Rule of Law: Combating Transnational Crime and Corruption

Statement at the Inaugural Plenary Session

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Ladies and gentlemen,
Members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly,
Mr President,

It is an honour for me, on behalf of the Norwegian Government, to address the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE. I welcome you all to Norway, to our capital, and to this building – the Norwegian Labour Organisation’s ‘Folkets Hus’ – ‘The People’s House’, opened in 1962, a monument to the universal workers’ rights.

The programme of this 19th session is solid evidence of both the ambition and relevance of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Rule of law, fighting corruption and fighting organised crime are matters that concern us all. The programme illustrates the broader, more updated and modern concept of security that the OSCE stands for – with links back to the Helsinki Accords in the 1970s.

The organisation has since its establishment – as the CSCE in July 1973 – put people, human rights, human dignity and human security at the top of its agenda. These were core issues in the Cold War era. And they are still core issues in our era of global change and complexity.

The OSCE has taught us that the protection of human rights, free and fair elections, freedom of the media and a vibrant civil society are important for our security. Because free, open and stable societies will stand stronger in the fight against such destabilising forces as transnational crime, corruption, armed violence and international terrorism.

While preparing this speech, I came to think of last year, when on my way home from the important OSCE Corfu meeting, I travelled via the Middle East, for talks there. And I had one of these ‘what if’ thoughts. What if the Middle East region had this well-developed web of organisations, networks, charters, basic documents, platforms for parliamentarians and ministers to meet, etc., fostering mutual dependency, openness, transparency, security and respect? Let us not lose sight of these hard-won European lessons of progress. They could, and they should, inspire us – and many others as well.

Ladies and gentlemen,

There are five points I want to make this afternoon.

First, the obvious: the contribution of the OSCE is key to the fight against corruption and organised crime across borders.

The OSCE’s broad membership and broad approach to security are its hallmarks and its greatest strengths. New threats such as transnational crime require that we take a wide perspective in our response – as well as a well-functioning political dialogue. The OSCE can deliver much-needed input to this response.

The OSCE is the world’s largest security organisation – and you, parliamentarians, who are here today, represent approximately 1.3 billion people. A great number of them have elected you, voted for you. – As they have for me, a Norwegian MP (representing Norway’s Labour Party and Oslo). Democracy at work – that is what the OSCE is designed to protect. And that is what makes the OSCE strong.

The OSCE is not an organisation based on military might, built for hard power and territorial security measures on the ground. The OSCE is an organisation for the building of trust between nations and respect for human rights – to the benefit and security of the people of its participating states. The OSCE has built bridges: the Helsinki Accords of 1975 were designed to build confidence and respect for universal human standards in the Euro-Atlantic area, between the East and the West.

And it still does. Because the need for confidence-building measures did not end with the end of the Cold War. This is equally relevant when dealing with the complexities of the 21st Century, now that we are faced with new security threats – international terrorism, transnational organised crime and corruption, which are threatening our economic and democratic security.

Second, the drug business is a telling example of what we are up against when we speak about transnational crime.

It is the world’s largest criminal industry. It cuts right through the whole OSCE area. And it contributes to instability in general and causes immense human suffering for the individuals who are affected, both in OSCE member states and in neighbouring countries. Only few metres from this building, right in the centre of Oslo, under bridges, behind corners and bus stops, the business of drug dealing is visible to everyone. The customers are many, the suppliers are numerous.

The numbers associated with this business are staggering. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime – UNODC – has estimated the annual revenues from the European cocaine and heroin market, excluding Russia and Turkey, at USD 54 billion. The estimated value of the Russian market is USD 13 billion. A drug syndicate will typically calculate a loss of perhaps 30% of its smuggled merchandise, normally as a result of drug seizures at borders, whereas the confiscation of profit is likely to amount to less than 1%. White-collar criminals are profiting from crime, and the few who are caught face relatively mild sentences.

A number of international organisations are working hard to secure the necessary cooperation between countries and agencies. Norway will fund a comprehensive study by UNODC which should give us an updated understanding of the generation, laundering and cross-border transfer of the proceeds of crime. Confiscation of the proceeds requires detailed intelligence. And this requires the mobilisation of states and civil society. In short, exactly what the OSCE should be able to help mobilise. For this study to be as thorough as possible, UNODC will need to draw on the vast experience of the OSCE and its member states.

The OSCE has long since acknowledged that international crime – such as drug trafficking – is a potential threat to member states’ security. The organisation has used its Strategic Police Matters Unit to engage in an array of initiatives to combat organised crime. It goes without saying that in view of scarce financial and personnel resources, cooperation between international players is crucial.

These initiatives – such as the work to overcome a history of abuse and mistrust between police forces and Roma and Sinti communities, and the police support programmes in the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia – have our full support.

The OSCE’s programmes for police reform, for border security and for fighting trafficking are also especially relevant. A promising novelty is the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe, which has just started its activities with a series of workshops this year. Norway is among the major contributors to the college, which will offer strategic training to senior border management officials from the whole OSCE region – particularly from Central Asia and Afghanistan.

My third point concerns the fight against human trafficking, which is considered to be the second largest criminal industry in the world – and the fastest growing. The International Labour Organization estimates that 2.5 million people worldwide are victims of forced labour – including sexual exploitation – due to trafficking.

Much of the international human trafficking is directed to or takes place within the OSCE area. As individuals, as members of parliaments and governments, we cannot ignore the immense human suffering this trafficking leads to.

The OSCE was among the first to put this issue on the international agenda. Our Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, works tirelessly to engage member states in efforts to put an end to the slavery of our times. I commend her for her efforts. This issue is also a key priority for Norway’s chairmanship of the Baltic Sea States Subregional Cooperation, which we assumed on 1 July. The OSCE must keep this issue high on the international agenda.

Fourth, we should ask ourselves: Do these new security challenges – I have focused on transnational crime as an example – imply that we need to fundamentally change how we face them – and how we organise our security measures?

Let me make this clear: We welcome the discussion on how to enhance European and Euro-Atlantic security. But in my view there is no need to change the main pillars of the European security architecture. In the Euro-Atlantic area we have a vast institutional security framework in place – and this is our strength. The OSCE, the EU, NATO and the Council of Europe all contribute to our common security, and they have developed and matured over time.

However, what we need is an open debate on how the institutions are set up in order to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. I therefore welcome the discussions that have dominated the agenda of the OSCE this past year. I believe the OSCE has a particular strength in providing a forum for broad-based discussions – broad both in terms of the interpretation of the security concept and in terms of countries taking part.

The Corfu Process has proved useful, and a number of countries have presented a broad array of ideas on how to strengthen our common security. I would like to thank the Chairman-in-Office for the extensive Interim Report presented recently. Later this month some conclusions will be drawn at the OSCE Ministerial in Almaty.

My message is this: We all need to muster the necessary political will to strengthen the OSCE as a common security organisation. Norway will contribute to this objective.

Fifth – and finally: We need to refine, strengthen and update the OSCE tool box – an issue we have also discussed as part of the Corfu Process. This tool box must be more effective in conflict prevention and better equipped to meet new threats and challenges.

We should preserve our achievements in the human dimension. We should acknowledge the importance of what we are already doing well.

One of our greatest assets is the OSCE’s contributions to free and fair elections. Here, I would particularly like to mention the combined efforts of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) – and you, the Parliamentary Assembly. Your work in election monitoring is impressive – and it contributes to the solid reputation of the organisation. We could see this for ourselves when we had a visit from the ODIHR last September when Norway held parliamentary elections.

Another great asset is the important work of the High Commissioner on National Minorities, not least in the area of conflict prevention. The High Commissioner has provided excellent guidelines, known as the Bolzano/Bozen recommendations, on how to treat national minorities in inter-state relations. I fully share the High Commissioner’s view that these recommendations would be even more useful if they were endorsed by governments, thus becoming politically binding, as a way of preventing conflicts and fostering good neighbourly relations.

Ladies and gentlemen,

To conclude, let me add two things.

First, regarding the situation in the Kyrgyz Republic, I congratulate the Interim Government on the peaceful conduct of the Constitutional Referendum on 27 June, an important step towards the re-establishment of constitutional order and democracy in the country. I note with great relief that the situation for the civilian population has improved, although it remains very fragile. Norway – among other OSCE members – has responded to the humanitarian appeal launched by the UN and others.

Second, I would like to commend the Kazakh Chairmanship for playing such a constructive role during these violent events in the Kyrgyz Republic. The way the OSCE responded shows the value of this organisation in areas such as conflict prevention and crisis response. Therefore I welcome strengthened OSCE activities in Kyrgyzstan, including the plans to deploy an OSCE Police Task Force.

I think these events also illustrate my main message. In today’s world we need collective efforts to tackle the problems we face. What the world needs is more – not less – multilateralism. The engagement of the OSCE today is relevant – and important – because it covers the necessary dimensions in terms of both political and human resources. It brings together 56 countries in a continuous dialogue on the building of democratic societies based on the rule of law. This promotes predictability and confidence across borders. Which in turn means more security – for all.

I wish you all an excellent stay here in Oslo.