Newsroom
OSCE Mission holds seminar on parliamentary oversight of security forces in Serbia and Montenegro
BELGRADE 24 September 2004
BELGRADE, 24 September 2004 - A seminar focusing on parliamentary supervision of the security forces, held today by the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro, brought together key representatives of the countries' political and security institutions.
"The security forces of a democracy are responsible to the elected representatives of the citizens," said Mark Davison, Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission. "Both the parliamentarians and the officers must understand each other's roles and develop effective channels of communication."
The seminar, held at the Assembly of Serbia and Montenegro, was opened by the Speaker of the Union Parliament, Zoran Sami. It is part of a larger programme of strengthening Parliamentary oversight of the army and the security sector started by the OSCE Mission in 2003 with the support of the British Ministry of Defence.
The Programme consists of numerous activities aimed at strengthening the capacity of democratic institutions, improving the legal framework for oversight, supporting parliamentary debate on security topics and facilitating the regional co-operation of parliaments on security issues.
Members of the security and defence oversight bodies of the parliaments of Serbia, Montenegro and the Union, representatives from the defence, interior and foreign ministries of Serbia and Montenegro, security and intelligence agencies, as well as domestic and foreign experts on the issue took part in the seminar.
"The security forces of a democracy are responsible to the elected representatives of the citizens," said Mark Davison, Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission. "Both the parliamentarians and the officers must understand each other's roles and develop effective channels of communication."
The seminar, held at the Assembly of Serbia and Montenegro, was opened by the Speaker of the Union Parliament, Zoran Sami. It is part of a larger programme of strengthening Parliamentary oversight of the army and the security sector started by the OSCE Mission in 2003 with the support of the British Ministry of Defence.
The Programme consists of numerous activities aimed at strengthening the capacity of democratic institutions, improving the legal framework for oversight, supporting parliamentary debate on security topics and facilitating the regional co-operation of parliaments on security issues.
Members of the security and defence oversight bodies of the parliaments of Serbia, Montenegro and the Union, representatives from the defence, interior and foreign ministries of Serbia and Montenegro, security and intelligence agencies, as well as domestic and foreign experts on the issue took part in the seminar.