Cypriot MPs participated in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 22nd Winter Meeting in Vienna that marked the one year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Vice-President of the Assembly at the OSCE PA and Special Representative on Fighting Corruption, MP Irene Charalambides, in her intervention at a session of the Standing Committee, briefed the members about the results of her visit to Moldova, together with Anita Ramasastry, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Corruption, the first joint visit by OSCE Executive and Assembly officials.
Charalambides referred, moreover, to her participation last December in a Round Table Discussion on the fight against corruption organised in The Hague by the governments of Canada, Ecuador and the Netherlands. She also participated, among other things, in a session of the Sub-Committee on Rules of Procedure “during which she presented a number of amendments aimed at strengthening the role of women in the OSCE PA”, as well as ensuring that the Code of Conduct for the OSCE PA members was legally binding.
Moreover, on the sidelines of the Assembly, Charalambides had a meeting with the head of the delegation of Kazakhstan, Askar Shakirov, in view of her upcoming visit to the country, as Special Coordinator of a short-term OSCE observer mission to monitor the parliamentary elections that will be held in the country on March 19. Charalambides also met with the first deputy chairperson of the Senate of Uzbekistan’s Parliament and head of the delegation of Uzbekistan to the OSCE PA, Sadik Safoev, with whom she exchanged views on issues of bilateral and broader interest.
Cypriot MP, Kyriakos Hadjiyiannis in his own intervention at the event, as Special Representative on Civil Society Engagement, stressed “the tragic humanitarian situation in which the country finds itself one year after the start of the Russian attack”, a statement by the Parliament said.
“Those who are responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and massive violations of human rights must be held accountable,” Hadjiyiannis said, noting that, Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Ukraine “contribute significantly” in this direction by recording, collecting and sharing in the press and social media information about possible crimes as well as about the situation prevailing in the entire country.
He also referred to the role of NGOs in the reconstruction of the country, in raising funds for strengthening Ukraine’s resilience, and in helping the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees who have been forced to leave their homes.
The war in Ukraine, he pointed out, reminded everyone that governments cannot solve all problems by themselves and that the contribution of NGOs is a catalyst in dealing with multiple crises, therefore, “their malicious demonisation is condemnable”, he said.
Hadjiyiannis also referred to an initiative he undertook in collaboration with the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), for the preparation of guidelines for national parliaments regarding the participation of civil society in decision-making processes.
Source: Cyprus News Agency