The National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia hosted the Fifth Meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), from 24 to 27 June 2010.

At the beginning of the first workday the participants were greeted by PAM Vice-President Abdelkader Fedala whose opening address focused on the results of PAM’s work so far. Fedala hoped that, after the Belgrade meeting, the discussions opened in recent months would be integrated and completed thus preparing a solid platform for the region’s development in order to improve the quality of life of the people of the Mediterranean area.

The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic addressed the delegates, stating that the creation of PAM is the best testament to the essence of parliamentary democracy. She added that among the issues discussed, the Serbian Parliament is particularly interested in the issues of refugees and internally displaced persons, their rights, status and fate.

The Fifth Meeting of PAM focused on various common problems in the region and dealt with such subjects as fighting terrorism, human trafficking, disposal of toxic waste in the Mediterranean region, global economic crisis and energy production, environmental problems, internally displaced persons, gender equality, as well as issues of inter-cultural and inter-religious relations among the people in the region.

In the work of the First Standing Committee, charged with political cooperation and security, the participants considered the question of international terrorism, basic causes and emergence, as well as potential ways to combat and prevent terrorism. The working part of the meeting gave rise to a debate on the problems of increased human trafficking, as well as disposal of toxic matters in the Mediterranean. After the discussion, the delegates agreed that the fight against terrorism requires unified international cooperation.

The work of the Second Standing Committee, charged with cooperation in the spheres of economy, society and environment, commenced with a minute’s silence to honour the civilian victims of natural disasters. In his address, Nebojsa Pokimica, Assistant Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, listed positive examples of departmental cooperation stressing that future cooperation lies within the concept of green economy. In the meeting, the officials discussed possible solutions to the environmental problems faced by the Mediterranean region, availability of energy resources, sea pollution, conservation of natural resources, and presented the sustainable development potential of the Mediterranean.

The Third Standing Committee, charged with dialogue among civilisations and human rights, held a meeting on the second day, to discuss refugees and internally displaced persons, Palestinian refugee women, as well as raising gender equality. Vladimir Cucic, Commissioner for Refugees of the Republic of Serbia, informed the participants that records list about 86 000 refugees and 210 000 internally displaced persons currently living in Serbia, while 100 000 to 150 000 people would be returned from 29 European countries on grounds of readmission in the upcoming period. Cucic also informed the participants that, according to UNHCR, the Republic of Serbia is one of five countries in the world, and the only one in the Europe, with permanent refugeeism.

The head of the Republic of Serbia delegation to PAM, deputy Maja Lausevic, launched an initiative to have the organisation tackle the issue of displaced persons in the northern Mediterranean next year, which was accepted.

In the meeting, a special task group for inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue discussed the Inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue in the Western Balkans as a platform to strengthen and reinforce peaceful and good-neighbourly relations among the people in the area. In the last couple of years, a special Western Balkans group was formed aimed at discovering ways and organise incentives for a peaceful life and development of good-neighbourly relations in the Western Balkans, as well as further the promotion of respect among the nations in the Mediterranean region. In the discussion, the delegates emphasised dialogue as the only way to peace and reconciliation because people have to live together. Signing the Letter of taking responsibility, PAM members states committed to implement ideas on the improvement of dialogue.

The agenda for the Fifth Meeting of PAM also contained economic and commercial issues. During the two-day session, PAM delegates also adopted a series of draft reports and resolutions, because the Belgrade meeting of the three PAM Standing Committees is a preparation for the PAM plenary session to be held in Rabat (Morocco) from 28 to 30 October 2010. Founded in Amman in 2006, PAM today gathers 25 members states of the region (Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Syria, Macedonia, Tunisia and Turkey; associate members and observers: Maghreb, Romania, Western European Union Parliamentary Assembly).