DUBAI – On 10 March 2022, during the second day of the 16th PAM Plenary Session, has been presented the work of the 1st Standing Committee on Political and Security-Related Cooperation, chaired by Sen. Alia Bouran (Jordan).
The session was opened by the reports presented by Hon. Karim Darwish (Egypt) and PAM President, Hon. Gennaro Migliore (Italy), respectively on the key security issues and on the latest developments of the terrorist threats in the PAM region.
Several high-level personalities from international organizations, which are strategic partners of PAM, intervend, virtually or in-person, to support the work of the Committee.
Among the keynote speakers, Ms. Ghada Fathy Ismail Waly, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Director-General of the United Nations Office in Vienna (UNODC), made a video statement on the importance of parliamentary cooperation to address the security crises affecting the world today, from the Sahel to Afghanistan, to Central and East Asia. She reminded how conflicts undermine the rule of law and foster terrorism, violence, organized crime, and corruption. Another key security concern for our region are foreign terrorist fighters. She praised the role of PAM as a historic partner of UNODC. The two organizations signed an important MoU last December, whose first concrete delivery will be a conference on the review of the legislative implementation of the Palermo Convention on Transnational Organized Crime. The meeting will be organized in Naples, this Spring.
Mr. Weixiong Chen, Acting Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee at the UN Security Council (CTED), in his video message, highlighted the crucial role of parliaments in fighting terrorism. Parliaments key actors that, representing constituencies, oversee the appropriate functioning of governments. He emphasized the impact of UNSC Resolution 2617 over counterterrorism strategies. Some of the challenges he identified for the future years are the management of returning foreign terrorist fighters to countries of origin, the appropriate monitoring of technology for security purposes, and new emerging threats exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In his keynote speech, Mr. Mauro Miedico, Deputy Director, UNOCT/UNCCT; Chief of Special Projects and Innovation Branch, United Nations Office of Counterterrorism (UNOCT), gave us the latest updating on the terrorist threat, highlighting that parliamentarians can play an essential role. UNOCT and its Programme Office on Parliamentary Engagement are hence committed to support the global parliamentary community to promote together inter-parliamentary dialogue for a safer world, one without terrorism, for present and future generations.
The PAM report on “Security issues affecting the PAM region” was presented by Hon. Karim Darwish. The Report analyzes the current instability in Libya; the ongoing confrontation between Israel and Palestine and the need to resume negotiations toward the Two-State Solution; socio-economic and political crises in Syria and Lebanon; the renewed tensions between Algeria and Morocco in the Western Sahel; and the fragile institutional situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also highlighted the water security crisis, which is affecting Egypt, one of PAM founding members, due to the dispute on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
The report on “Countering the evolving threat of terrorism in the Euro-Mediterranean region” was given to the Assembly by Hon. Gennaro Migliore. He expressed his concern for the situation in Afghanistan and the nexus between terrorism and narcotraffic. The clashes between governments and armed groups in the Sahel region are also a source of concern, especially after the changes in the involvement of international actors. He moved on to the evidence of ISIL regrouping in Syria around detention camps and the issue of returning foreign fighters.
Mr. Annadif Khatir Mahamat Saleh, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) intervened from Dakar to give us an overview on the situation in the Sahel region and on the UN strategy, and how PAM can continue to work closely with his Office to promote comprehensive solutions to the cross-cutting menaces to peace, security, and development in West Africa and the Sahel.
During the debate that followed the keynote interventions and the presentation of the reports, delegates condemned the Russian Federation aggression against the territorial integrity and the independence of Ukraine, causing so much suffering to its civilian population. In addition, they restated the urgency to resume negotiations between Israel and Palestine to reach the Two-State solution for a just and long-lasting peace in the region, and highlighted the need for regional cooperation to continue to fight against terrorism and transnational organized crime.
They also discussed the recent security developments in Afghanistan and in Libya, the persisting instability in Syria and the economic distress in Lebanon, and the threat posed by the Houthis for the PAM region and the suffering they are causing to the population of Yemen, in particular of women and children that cannot be ignored.
After very fruitful debates, both the resolution on security and the resolution on counterterrorism have been unanimously adopted.
PAM will continue to monitor the evolution of conflicts and terrorism in the PAM region, as well as those new threats to international peace, security and stability, such as the Russian aggression to Ukraine.
Among others, PAM will organize a Conference to review the Palermo Convention against transnational organized crime to strengthen the knowledge of national parliaments of PAM regions.