More than 230 parliamentarians from 53 countries today voted to pass the Belgrade Declaration, a political document filled with recommendations for national parliaments and the Organization for Security and Co-operation Europe on economic, security and human rights issues.

The vote came on the final day of the 20^th Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

“This Belgrade Declaration should remind us all that the best days of the OSCE are ahead of us,” said President Petros Efthymiou. “Since our beginning our region has constantly changed, and now it is imperative for the OSCE to change as well. We look forward to governments, parliaments and the OSCE implementing these recommendations.”

Parliamentarians re-elected President Efthymiou to a second one-year term. The full declaration will be available at www.oscepa.org.

To strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of the OSCE, the Belgrade Declaration recommends:

Political Affairs and Security --

• OSCE assistance in North Africa, if asked, in the fields of democracy and human rights 
• Changing the consensus rule for OSCE decision-making, at least on personnel, budget and administration matters
• The OSCE’s Permanent Council allow public and the press to attend its meetings

Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment

• Planning energy infrastructure mindful of “environmental threats and nuclear safety”
• Creating a global system to notify governments of natural disasters, co-ordinate international assistance to affected areas, and attract foreign investment to spur redevelopment in hard-hit communities
• Nations invest in environmentally safe industries and energy-saving technologies
• Greater co-operation and information sharing in the field of cyber security

Democracy and Human Rights

• Using the “consensus minus one” procedure in cases of “clear, gross and uncorrected violations of OSCE commitments”
• The Permanent Council hold bi-weekly meetings to consider human rights issues.

Members also approved 23 Supplementary Items on a host of issues, including: 

Belarus

• Calling for release of political prisoners, allowing independent experts into Belarus under the Moscow Mechanism, and development of a media law in line with international commitments

Cyber security

• Calling for confidence-building measures to address State use of cyber technologies in conflicts, national debates concerning codes of conduct for States using cyber technology, and information exchanges on cyber security policies, technologies and strategies.

Human Trafficking

• Urges governments to ensure all goods purchased are not produced by labor trafficking victims.
• Insists corporations use independent verification to ensure their supply chains are free from human trafficking.
• Urges states to strengthen cooperation on the UN action plan and related UN conventions
• Calls on states to address demand for all forms of exploitation and enhance measures to deter exploiters

Hunger

• Calls on parliaments to address social and infrastructure problems in rural areas to secure food production and supply

Internet freedom

• Recommends national governments do more to make information freely available online and tear down the digital divide that leaves lower income people unequal Internet access 

Migration

• Calling on governments to co-ordinate migration policies and proposing the OSCE create a network of national focal points on migration in each country

Organ trafficking

• Recommending an urgent international investigation into organ trafficking crimes committed in Kosovo during the conflict of the 1990s

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 320 parliamentarians from 55 countries spanning, Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.