Continued Importance of Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security highlighted at OSCE seminar hosted by Albania

The democratic control of armed and security forces in the context of the Mediterranean region was the focus of a seminar organized online by the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre and the Republic of Albania on 27 and 28 May 2021.

The discussion brought together more than 150 participants from 29 OSCE participating States and the Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation. They comprised senior officers from the armed forces, senior government officials, representatives of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, and representatives of academia.  

Igli Hasani, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Albania to the OSCE, opened the event, highlighting that “the Code is the first-ever multilateral instrument to encompass norms and principles regulating the conduct of armed and security forces both at the national and international levels”.

The seminar addressed issues related to the history and development of the OSCE Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security, a landmark document adopted by the Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) in 1994 detailing the governance of the security sector and the role of armed and security forces in democratic societies. It also explored the Code of Conducts’s questionnaire, the democratic control of armed and security forces, including the part played by the Women, Peace and Security agenda, and the role of parliaments and youth with a focus on regional security challenges.

Armen Papikyan, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia to the OSCE and current Chair of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), commended the seminar session for its focus on aspects of women, peace and security within armed and security forces, as this topic is high on the agenda of the Armenian FSC Chairmanship. He also noted how the seminar complements the Annual Discussion of the Implementation of the Code of Conduct on Politico-Military on Aspects of Security, which will be held on 16 June 2021 and chaired by the Armenian FSC Chairmanship.

During the seminar, participants shared experiences and best practices in applying inter- and intra-state level commitments and principles enshrined in the Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct contains key principles and commitments for the 57 OSCE participating States related to security relations between States and to the control of all armed and security forces within a State.

Tuula Yrjölä, Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, underlined that “the significance of the Code of Conduct remains as high as ever, and it is up to the participating States to make full use of this tool. Sharing information, experiences and practices throughout the region is mutually beneficial and fosters transparency and confidence”.

The seminar was also supported by donations provided by Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.