09A high-level delegation from the Libyan Parliament from Tobruk participated at the Regional Seminar for Parliamentarians co-organized by the European Union (EU), the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM). The Conference on “The oversight of law enforcement and security services in the fight against terrorism“, was hosted and inaugurated by H.E. Pietro Grasso, President of the Senate of Italy, in Rome, on 26-27 February.
Libya is a founding member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean.
PAM dedicated particular attention to the participation of the Libyan delegation and took the opportunity to organize a series of bilateral meetings with, inter alia, the President of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Pier Ferdinando Casini, and senior members of the PAM Bureau from Italy, Morocco and Algeria, and the Secretary General.
“The issue of a constructive national dialogue among the different actors in Libya was thoroughly discussed, and PAM emphasised the importance of resuming the negotiations and the support to the efforts of the United Nations Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, Ambassador Bernardino Leon”, said PAM Secretary General, Ambassador Sergio Piazzi.
All neighbouring delegations requested the Libyan delegation from the Parliament in Tobruk to resume the national dialogue and to travel to Morocco for a further round of talks. The Libyan parliamentarians expressed their appreciation for the commitment to assist their country to overcome this difficult moment, and also requested the support of the international community.
The Libyan delegation also requested PAM to dedicate, to the situation in Libya, a special session of its 1st Standing Committee for all PAM Member States, and to organise a specific session focusing on Libya, within the framework of the next 5+5 Parliamentary Session, which will be held on 26 May 2015, in Rabat, Morocco, on the eve of the Ministerial meeting.
“PAM has a primary role to play in assisting the Libyan people to rebuild their nation and live harmoniously within the framework of democratic institutions, where everyone can participate and contribute to the long term wellbeing of the country and the Mediterranean region as a whole. To this effect PAM has also reconfirmed its commitment to visit Libya, as soon as the situation permits”, PAM Secretary General added.
The Regional Seminar for Parliamentarians in Rome, resulting from the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution N. 2178, was held within the framework of the joint initiative of EU, PAM, CTED and UNODC, aimed at promoting the investigation and prosecution of terrorism cases in respect of the Rule of Law and Human Rights in the Maghreb Region. The purpose of the Seminar was to provide a forum for exchanging information and good practices among parliamentarians on the role they play and could play in overseeing these agencies use of such powers and to raise their awareness to the importance of this oversight to the protection of human rights and rule of law.
Over 50 participants, including parliamentarians from Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Italy, Portugal and Romania, together with UN, PAM, EU, IIJ and Europol officials, and diplomats from the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, discussed issues related to: good governance of the security sector in the fight against terrorism; applicable mechanisms for an effective oversight of the security sector in the fight against terrorism; new security challenges and respect of Human Rights.
The Seminar in Rome was the first of a series of joint UN, EU, PAM and IIJ initiatives that will be dedicated to the fight against terrorism in the Mediterranean, specifically in those areas affected by the ISIS phenomenon.
To this effect at the 9th PAM Plenary Session in Monaco, on 2-4 February 2015, the Assembly unanimously adopted a Report and Resolution pertaining to the role and actions of parliaments in the fight against terrorism and foreign terrorist fighters.