Parliaments should fight organized crime in Central America
The expansion of organized crime and the proliferation of gangs once again put security and effective administration of justice high on the agenda of Central America. Parliaments should step up to the plate to fight social and economic inequality and organized crime in the region, said legislators gathered in San Salvador.
Organized jointly by the IPU and the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador, the two-day seminar (6-7 May) gave parliamentarians from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and PARLACEN (Parliament of Central America) an opportunity to take a critical look at the challenges that remained more than twenty years after the signing of the historic Esquipulas II Accord that brought democratic governance and stability to Central America. The seminar came on the heels of a unique national roundtable with high-profile Salvadoran personalities who had been involved in the nation's peace negotiations.
The participants declared that the new era of State institutions brought about by the peace accords, albeit a step in the right direction, had not been sufficiently lasting or farreaching to address these challenges effectively. Even though the absence of armed conflict and the organization of regular free and fair elections had transformed society to a large extent in Central America, many of the underlying causes of conflict still persisted, and in several cases, were becoming more pronounced, as evidenced by rising poverty rates and concentration of wealth in the hands of a few, explained legislators in San Salvador.
Parliaments should step up to the plate, first of all, by forging a sound social and economic agenda and by strengthening the independence and effectiveness of the judiciary, with some seminar participants suggesting that the agenda originate at the regional level, drawing inspiration from the European Union, and lead to an Esquipulas III or a “social Esquipulas”. Such an ambitious programme would require parliaments to capitalize on what they should do best, namely to offer a genuine and effective platform for dialogue and action in a context of respect and trust, with the full participation of all sectors of society, including new generations of political leaders, civil society organizations and the economic sector.
Political parties also need to be part of the equation: they should seek to avoid the paralysis of polarization by working in the interest of the common good, promote a culture of integrity, act responsibly when preparing their candidates for political office, and “democratize” themselves from within through a process of political reform.
You can find conclusions and recommandations of the seminar on our dedicated page
Measures to prevent human trafficking must be taken
“Parliamentarians must play a pivotal role by establishing appropriate legislation and drawing up a parliamentary strategy to address effectively the issue of migration”, said the legislators gathered in Rabat (Morocco) in May.
Whether seen as a factor contributing to the development or disintegration of the socio-economic fabric of countries of origin and destination, the issue of migration is a topical one.
The recent waves of violence against immigrants in South Africa and Italy are proof of this reality. Far from finding an appropriate, and above all concerted, solution to this international problem, States are taking national measures that increasingly restrict migratory flows.
The African continent is affected in more ways than one by this issue. At once places of origin, transit and destination, African countries often have no migration policy in place and can do little other than oppose the measures taken by other countries, particularly European countries. The conference, entitled “Africa and migration: challenges, problems and solutions”, was organized by the African Parliamentary Union (APU) in cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It brought together at the Parliament of Morocco in Rabat about one hundred participants, including parliamentarians, civil servants of Member Parliaments, APU observers, regional, continental and international institutions, and members of the Spanish Senate.
During their presentations, the experts argued in favour of a migration policy that was integrated on the regional and continental levels. Following the workshops on migration and development, the humanitarian aspects of migration, migration and human rights, and regional initiatives, the participants recommended encouraging investment in countries of origin in order to foster an employment-generating environment They called on destination countries to compensate financially the “brain drain” experienced by countries of origin. They urged countries that had not already done so to ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and to bring their domestic legislation into line with its provisions. Since migration was closely linked to human rights, the participants invited the countries of origin and destination to take appropriate measures to prevent human trafficking and to enforce migrants' rights. As part of a concerted effort, the participants advocated cooperation between African countries, and establishing a dialogue with European countries based on mutual respect and the interests of both parties.