frsrdg · GX04OSSE1 · 2010-03-22 00:00:00 — Is deeply concerned that womens economic dependency on men, particularly in times of economic difficulty, makes women easy targets for oppression and abuse, as well as potential victims of prostitution and human trafficking; Urges the , its field missions and participating States to redouble efforts to combat trafficking in human beings through preventive programmes and increase public awareness; Recognises the crucial role that the family and traditional social networks play in assisting at-risk individuals and groups, and encourages participating States to increase support for such networks as well as enhanced co-operation and coordination of the with other competent organisations at the global and regional levels to this end; Calls upon parliamentarians to be particularly vigilant in fighting intolerance against persons belonging to national minorities and other vulnerable groups, who are often made scapegoats during times of financial difficulty; Recognises that participating States improvement of democratic institutions, including ensuring that their political and legal systems reflect the multicultural diversity of their societies, assists in combating intolerance and discrimination, and urges parliamentarians to initiate and support inclusive measures in their particular parties; Urges participating States to vigorously combat child labour, particularly through: comprehensive legislation outlawing all exploitative child labour, special training for law enforcement personnel on methods to identify victims of child labour, mechanisms protecting victims of this crime, support programmes to assist victims entry into schools; Calls upon participating States to redouble efforts aimed at fighting paedophilia and other forms of sexual exploitation of children, child poverty and the involvement of children in crime, including partnership programmes with mass media aimed at placing greater focus on these crimes; Urges those participating States that have not done so to establish national telephone hotlines for reporting sexually abused, exploited or missing children, including children sexually abused and exploited by sex tourism, prostitution, trafficking and pornography; Calls upon parliamentarians from participating States to introduce and promote the adoption of comprehensive legislation aimed at preventing the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, which should provide for the creation of comprehensive registers of persons convicted of child sex abuse or exploitation, severe penalties for the perpetrators of such abuse and exploitation, and appropriate care for child victims and their families; Requests the Strategic Matters Unit to assist the law enforcement agencies of participating States to develop strategies for combating sexual abuse and exploitation of children; Urges participating States to strengthen the mutual co-operation between their law enforcement and prosecuting agencies in efforts to combat the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, including by providing notice to the appropriate officials of another State when a known sex offender to that State and, for that purpose, to ensure that convicted child sex offenders are required to notify the appropriate domestic officials before travelling to another State, and penalise failure to comply; Requests participating States to increase efforts aimed at establishing bilateral cooperation agreements on child adoption issues, ensuring that the best interests of children are always maintained; Notes the difficulties faced by children after a divorce between parents who are of different nationalities, and urges that every effort, including legislation, be aimed at ensuring that the best interests of the children are protected in custody arrangements; Further urges parliamentarians to actively facilitate international exchange of best practices in addressing the particular needs of vulnerable social groups; Calls upon all participating States to meet their commitments and international obligations to ensure the preservation and protection of cultural heritage sites, including churches, chapels and monasteries, as well as monuments and objects of religious origin; to prevent the theft, clandestine excavation and illicit export, import or transfer of ownership of cultural property; to enhance their co-operation in efforts to prevent the illicit international trafficking in objects of religious origin and other cultural property and to facilitate the restitution of illicitly exported cultural property; Reminds participating States that during conflicts particular care must be taken to protect the human rights of civilians; Urges participating States to work with NGOs and civil society to protect vulnerable groups and notes the current precarious situation, including declining financial support, of human rights defenders, which undermines efforts adequately to address xenophobia and other forms of intolerance; Recognises the positive role that the right to freedom of expression and the freedom to seek, receive and impart information can play in combating xenophobia and other forms of intolerance, in line with the relevant provisions of international human rights law. SECURITY SECTOR STABILISATION AND COMPLIANCE WITH UN BLACKLISTS Reaffirming that, given that failed States and areas suffering from military conflicts are an international curse that requires effective international measures preventing terrorists from going unpunished, organised crime getting established and environmental hazards expanding, stabilisation of the civilian security sectors has to be conducted simultaneously with peace-enforcing and peacekeeping operations by means which respect human rights and the rule of law, Considering that international bodies such as Union, the and the United Nations ought to establish a co-ordinated regulatory body for this purpose in each participating State, in view of the lofty goals laid down in their founding instruments and the credibility they need in order to attain those goals, resolution , which was passed unanimously on 31October 2000, the first resolution ever passed by the that specifically addressed the impact of war on women and womens contributions to conflict resolution and sustainable peace, Taking into account resolution , and recognising that a co-ordinated process, addressing both military operations and security sector stabilising measures, is of the utmost importance in attaining both political and military objectives, Noting at the same time that this process has a direct impact on individual human rights such as personal and the protection of property, Recognising furthermore that co-ordinated, procedural and substantive planning standards must also be guaranteed from the very beginning to ensure the credibility and effectiveness of the combined military and civilian security stabilising operations, Recognising once again that a stabilised security sector is reforms and this will ensure the credibility and effectiveness of the combined military and civilian operations, Stressing that minimum substantive standards require a sufficiently clear and coordinated identification of civilian and military players in any operation, Realising that targeted sanctions against individuals or specific groups (blacklists) imposed by the are, in principle, preferable to general sanctions imposed on States, because general sanctions often have dire consequences for vulnerable population groups in the countries concerned, though generally not for their leadership, whilst targeted sanctions hurt only those found personally responsible for certain wrongdoings, Recognising at the same time that targeted sanctions, such as restrictions and freezing of assets, have a direct impact on individual human rights such as personal and the protection of property and that, whilst it is not entirely clear and still being debated whether such sanctions have a criminal, administrative or civil character, their imposition must, under the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (UNCCPR), respect certain minimum standards of procedural and legal certainty, Recalling furthermore that procedural and substantive standards must also be guaranteed to ensure the credibility and effectiveness of the instrument of targeted sanctions, Noting that the minimum procedural standards under the rule of law are: a.the right to be notified and adequately informed of the charges held against oneself, and of the decision taken, b.the fundamental right to be heard and to be able to adequately defend oneself against these charges, c.the right to be able to have the decision affecting ones rights speedily reviewed by an independent, impartial body with a view to modifying or annulling it, Stressing that minimum substantive standards require a sufficiently clear definition of grounds for the imposition of sanctions and applicable evidential requirements, Emphasising that necessary steps must be taken to overhaul the procedural and substantive rules governing targeted sanctions, to comply with the requirements presented above, The Parliamentary Assembly: Calls upon those participating States that are permanent or non-permanent members of the to use their influence in the and the to uphold the values embodied in the UNCCPR, both by ensuring the necessary improvements in procedural and substantive rules and through the positions they take on individual cases; Invites participating States to establish appropriate national procedures to implement the above mentioned principles imposed by nationals or legal residents, in order to remedy the shortcomings of the procedures at the level of the United Nations as long as these shortcomings persist. Stressing the importance of a comprehensive approach to challenges facing the Islamic Republic of , Reaffirming support for the Government and people of , Stressing the contribution that involvement as a Partner for Cooperation makes to the security of the region, Convinced of the contribution that involvement as a Partner for Cooperation could also make to the security of the region, Concerned about Taliban efforts to take control in Swat Valley, as well as the dire humanitarian situation resulting from the displacement of almost 2.5 million people who have had to flee fighting there, and the potentially destabilising effect on the region, Supporting the goals of the Compact, agreed to at the Conference on in 2006, Taking note of resolution (2009), which underscores the importance of the upcoming presidential and provincial council elections to democratic development and which calls for every effort to be made to ensure the credibility, safety and security of the elections and for members of the international community to provide the necessary assistance, Taking note of the invitation to the from , Minister for Foreign Affairs of , to support the 20 presidential and provincial council elections in , Taking note of the Decision No. 891 on sending an Election Support Team to (PC.DEC/891), which authorises the sending of an expert team of up to fifty persons to analyse the 2009 election process and provide recommendations for enhancing the conduct of future elections, Welcoming the decision on Engagement with (MC.DEC/4/07/Corr.1) adopted by the in on 30November 2007 in response to the request by for the to provide assistance in the fields of border security, training and combating drug trafficking, Recognising the Government of commitment to the rule of law and protecting human rights, Welcoming the increasingly effective role of the parliament of in policymaking and oversight, Recognising the continued importance of the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, Concerned that opium poppy cultivation reached an all-time high in 2007 and that opium production increased by over one third with most of it being converted into heroin or morphine inside , Taking note of the increase in the number of poppy-free provinces from 13 in 2007 to 18 in 2008, Concerned that corruption and mismanagement continue to hinder reconstruction efforts and the fight against drug trafficking, and that corruption and poor governance undermine public trust in Government and institutions, Remaining concerned that women still face significant discrimination in , including new legislation aimed at regulating family life in Shiite community which could legalise rape within marriage, Condemning in the strongest terms all attacks, including suicide attacks and abductions targeting civilians, Afghan and international forces, and the use of civilians as human shields by the Taliban and other extremists, Concerned that such attacks undermine Afghan and international reconstruction and development efforts, The Parliamentary Assembly: continue to promote increasing participation in the activities of the ; Encourages to actively consider and request Partner for Co-operation status so that it can also participate in activities of the ; Supports the mission of the Assistance Force and the Forces; Supports the role of the United Nations Assistance Mission in ; Urges the international community to step up co-ordination to ensure a more effective use of resources and targeting of assistance and avoid duplication; Urges that all international efforts be guided by the principle of Afghan leadership and ownership of reconstruction and reform efforts; Stresses the need to ensure that promotion of human rights is a priority in international strategies to assist ; Urges the Government of to make every effort to ensure free and fair elections; Calls for a greater emphasis to be laid by the Afghan Government and the international community on the development of the Afghan judicial system and the promotion of good governance at all levels; Urges the Government of , the United Nations Assistance Mission in and the to redouble efforts to promote the role of women and equal opportunities for women in Afghan society, and welcomes President commitment to re-examine the law regulating family life in the Shiite community; Urges international assistance efforts to support greater development of the legitimate Afghan agricultural sector and food production capability, and increased job development; Urges the Assistance Force to do everything possible to minimise civilian casualties; Supports efforts to assist with border management training. SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS Reaffirming the importance of the multidimensional concept of common, global, cooperative and indivisible security of the , according to the principles of the Final Act, the Charter of and other relevant documents, Calling to mind that the basic document of the on small arms and light weapons (SALW) of emphasises that the problem of small arms forms an integral part of the holistic work carried out by the on early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation, Regretting the continuation of the devastating effect on human security of the illegal and uncontrolled spread of SALW and ammunition in many parts of the world, Reaffirming that illegal trafficking, including that of SALW, is a criminal or terrorist activity that may constitute a threat to stability and security inside and outside the area, Emphasising that very often SALW and ammunition used in armed conflicts outside the territory of the come from within the territory of the , Calling to mind the 2005 Resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly and its 2006, 2007 and 2008 Resolutions on the illegal transport of SALW by air, Welcoming the progress made within the for Security Co-operation (FSC), in particular the adoption on of FSC Decision 11/08 introducing a guide to good practice to prevent destabilising shipments by air of SALW and the associated questionnaire, as well as the adoption on 7 2008 of FSC Decision 4/08 on the contact points on SALW and the stocks of conventional ammunition establishing, in particular, an directory of national contact points on SALW, Welcoming the adoption on of the Ministerial Decision on Small Arms and Light Weapons and Stocks of Conventional Ammunition, which calls in particular for an meeting to be arranged in 2009 on SALW to examine the basic document on SALW (FSC.DOC/1/00) of24November 2000 and its additional decisions, with a view to exploring possible future actions, The Parliamentary Assembly: Calls on participating States to work to give concrete, substantive follow-up to the ministerial decision on SALW of at a meeting of the FSC in , by actively seeking a consensus on the fields where it would be appropriate to increase the legal instruments available to the , in the light of its implementation, and the work of the United Nations and other international organisations and institutions, such as: formulating a series of criteria for export controls on SALW; preparing a normative framework for the management of stocks of SALW and their ammunition; preparing a normative framework for the marking and tracing of SALW; making efforts towards the standardisation of SALW end-user certificates within the area; Calls on participating States to implement FSC Decision 11/08 on the guide to good practice to prevent destabilising shipments by air of SALW, and to respond to the associated questionnaire; Calls on participating States to implement FSC Decision 4/08 on the contact points on SALW and on the stocks of conventional ammunition, by providing the information required about their national contact points for the Directory created by that decision, and ensuring close co-ordination between their respective authorities in charge of SALW; Calls on participating States to support and implement national, regional and international regulations on the arms trade, granting of export and arms dealing licences; Calls on participating States, the and all the Partners for Co-operation of the to participate in and contribute actively to the fourth Biennial Meeting on the Action Programme of the United Nations on SALW (RBE IV) in in 2010, which aims to improve and extend the programmes implementation, in order to guarantee its success; Calls on participating States and for Cooperation to discuss the problem of illegal trafficking of SALW, including in the appropriate regional assembles in and of which they are also members, and encourages them to co-operate to create better conditions to combat the illegal trafficking of SALW. RENEWED DISCUSSION ON ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT IN EUROPE Confirming the continuing validity of the comprehensive concept of security as initiated in the Final Act of 1975, which is based on the multidimensional concept of security, Remaining convinced that security is indivisible, and that the security of each of the participating States is inseparably linked to the security of all others, Wishing to continue to build upon the strategy to address threats to security and stability in the twenty-first century, Worried about the danger of a new arms race of conventional weapons and of the potential misuse of conventional weapons for nuclear purposes, Underlining the importance of the 1990 Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) as the only covenant on arms control and disarmament in Europe, and its role as a cornerstone for European and transatlantic security, Recalling the unique acquis of the Treaty and its principles of transparency, verification and reduction of holdings of treaty-limited equipment, Reaffirming the need to continue the implementation of all arms control documents that are coherent and complementary and that are concerned by the erosion of the , Welcoming the various discussions and initiatives to renew and improve the system of governance for international security, The Parliamentary Assembly: Underlines the necessity of intensifying the dialogue on European and transatlantic security; Supports the idea of linking the discussions on a renewal of the with the issue of non-proliferation and with the widely discussed initiatives on a new security governance in Europe; Calls upon participating States to act in the spirit of the , to set aside differences and to increase their efforts to reach a new consensus on collective security topics. THE ROLE OF THE IN STRENGTHENING SECURITY IN ITS REGION Reaffirming that the , as a regional arrangement under Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, as a primary organisation for the peaceful settlement of disputes within its region and as a key instrument for early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation, continues to play an important role in a secure and stable community from to , Acknowledging that the is the inclusive and comprehensive organisation for consultation, decision-making and co-operation in its region, Actively supporting the OSCEs concept of common, comprehensive and indivisible security, which addresses the human, economic, political and military dimensions of security as an integral whole, Stressing that the Final Act, the Charter and subsequent jointly agreed documents reflect the shared values and commitments of the 56 participating States of the and should remain work, Underlining the importance of applying the principles in a consistent and in with international law, Recognising the indispensable contribution of the to the of unique arms control and confidence-building regimes in its region, Noting with concern the persistence of unresolved conflicts on the territories of participating States, which threaten the observance of the principles and have an impact on regional and international peace and stability, Convinced that overcoming mistrust and improving overall security in the area can be possible only through dialogue and equal concern for the interests of all participating States, The Parliamentary Assembly: Urges participating States to implement fully and in good faith all of their commitments in all three dimensions, without prioritising one set of issues at the expense of another, which is crucial for the sustainability of co-operative security from to ; Undertakes to intensify its efforts to promote the climate of confidence, trust and cooperation among the participating States with a view to upholding commitments, strengthening comprehensive and indivisible security and contributing toward conflict settlement; Supports all efforts to achieve a comprehensive political settlement of unresolved conflicts, on the basis of the strict observance of the norms and principles of international law; Calls on participating States to take action to safeguard the full implementation of the arms control and confidence-building regimes negotiated within the framework. LABOUR MIGRATION IN CENTRAL Stressing the importance of regional co-operation on issues like migration management in the , Noting the commitments made by States in this field within the framework of the , Welcoming the role of parliamentarians from Central in ensuring regional cooperation in the field of migration, Reaffirming the important contribution labour migrants make to host societies, Stressing the importance of ensuring that the rights of migrants in participating States are reflected in national efforts to combat illegal migration and terrorism, Noting the impact of the financial crisis on the region, including on remittance levels and levels of social stability and on migratory flows in many regions of the , and in particular in Central , Regretting the incidents of hate crime in participating States hosting large numbers of labour migrants, Acknowledging the existing border management projects in the region and the contributions being made to support national efforts in this field, Noting the regional parliamentary seminar held in on labour migration in Central , hosted by the Parliament of ,