the labour market and combat discriminatory practices in the workplace; Calls on participating States to develop national systems of data collection to measure equal opportunity and non-discrimination and to guide the formulation of policies and actions to eradicate discrimination in the workplace and other sectors of society, while upholding rights to privacy and self-identification; Affirms the importance of equitable access to education for all children and young people to facilitate their quick entry into the labour market;