H.E. Miroslav Lajčák, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia – new President of the United Nations General Assembly, and Ambassador Sergio Piazzi, Secretary General of PAM, met in Bratislava, on 17 August 2017, to discuss reinforced cooperation between the UN and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean. The Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the UN in New York, Ambassador František Ruzicka, attended the consultation.
In the course of the bilateral meeting, Minister Lajčák presented the priorities he set for the work of the upcoming 72nd Session of the General Assembly and discussed how PAM can support his action through the instruments of a dedicated regional parliamentary forum. The priorities identified are five, namely, Peace and Conflict Prevention, Terrorism, Migrations, Sustainable Development and Human Rights.
Minister Lajčák and Ambassador Piazzi also reviewed PAM activities in these five sectors, in particular the latest and planned initiatives in regard to Middle East, Terrorism and Migrations. The outcome of the recent PAM visit to Jordan, Palestine and Israel was discussed, as well as the ongoing cooperation programme between UN CTED, UNODC and PAM on the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions relative to countering ISIS and the Foreign Terrorist Fighters. With regard to Migrations, the relevance of the agreement signed between PAM and the African Parliament, and the joint initiatives on mass migration in its framework, were highlighted.
With reference to Migration, the theme for which one of the key tasks of the forthcoming UN General Assembly will be to prepare two global compacts, one for migration and one for refugees, Minister Lajčák indicated the absolute need for mutual collaboration with all critical actors, including PAM, due to the aim of the project and the unprecedented scope of the phenomenon.
Based on an earlier meeting held with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malta, H.E. Carmelo Abela, Amb. Piazzi indicated to Minister Lajčák the objective of PAM to organize in Malta, later this year, in cooperation with the IPU and with the support of the Maltese MFA, a two-day major international conference on Mass Population Movements from Africa to Europe, with focus on root causes, the role of the Mediterranean countries, as well as economic, social and security challenges, and lasting solutions. In this regard, the need to associate both European and African key players was highlighted. Minister Lajčák, recalled the lack of a much-needed shared approach among European countries, and warmly welcomed PAM programme of work and, in that perspective, also requested PAM’s SG to support and contribute to the drafting of the UN GA Global Compact on Migration.
The President of the UNGA and PAM SG also spoke about the current situation in the Western Balkans in view of PAM’s President and SG official visit to Serbia in early September.