MP Kyriakos Hatzigiannis, Special Representative for the Participation of Civil Society in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).S. OSCE), participated yesterday as a keynote speaker at a meeting of the United Nations Office for the Suppression of Terrorism (UNOCT) on: "The role of parliamentarians and civil society in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism", which was held in Malaga.
Hatzigiannis pointed out that the OSCE, as the world's largest regional security organization, operates on the basis of an integrated approach that includes the political-military, economic, environmental and human dimensions of security, noting that the complex issue of combating terrorism touches on all three of these aspects.
Hatzigiannis noted the very important role of parliaments in the fight against terrorism, both in the exercise of legislative power and in the exercise of parliamentary control, as well as the positive role that civil society can play in this context. Through cooperation between parliaments and civil society, Hatzigiannis said, significant improvements in legislation are achieved, as civil society is often at the forefront of efforts to support victims of terrorist acts, as well as efforts to de-radicalise and reintegrate former members of terrorist or violent extremist groups. The inclusion of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the consultation process, he added, can significantly enhance citizens' confidence in the law-making process, while NGOs can also make a positive contribution to monitoring the implementation of states' commitments as they arise from relevant international conventions.
Moreover, Hatzigiannis argued that even in cases of unrecognized or dictatorial regimes, which are not parties to international conventions and in which the institutional structures are not yet in place, there is a need to ensure that they are able to implement their commitments.
Moreover, Hatzigiannis argued that even in cases of unrecognized or dictatorial regimes, which are not parties to international conventions and in which the institutional structures are not OSCE and in particular the Ad Hoc Committee of the Convention's Ad Hoc Committee on Counter-Terrorism, Hatzigianni said that promoting cooperation with NGOs is a priority. In this regard, he noted the contribution of this Committee to the drafting of the UN Model Legislative Provisions on Victims of Terrorism (2022), which underlines the multifaceted role of civil society in supporting victims of terrorist acts. It also noted the contribution of civil society in improving the exercise of parliamentary oversight, ensuring that there is continued political impetus to scrutinise and improve government policies.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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