In the framework of the structured cooperation between the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean and the United Nations, PAM Secretary General, Amb. Sergio Piazzi, held last week a series of meetings with UN Senior Officials at the Geneva Headquarters.
The newly appointed UNOG Acting Director General, H.E. Amb. Michael Møller, stressed the importance that PAM has for the UN System in addressing a number of regional issues, and called for strengthened cooperation to be pursued on topics such as regional security and stability, disarmament, economic development, environment, climate change and human rights. To that end, he will start a series of internal consultations in order to submit to PAM a number of specific initiatives.
Amb. Piazzi conveyed the message of PAM President, H.E. Senator Francesco Amoruso, for the Assembly to be more actively involved in the works of the UN Human Rights Council. In the near future the PAM 3rd Standing Committee will be requested to appoint a dedicated team to follow on the activities of the Council.
The Syrian crisis, the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process, the democratic transition in Libya, Tunisia and Egypt, the Constitutional Reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the resumption of the negotiations in Cyprus, were also reviewed in the course of the discussion, as well as the forthcoming PAM missions to Cairo and Tripoli.
Amb. Møller also expressed, in this context, his commitment to re-establish within his remit, the function and responsibilities for a more UN focused approach to the Mediterranean, as in the case of his predecessors.
The Director General praised the ongoing cooperation between PAM and the UN Economic Cluster, which every second year hosts a meeting of the PAM Panel on Trade and Investments in the Mediterranean. PAM Secretary General was also invited to address the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the UN in Geneva, to update them on the ongoing and future activities of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean.
Other discussions were held with Ms. Petra Lantz, Director of the European Office of the UNDP, in order to evaluate options for the implementation of the proposal made by the UNDP Arab Office and Libya itself, for PAM to act as a clearing house for international parliamentary assistance to the Libyan newly elected Constituent Assembly.
As part of the visit, a meeting was also held with Mr. Kingston Rhodes, Chairman of the UN International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), of which the PAM Secretariat follows the rules and regulations, in order to ensure the support of the Commission to the administrative work of the Assembly.
Amb. Gerhard Putman-Cramer, PAM Permanent Observer to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva, organized and attended this official visit.