Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs - Sub-Committee on Human Rights - 9th April 2008

Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs - Sub-Committee on Human Rights - 9th April 2008
Senator David Norris: I regret I had to leave the meeting for a moment and will have to do so again because I am being briefed on the very important matter of the availability of legal aid support through the free legal aid centres.
I very much welcome the information given. I am afraid I am rather eurocentric and tend to think elections are pretty good the closer one gets to the centre of Europe and that the further one migrates from it, the more questionable they become. I am very glad observers from Ireland have been made available. Although I have not undertaken this task, a number of my colleagues have done so quite widely outside Europe where it is even more necessary.
One of my colleagues who is very conservative economically was one of those charged with monitoring the election in Nicaragua where the Sandinistas came to power.
It carried additional weight precisely because of his strong conservative views in that he was able, independently, to say that those elections had been free and fair and the result was justified.
The concern of those of us in the Upper House, which was remarked on during the past week, does not apply to the elections in Europe; elections in Europe were not mentioned this week. However, there was strong concern about the conduct and delayed result of elections in Zimbabwe. I am aware the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe was involved, but I wonder if it would not be appropriate to give training to people on the understanding that they can apply this expertise not only in Europe. Are there any provisions for wandering outside Europe, so to speak? If requested, would the OSCE be in a position to make monitors available in these difficult circumstances? Does the director, Ambassador Strohal, believe there are different criteria?
Is every election different to such a marked degree that a different kind of professional training would be required in the different circumstances? I assume there are local domestic arrangements. To what extent do parliamentarians who, like taxi drivers, tend to see themselves as experts on virtually everything, get training, or is it a case of professional monitoring? It would be an extremely useful process for politicians to be trained. I am happy to acknowledge my ignorance - which is one of Ireland's greatest natural resources - and am willing to learn. I do not believe I would be competent to monitor an election in a fully professional way. I have picked up a certain amount from news broadcasts about what to look for but some minimal training would be required, particularly for persons so enriched by ignorance as myself and perhaps some of my other colleagues.

H. E. Mr. Christian Strohal: I thank the members for their comments, interest and questions. I will begin with the situation elsewhere in the world. I am not sure I agree that what happens in Zimbabwe or Nicaragua is of higher interest or of more concern than what happens in the OSCE region for several reasons. What happens in Zimbabwe and every other country is a concern in terms of respect for basic international standards. However, what is important about the OSCE region is not only what is happening or the concerns about the region but also the region as a possible model. Are we better? This is the northern part of the globe, essentially from Vancouver to Vladivostok. Is the region from Vancouver to Vladivostok living up to international expectations? Is it living up to the expectations vis-à-vis global leadership in at least part of that region? Leadership begins at home. Is the region in a position to tell others in the world how to develop democratic institutions and processes against the backdrop of what is happening in the region? A non-election related example is the loss of credibility of the proclaimed leadership of the United States on human rights given Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib.

Senator David Norris: Hear, hear.

H. E. Mr. Christian Strohal: That has had a negative effect on the capacity for leadership and has increased the demand on the European Union and European Governments for strong leadership in these matters.
In addition, not only in terms of global leadership but in terms of repercussions, the central Asian countries, for example, are OSCE participating states. They come from a Soviet past. They are young countries. They are between various global factors - the big neighbour to the north, the big neighbour to the east, American strategic interests and European strategic interests. They are examining options for their political, democratic, economic and other development. We have not only a major responsibility vis-à-vis those countries; it is also affecting the larger region. They are neighbouring Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a partner in co-operation, as it is called, for the OSCE, that is, it is not bound by the same commitments but it is a partner. Everybody concerned is examining how to increase the involvement of the OSCE in some aspects of developing border management, election-related capacity and a number of other areas in a place like Afghanistan.
We are also examining institutional relationships, namely, the OSCE versus other regional organisations and the Organisation of American States and the African Union. An effort has been ongoing for some time at a rather slow pace to enhance co-operation with the African Union, particularly on election-related matters.
It is good to have the European Union monitor elections in Zimbabwe. I had an interesting discussion with Irish election observers. I was asked whether the EU has a stronger corporate identity when it observes elections than when Irish observers go as part of an OSCE mission. The question ignored the fact that the OSCE is observing itself whereas the EU is observing other countries. The EU can act as an observer elsewhere, but the OSCE observes itself. Perhaps we could encourage a stronger role, for example, for the African Union in addition to the work of the European Union in becoming involved in monitoring the situation, as is being done by the OAS and by some loose groupings such as La Francophonie or the Commonwealth. That is also an area where the OSCE is developing a role.

The role of parliamentarians cannot be over-estimated. It is crucial. It is not only crucial in election observation but in a broad range of issues. We would not dare to train parliamentarians because I would not disagree with your comparison with taxi drivers off the record. We are certainly happy to engage. We are happy to do briefings.

Senator David Norris: I apologise, I must leave to speak in the Seanad. I am glad I heard Mr.
Strohal's comments. I would have liked to probe further with the ambassador issues such as that relating to Craig Millar who was in one of these central Asian republics and was fired by the British Government precisely because he told the truth about human rights. I regret I have to leave the meeting but I must look after the poor.
H.E. Mr. Christian Strohal: I thank the Senator for attending. On the role for parliamentarians in other parts of the human dimension legislative process, we are increasingly asked by a number of OSCE participating states not alone to consider individual pieces of legislation and how they relate to international commitments, but to consider how the legislative process can be made more inclusive and transparent. In a way, we are strengthening our work with parliaments outside election times on a number of long term issues relating to the role of parliaments, how to strengthen parliament and how to strengthen work between government and opposition parties around legislation and the legislative process. This is where we would be happy to see more engagement from parliamentarians from our own parliamentary assembly, the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and national parliaments. I accept a question of time and resources arises in this regard. One of the things I will recommend to my successor is that he or she further strengthen the parliamentary dimension of some of our work in the support we provide to transformation, to reform and transition processes in a number of countries and, in particular, within the former Soviet Union.