ADDRESS BY SEN. ALIA BOURAN
INCOMING PAM PRESIDENT
13TH PAM PLENARY SESSION
BELGRADE, 22 FEBRAURY 2019
Dear colleagues,
It is my great honour to assume the Presidency of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean. I wish to also congratulate all the other members of the newly elected Bureau who begin their mandate today, and I look forward to working with all of you. I also wish all the delegates of the Assembly for their trust in my person.
PAM is a truly unique forum. It is independent and balanced in its design. It is a forum where the diverse voices of the different people of our region are expressed through their delegates.
To hear each other’s opinions, recommendations, and concerns is a great value to solve the problems which we all face. We know all too well, that when there are crises in one of our countries, such as conflicts and insecurity, there are direct and serious consequences for the rest of the region.
Whether we are talking about security issues like the threat of terrorism, or the plight of refugees, or mass migration movements, or the impact of climate change, or a new economic recession looming at the horizon, we know that there is no country among us that is immune to these phenomena.
The debates over the course of the past two days have shown us that we do indeed have a lot of different views on the problems we face. This is also because each of our countries has a unique experience with a common history. However, it is also clear that there are many things we agree on collectively, and that we all share core values. Indeed it is through the process of these debates, that we learn from each other, we understand our neighbour’s concerns, and we benefit from each other’s experience, that we can formulate effective common solutions to the challenges ahead of us.
As the incoming President, I want to re-iterate my commitment to the work of our assembly. We have made a lot of progress as an organisation, and we continue to evolve in the right direction. More and more countries, and leading organisations recognise PAM as a centre of excellence for regional parliamentary dialogue. This bears a responsibility on all of us.
Our work is supported by a solid network of partnerships and strong ties to the UN. The fact that organisations such as WTO, OECD, and NATO Mediterranean Strategic Hub approach our Assembly to join efforts in tackling the real critical issues, is an indicator of the level of credibility reached by our institution. The unique structure of our secretariat, with its decentralised and strategic presence, allows our Assembly to monitor developments, continue to engage in key discussions and ensure a rational use of our resources, based on a cost effective division of labour in order to provide our MPs with the best possible political and operational support.
I hope that we will build on our progress, and aim our work towards a peaceful, stable, secure, prosperous Mediterranean region.
Thank you for your kind support and attention.
Curriculum Vitae