OSCE Code of Conduct important for governing role of armed forces in democratic societies, says Head of OSCE Mission to BiH

SARAJEVO, 25 October 2013 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, in co-operation with the BiH Parliamentary Assembly Joint Committee on Defence and Security and the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre concluded today a two-day regional seminar for parliamentarians on the OSCE Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security in Konjic, Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.

The Code provides guiding principles for the democratic oversight of defense, security and intelligence matters in all 57 OSCE participating States.

“The OSCE Code of Conduct is a vital instrument governing the role of armed forces in democratic societies,” said Ambassador Fletcher M. Burton, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. “Democratic political control of all security services is an indispensable element of stability and security.”

The regional seminar bringing together chairpersons and members of parliamentary defence and security committees of the region, is part of the continued co-operation in the fields of defence and security between BiH and the OSCE.

“An important element of the seminar was regional co-operation and the strengthening of the regional parliamentary network,” said Burton. “Sharing experiences, resources and a vision serves as a powerful basis for real confidence building.”

Lt Col Detlef Hempel, OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation Co-ordinator for the OSCE Code of Conduct, said that only together we can assure that the armed and security forces do not become a state within a state and remain politically neutral.

The seminar attended by some 45 members of parliaments, experts and policy makers from Albania, BiH, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, the co-sponsors Switzerland and Germany, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the OSCE Missions to BiH and Serbia, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and RACVIAC Centre for Security Co-operation.