DECEMBER 2003
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Bosnia and Herzegovina and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia kick off a series of national Workshops on Parliamentary Oversight of the Security Sector in Central and Eastern Europe There is no doubt that the Handbook on "Parliamentary Oversight of the Security Sector", which was produced by the IPU and the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), has answered a definite need. Feedback from parliamentarians so far has indicated that this tool which helps them assume their responsibilities in overseeing such a complex and often secretive field as the security sector, where access to expertise and resources is essential, was long overdue.Ever since the official launch at the 108th IPU Conference in April 2003, parliamentarians, particularly those from parliamentary defence committees, have expressed keen interest in using the Handbook in their work. In addition to English, French and Spanish, it has become available in a variety of other languages, first those from Central and Eastern Europe, and now Farsi, Arabic and Bahasa Indonesian. DCAF, together with local partners and the OSCE, has started a series of national workshops in Central and Eastern Europe with IPU participation to launch and promote local language versions of the Handbook. These initiatives have taken the form of awareness-raising and training activities on this issue of particular importance to the region which is undergoing profound civil-military transformation. The first such Workshop took place in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) from 17 to 19 September. Presentations dwelt in particular on action by the security sector in special circumstances such as states of emergency, and looked at oversight of human, material and financial resources, as well as achievements and obstacles, and the issue of defence reform. The Workshop brought together parliamentarians from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic Srpska - the country's two entities - and from the national parliament. In addition, representatives from the executive dealing with security matters took part in the event, along with military officials. The discussion on oversight was thus not held in a vacuum since it included those who are the object of parliamentary monitoring. Moreover, given the strong international presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, several high-profile members of the international community were present. The Workshop, which was attended by over 90 participants, took place at a crucial point in time, as the two entities were discussing moves towards a unified command of the army at State level, on which they agreed the following week. A similar, though smaller, Workshop took place in Skopje (The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) from 23 to 24 October to promote the Macedonian and Albanian versions of the Handbook. The event focused on all aspects of parliamentary oversight, in particular with regard to national security policy, parliamentary mechanisms concerning the security sector and "best practices" of parliamentary defence committees. A full session was dedicated to the functioning of the parliamentary Committee on Defence and Security in The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. There were some 40 participants, mainly parliamentarians and their assistants, who turned the Workshop into a lively and constructive platform for parliamentary dialogue. A range of similar national Workshops are scheduled for other countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The success of the first two such events suggests that they too will provide an opportunity for parliamentarians and others from different groups and backgrounds to understand, share and discuss this delicate yet crucial issue. |