10 October 2011, 12:12
Each year the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly organizes a set of Fall Meetings to enhance inter-parliamentary dialogue on important topics related to OSCE commitments and values. The Meetings include a Conference on a topical issue, a session of the Assembly's Standing Committee of Heads of Delegations and typically also a meeting of the Mediterranean Forum. More than 200 OSCE Parliamentarians from 49 participating States are expected to participate in the OSCE PA Fall Meetings in Dubrovnik on 7-10 October. Hosted by the Croatian Parliament, the meetings will include a parliamentary conference on Regional Development in South-East Europe: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects, a Standing Committee meeting, and a Mediterranean Forum.
Ukrainian delegation is headed by the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Deputy Chairman of OSCE PA Oleh Bilorus. The delegation includes the People´s Deputies of Ukraine L. Biriuk, Yu. Lytvyn, V. Nakonechnyi, M. Perestenko, O. Stoian, and S. Shevchuk.
The following issues regarding situation in South-East Europe are to be scrutinized during the session: challenges, opportunities and perspectives, development of efficient management and corruption fighting, consequences of military crimes in South-East Europe, trafficking in humans, and economic cooperation between the states of South-East Europe. A special presentation "The Role of the OSCE in Conflict Resolution: Nagorno-Karabakh" will be moderated by the newly appointed Special Representative on the South Caucasus, OSCE PA President Emeritus Joao Soares.
Oleh Bilorus, Chairman of the Ukrainian delegation, took part in the general debates based on the feedback from the First Session of Mediterranean Forum. He called on the delegates to enhance the Mediterranean dialogue and attract the Black Sea and Caspian regions to this process. "These states show a stable annual increase of GDP more than 5-7%, which, in comparison with the EU countries, is a great resource for development of world economy and overcoming the consequences of the global crisis," the Ukrainian parliamentarian stated.
O. Bilorus called for "a thorough analysis of causes and consequences of the global crisis which remains a big challenge for the economy of OSCE states from Vancouver to Vladivostok."
The Head of the Ukrainian Standing Delegation stressed that promotion of free trade and active liberalization of trade relations is one of the vehicles for a new quality of post-crisis economy. O. Bilorus also believes that free trade and inter-regional economic cooperation are important factors for strengthening international competitive ability.
Members of the Standing Delegation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine took part in the discussion of trafficking in human beings.
Serhii Shevchuk, member of the Ukrainian delegation, stressed, "Last year´s fall meetings in Palermo proved that this problem is common for many states, for transitional economies as well."
S. Shevchuk holds the opinion that in comparison with other criminality cases, such as drug trafficking and cybercrime, "trafficking in human beings develops more successfully." He focused on the fact that "such crimes can be solved once corruption in the law-enforcement agencies, customs and migration services, municipal bodies and transport companies is eradicated." "We should not complicate the issue, but law-enforcement agencies shall perform their professional duties scrupulously," S. Shevchuk is convinced.