The war against corruption is a security priority, the CS President said on Friday in Nicosia. OSCE Margareta Cederfelt, opening the international conference of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE CSCE) on "Fighting Corruption, Defending Democracy: the role of national parliaments", with speakers including representatives of international organizations, NGOs and media as well as Cypriot officials.
The conference is hosted by the House of Representatives at the "Filoxenia" Conference Centre during the weekend of 27 28 May 2022 and is the first OSCE conference to be held in physical presence since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. OSCE Chairperson and Special Representative on Combating Corruption Irene Charalambidou who, welcoming the guests, said that political will is the main tool against corruption.
"There are too many politicians in this room who have the power to make the change, to promote the idea and to ensure that adequate legislation is implemented," Charalambidou added.
This conference, she continued, serves precisely to send a strong message about our determination as parliamentarians to be better informed, more ambitious in our anti-corruption agenda and more effective in order to meet the expectations of our citizens.
In her speech, the Chairperson of the OSCE CSO, Ms. Cederfelt said that our presence here today confirms that the fight against corruption is a security priority across the OSCE region, as it seriously undermines the development of states and affects the lives of citizens.
On the war in Ukraine, she said that the organisation supports peace but should also address other important issues because if they are left alone, then after the war is over, the problems will be bigger.
Cederfelt congratulated Ms. Charalambidou for her commitment to "take a very important initiative which will put the OSCE CSO at the forefront in terms of fighting corruption and adopting a code of conduct, expressing the hope that the code will soon be ready and adopted as it is a very important step forward.
Corruption, she said, poses a "very serious threat to the rule of law and the stability of our societies, affecting all states of the world, undermining fundamental democratic values, institutions and also having an impact on social, economic as well as political development, she said. Cederfelt, as it diverts critical resources from addressing the needs of citizens and alienates from the democratic process.
She called on the members of the OSCE CSO to act responsibly and stressed that citizens have shown confidence in parliamentarians by electing them and have a duty to "show respect for democratic institutions". We should adopt effective policies in the fight against corruption which remains a key priority for all OSCE countries and an issue for all parliamentarians and governments. And this is the key to defending democracy and staying true to our values and to those who elected us," he added.
For his part, the Special Envoy of the current Polish Chairmanship of the OSCE, Ambassador Artur Dmochowski said that the parliamentary dimension of the OSCE and the Assembly itself strengthens multilateralism and promotes conflict prevention through dialogue. And today this work may be more meaningful than ever. The OSCE is designed to prevent another war on the continent and to ensure the security and stability of the continent, he said.
Referring to the war in Ukraine, Mr. Dmochowski said that in light of such an unprecedented violation of international order as the current Russian unprovoked brutal attack on Ukraine, we realize that the scale of violations of international law, including humanitarian and human rights, is enormous.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, he added, Poland, as chair of the OSCE, has adopted a firm stance in defence of the principles and values of the organisation, which are fundamental norms such as sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and freedom to choose alliances. "The international community has repeatedly called on Russia to stop the atrocities and allow the expansion of humanitarian aid." He said that the strength of the OSCE lies in its comprehensive approach to what security means.
The Polish chairmanship of the OSCE, he added, "considers the fight against corruption a cornerstone of a modern democratic society" and a phenomenon that is noted worldwide. The fight against corruption at all levels, he added, plays an important role in the promotion and protection of human rights and in the process of creating sustainable and transparent institutions to achieve the full implementation of human rights.
I firmly believe that national parliaments, as pillars of democracy, can play a key role in the fight against corruption, he concluded.
The Secretary General of the OSCE CSO, Roberto Montella said that corruption is a threat to the foundations of societies and the OSCE principles which are the protection of democratic institutions, transparency, respect for human rights, freedom of the media, the rule of law and minorities.
Citizens are victims of corrupt societies and for this reason, it is very important that parliamentarians get involved and try to change legislation and include in national legislation very strict provisions to fight corruption. We owe it to our citizens," he added.
Source: CNA
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
