CDS121 CDS 16 EOriginal: English

NATO Parliamentary Assembly

SUMMARY

of the meeting of the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security

Hall A, Palace of CongressesTirana, Albania

Saturday 28 May 2016

www.nato-pa.int June 2016

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ATTENDANCE LIST

Committee Chairperson Vitalino CANAS (Portugal)

General Rapporteur Joëlle GARRIAUD-MAYLAM (France)

Acting Sub-Committee on Democratic Governance Rapporteur Lord JOPLING (United Kingdom)

Special Rapporteur Ulla SCHMIDT (Germany)

President of the NATO PA Michael R. TURNER

Secretary General of the NATO PA David HOBBS Member delegationsBelgium Peter BUYSROGGE

Karolien GROSEMANSBrigitte GROUWELSPhilippe MAHOUXSébastian PIRLOTAlain TOPOlga ZRIHEN

Canada Jane CORDYJoseph A. DAY

Czech Republic Tomas JIRSADenmark Peter Juel JENSENEstonia Marko MIHKELSONFrance Michel LEFAIT

Jean-Michel VILLAUMÉGermany Wolfgang HELLMICH

Robert HOCHBAUMHolger POPPENHÄGERRainer ROBRAAnita SCHÄFER

Greece Panagiota DRITSELIHungary Sandor FONTIceland Ossur SKARPHEDINSSONItaly Bruno CENSORE

Andrea MANCIULLIDomenico SCILIPOTI ISGRO

Latvia Artis RASMANISLithuania Andrius MAZURONISLuxembourg Marc ANGEL

Alexander KRIEPSNetherlands Bastiaan van APPELDOORN

Salima BELHAJRonald VUIJK

Poland Waldemar ANDZELPawel BEJDA

Slovakia Gabor GALSlovenia Jasna MURGEL

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Matej TONINTurkey Safak PAVEY

Ziya PIRUnited Kingdom Mary CREAGH

Madeleine MOONUnited States Thomas MARINO

Associate delegationsArmenia Tevan POGHOSYANAustria Hubert FUCHS

Gabriela MOSERAzerbaijan Kamran BAYRAMOV

Malahat IBRAHIMGIZIBosnia and Herzegovina Nikola LOVRINOVIC

Asim SARAJLICFinland Tom PACKALENMontenegro Obrad Miso STANISICSerbia Branislav BLAZIC

Dubravka FILIPOVSKISwitzerland Chantal GALLADÉUkraine Yurii BEREZA

Mustafa-Masi NAYYEMOleksii SKRYPNYK

Regional Partner and Mediterranean Associate Member DelegationsAlgeria Mohamed BENTEBAJordan Ahmad AL-SWELMEYEENMorocco Rachdi EL MOKHTAR

European Parliament Georgios KYRTSOS

Parliamentary ObserversEgypt Mohamed ABDELAZIZ

Khaled ERAKIThe Palestinian National Council Mohammed HEGAZI

Speakers Dr Enri HIDELecturer in International Relations, Security and Geopolitics, European University of Tirana

Dr Ilir KALEMAJDirector of the International Relations Master Program, University of New York Tirana

Jean-Christophe DUMONTHead of International Migration Division, OECD

International Secretariat Andrius AVIZIUS, DirectorJailee RYCHEN, CoordinatorCeylan TACI, Administrative AssistantKamilla SOLIEVA, Research Assistant

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I. Opening remarks by the Chairman of the Committee

1. In his opening remarks, Chairman Vitalino Canas (PT) welcomed committee members and new colleagues to Tirana. He then thanked the Albanian delegation for their outstanding job in hosting the 2016 Spring Session.

II. Adoption of the draft Agenda [032 CDS 16 E]

2. The draft Agenda [032 CDS 16 E] was adopted without amendments.

III. Adoption of the Summary of the Meeting of the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security held in Stavanger, Norway, on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October 2015 [246 CDS 15 E]

3. The summary [246 CDS 15 E] was adopted without amendments.

IV. Consideration of the Comments of the Secretary General of NATO, Chairman of the North Atlantic Council on the Policy Recommendations adopted in 2015 by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly [031 SESP 16 E]

4. Members of the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security had no comments.

V. Consideration of the draft General Report Enhancing Euro-Atlantic Counter-terrorism Capabilities and Cooperation [033 CDS 16 E] by Joëlle GARRIAUD-MAYLAM (France), General Rapporteur

5. Joëlle Garriaud-Maylam (FR) began by stating that in the past, Daesh relied on lone wolves to organise attacks against Western societies. But today, Daesh is putting more efforts into training, equipment and terrorist coordination. Daesh has taken over Al-Qaeda’s global agenda while maintaining a more robust organisational pyramid. It is more efficient, has a greater online presence, and a more robust financial base. Therefore, the risk that Daesh or related groups will stage new large scale attacks against the Western societies has to be taken seriously.

6. Ms Garriaud-Maylam noted that in general, the trend in the Euro-Atlantic community is to increase the powers of law enforcement agencies, reinforce border controls, step up electronic surveillance, and increase military assistance and actions in African and Asian countries. However, the recent attacks on the European capitals have revealed gaps in the European security and intelligence cooperation. National or bilateral efforts are no longer sufficient enough to combat cross-border terrorist networks which operate throughout the European Union. Therefore, a multinational approach is needed to tackle this issue. Although multiple mechanisms have been put in place on the European level to counter terrorism, these instruments are under-resourced and underused. In order to effectively combat terrorism, the Euro-Atlantic community needs to ensure that there is mutual trust and political will to use these instruments.

7. Ms Garriaud-Maylam concluded with a call for action. She stated that the parliamentarians need to pressure their governments and national intelligence services to cooperate more closely with their counterparts. At the same time parliamentarians need to ensure that when fighting terrorism, there is a clear and established balance between preserving personal freedom and establishing security. This requires a democratic oversight, which would enable partners to build trust and share information more effectively. Although the Euro-Atlantic community cannot

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completely eradicate terrorism, it can bring the threat level down by acting together to change the practices and to disrupt terrorist networks.

8. The floor was opened for discussion. Members of the committee thanked the General Rapporteur for the excellent report and presentation.

9. The Committee’s Special Rapporteur Ulla Schmidt (DE) thanked the General Rapporteur for the balance analysis between security and personal freedom. She noted that decisions on security and personal freedom cannot be solely made by the governments, but must also include other institutions and the opposition.

10. A representative from the Netherlands highlighted the problem of foreign fighters in Syria. The Rapporteur brought an example of France, where youth is born and raised in democratic societies and yet some of them are drawn to extremist ideologies. The Rapporteur suggested that in order to target these groups, governments and institutions must take measures to curb radicalisation, starting from promoting democratic values and principles at a young age.

11. A Belgian delegate used the opportunity to highlight the dissatisfaction of the inhabitants of Molenbeek with how their municipality is being represented as a breeding ground for radicalism and terrorism. Many of the Muslims living in Belgium have criticised the terrorism acts in Paris and Brussels.

12. Assembly Treasurer Marc Angel (LU) drew attention to the issue of generic terrorist legislations, which criminalise the activities of those groups, including NGOs, for communicating with terrorist groups. Indeed, in order to fulfil their mandates, NGOs in this field sometimes need to have contact with these organisations. The General Rapporteur noted that protecting NGOs and their work requires a balanced approach between vigilance and objectivity. While it may be tempting to adopt a generic and encompassing rule – for instance the law adopted in France on rendering it illegal to connect to websites that promote extremists thoughts – one must adopt a more prudent and practical approach.

13. Assembly Vice-President Thomas Marino (US) highlighted the US Congress’ efforts in ensuring the balanced approach to security and personal freedom. Mr Marino spoke in depth about the Law Enforcement Access to Data Stored Abroad (LEADS) act, a legislation adopted by the Congress, which states that when the data is accessed abroad, security services must comply with the laws of the country of interest. The General Rapporteur praised the level of bilateral cooperation between France and the United States in counter terrorism. However, she noted that there is space for improvement.

14. A French delegate stated that a short-term goal of fighting Daesh is manageable and probably will be achieved in the near future. However, the real threat of radicalisation is at an increase and has to be addressed. The General Rapporteur noted that fighting radicalisation is essential, as it is breeds terrorism. She also pointed out the need to analyse the role of social media, which can sometimes contribute to radicalisation.

VI. Panel discussion on Political and Security Developments in the Western Balkans

Consideration of the draft Special Report The Western Balkans: European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Challenges [035 CDS 16 E] by Ulla SCHMIDT (Germany), Special Rapporteur

15. Ulla Schmidt opened her presentation by thanking Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia for organising an outstanding visit in March 2016. The information received during this visit was

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integrated in the draft report. She then spoke about the developments in the region. Over the past 20 years, the Western Balkans has gone through enormous changes in order to become an area of prosperity. One of the most remarkable achievements is the establishment of the zone of security, which has so far prevented new armed conflicts from escalating. Parts of the Western Balkans, including Slovenia, Croatia, Albania, and recently Montenegro, have progressed in their integration towards the Euro-Atlantic community. However, challenges which pose a threat to the stability of the region still exist.

16. Ms Schmidt expressed concern about the negative developments in some parts of the Western Balkans, especially in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia1. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, ethnic tensions continue to hinder the country’s progress. The Special Rapporteur argued that the Alliance should reconsider its policy towards Bosnia and Herzegovina. Namely, NATO should review whether all conditions that were set regarding activating membership plan can be maintained. In regards to Belgrade and Pristina, the current arrangements under the April 2013 Brussels agreement provide a good basis for making progress on the EU integration path, but the ultimate membership will not be possible, until Belgrade and Pristina resolve the issue of the status of Kosovo or at least achieve a much higher level of normalisation of relations. The Rapporteur also stressed that the lack of clear membership perspective for some of the Balkan countries should not be used as an excuse to sabotage European reforms, tolerate corruption and neglect socio-economic needs for the people.

17. Alongside the issues of ethnic tensions, the membership status and the slow pace of reforms and the insufficient or distorted public knowledge of the Euro-Atlantic community are other aspects affecting the integration process. The Euro-Atlantic community needs to do more in order to explain what NATO stands for and what its actions are. Sensitive issues such as the 1999 military campaign in Serbia have to be addressed, in order to make it clear that NATO exists to secure peace and not to distort it. The Special Rapporteur stressed that Serbia is not lured to join the Alliance – rather it is free to choose its own security and defence path.

18. Ms Schmidt closed her presentation by addressing the effect of the migrant crisis on the Western Balkans. Out of 1.3 million people applying for asylum in the EU, more than half travelled through the Western Balkan route from Greece to Europe. Although this route has been closed at the present, there are still many people in the Balkans. It is a duty of the Euro-Atlantic community to help the Balkan nations to provide for these people. She stressed that this humanitarian crisis is also an opportunity for the Balkan nations to enhance their regional cooperation.

Presentation by Dr Enri HIDE, Lecturer in International Relations, Security and Geopolitics, European University of Tirana

19. Dr Enri Hide noted that over the past years, the Western Balkans’ aspiration to integrate into NATO or the European Union has managed to avert the perspectives of conflict within or among the countries of the region. However, peace and stability should not be taken for granted. Corruption, lack of reforms, political instability and even unemployment has posed challenges to the region’s security and stability. In addition, there is a rise of new threats, including religious radicalisation and extremism.

20. Dr Hide proceeded to speak about the developments and challenges facing individual countries in the Western Balkans. In the case of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, political instability, corruption and deep political division prevails. Furthermore, the rights of minority groups, in particular Albanians, are curbed, he said. The future of this country is critical for the geopolitical stability of the region. In this stage of instability, NATO needs to keep its open door policy in relations to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. On the other hand,

1 Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name.

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Montenegro has been invited to join the Alliance. This is an important step towards the Euro-Atlantic integration of the whole region. However, the integration has also triggered debates regarding Russia and its response to enlargement decisions.

21. In regards to Kosovo, its status continues to have an effect on the integration processes of both Serbia and Kosovo. The establishment of the Association of Serb Municipalities, which would grant Serb minority group in Kosovo greater rights than any other minorities groups, has been the latest point of tensions between Pristina and Belgrade. Meanwhile, Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to struggle with intensive ethnic tensions baring dangerous regional impact.

22. Dr Hide outlined new challenges confronting the region. First, radicalisation and violent extremism constitute a potential threat. The number of foreign fighters originating from the Western Balkans has reached its peak in 2014. Currently, governments are concerned over returnees spreading extremist ideologies at home. NATO needs to adapt to this growing threat, boosting its intelligence sharing throughout Europe, Dr Hide said. In the case of Albania, while it is known for its religious harmony, it should be monitored. The second growing threat is Russia’s interest in the future of the region which has intensified over the past few years, especially in the field of energy.

23. Dr Hide spoke in depth about Albania’s development over the past few years. Albania has been actively promoting peace and stability in the region before and after it has joined the Alliance. Albania has been an active member in the global fight against terror, contributing troops to the United Nations and the Alliance whenever asked for support. Nevertheless, as a member of the Alliance, Albania needs to balance its foreign policy and move towards improving relations with its neighbours, including Serbia. Furthermore, it has to demonstrate its commitment to the NATO’s standards by implementing reforms in order to build solid route for the future democracy of the country. In this respect, the slow pace of reforms, particularly in the field of the rule of law, has negatively impacted and slowed Albania’s integration to the European Union.

24. The two presentations were followed by a lively discussion. Members of the Committee congratulated Special Rapporteur Schmidt on the excellent report and thanked Dr Hide for the presentation.

25. A French delegate welcomed the improving relations between countries in the Western Balkans and the EU. However, he expressed concern over the stagnating situation in the Western Balkans and a failure to fight corruption, promote freedom of press, and ensure independence of the judicial system. He has also noted that the refugee crisis placed financial constraints on the Western Balkans, in particular on Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. With this in mind, he called for a greater assistance from NATO and the EU to the region. He also asked a question on Serbia’s motives for opposing NATO membership. The Rapporteur agreed with her French colleague that there is a need for additional measures and reforms to curb corruption and promote the rule of law in the region in order to ensure stability. Otherwise, it will be much more difficult to convince the population to continue supporting the path towards democracy. In regards to the negative perception of NATO amongst the Serbian population, the Rapporteur emphasised the increasing role of the Russian-orientated community in keeping the memory of NATO’s airstrikes alive.

26. Assembly Treasurer Marc Angel found it noteworthy that the draft Report refers to the fact that many cited migrants and asylum seekers in Western Europe do, in fact, come from the Western Balkans. He also expressed concern Kosovo is becoming a fertile ground for Daesh as many Kosovars leave to fight in Syria and Iraq. Dr Hide described the rise of extremism in Kosovo as a complex issue which requires a deep analysis. In the past few years, some Middle Eastern countries have heavily invested in spreading religious extremism in Kosovo. Meanwhile, in

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Albania, religious harmony has existed for decades. This accompanied by government efforts has diminished the number of Albanians leaving to Syria and Iraq.

27. Some of the members of the Committee proposed certain amendments to the draft report. A representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina asked for the support of the members of the Committee in the activation of the Membership Action Plan. A Serbian delegate proposed to specify that NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg repeated the statement he made in Podgorica – regretting the innocent victims of the 1999 campaign in Belgrade – when he was visiting Belgrade as well. A Greek delegate expressed objection to the use of the word “Macedonians” in reference to the majority ethnic group in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

VII. Presentation by Dr Ilir KALEMAJ, Director of the International Relations Master Program, University of New York Tirana, on Instability in Libya: Implications for the MENA Region and Beyond, followed by a discussion

28. Dr Kalemaj noted that since the overthrow of Gadhafi in 2011, the security situation in Libya has significantly deteriorated. The power vacuum and clashes between political elites pose threats to the stability and security of Libya and the region as a whole. In an attempt to create a Libyan unity government, the UN has tried to broker a treaty between the two rival parliaments; however, it has not been successful so far. As a result of the power vacuum, the oil-rich country which was once considered as the most promising is now facing a grave financial crisis.

29. The turmoil in the country has enabled Daesh to gain a foothold in the east, the south and the west. The Daesh enclave around the city of Sirte is providing a safe haven for jihadists to train, fund and plan attacks in the Mediterranean. Other main Islamists groups control strategic points, including Tripoli (controlled by the Libya Dawn) and Benghazi (controlled by Ansar al-Sharia). On the other side, the Libyan National Army led by General Khalifa is fighting Islamist militias.

30. Dr Kalemaj outlined external and internal challenges confronting Libya. The country was compared to an arms and human trafficking “bazaar”. The economic situation is threatened by Daesh’s attack on oil facilities in the country. In response to the growing security threat, Tunisia is building a border security barrier along its borders with Libya. According to the Tunisian foreign affairs minister, the economic situation in Tunisia is precarious and therefore cannot cope with the refugees from Libya. The war and instability in Libya has displaced 400,000, with people moving northward.

31. Overall the situation in Libya is significantly deteriorating, resembling Somalia in the 1990s, with an economy in shatters and militant fractions disunited in their aim. The country has the highest youth unemployment in the MENA region, with a lack of the middle class. The new threat of the refugee crisis poses an additional burden on Libya’s economy. An estimated 87% of refugees travel from Turkey and Greece, many of whom travelled through the Western Balkans. Now that this route has been largely closed, a potential future route could be through Libya. This represents high security risks as terrorist could disguise themselves as refugees.

32. During the discussion following the presentation, Assembly Vice-President Lord Jopling (UK) mentioned the situation in Egypt, where the Bureau of the Assembly travelled earlier this year. The visit included a protracted session with President El-Sisi. Egypt, who is sharing 2,000 km border with Libya, is worried about its own security situation. The main concern is the spill over of chaos into Egypt, with the jihadists establishing presence in the country. Adding on the relations between Egypt and Libya, Dr Kalemaj highlighted the strong link that Egyptian and Libyan armies share, with former supporting the latter. Other issues that were raised in the discussion included the threat of Boko Haram, and the fight against Daesh.

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VIII. Consideration of the draft Report of the Sub-Committee on Democratic Governance Ukraine’s Two Wars: Protecting Independence and Implementing Real Reforms [034 CDSDG 16 E] by Lord JOPLING (United Kingdom), acting Rapporteur

33. Lord Jopling began his speech by praising the personal bravery of Nadiya Savchenko, who has recently returned home following a prisoner swap that saw her traded for two Russian servicemen. The situation in and around Ukraine is an issue of geostrategic importance and has an enormous impact on global politics. The Alliance’s important decisions taken to bolster its defence and deterrence capabilities were clearly linked with the new assertiveness of Russia, which manifested itself first in Georgia and later in Ukraine.

34. Ukraine’s attempt to break away from its post-Soviet past and create a state based on the values of freedom, rule of law, democracy and market economy, has been perceived by the Kremlin as a national security threat. As a result, Russia launched a military, economic and information aggression against Ukraine, seizing and illegally annexing Crimea and invading Eastern Ukraine. Today, Ukraine faces an unenviable task: to fulfil the promises of the “Euro-Maidan” revolution while trying to rebuff Russia’s aggression.

35. Lord Jopling continued by noting that the protracted political crisis and the slow pace of reforms are impeding Ukraine’s efforts to become a functioning democratic state. The failure of Ukrainian leaders to deliver on their promises is damaging for their image both at home and among the Euro-Atlantic community. However, it is important to keep in mind that transforming a country with Ukraine’s size and legacy was never going to be easy.

36. Lord Jopling concluded by emphasising that the international community should not turn its back on Ukraine in this difficult time of transition. In order to strengthen Ukraine’s efforts in implementing reforms and defending its territorial integrity, the Euro-Atlantic community needs to continue assisting and supporting the country. At the same time, NATO and EU officials should continue their diplomatic efforts to induce Russia to reconsider its assertive policies in the country. But ultimately, it is imperative that the Ukrainian leaders understand that the level of international support given to their country directly depends on their ability to deliver on promises of reforms. It is their responsibility to demonstrate concrete actions that show a willingness to forego old, malign practices of governance.

37. The President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Hon. Michael R. Turner (US), emphasised that Russia has not fundamentally improved its behaviour in the past year. In fact, it has assumed an even more aggressive stance, as manifested by its recent threats to Poland and Romania relating to the missile defence issue. He stressed that in these circumstances lifting sanctions against Russia would be counterproductive.

38. Special guest Eugene Czolij, President of the Ukrainian World Congress, strongly supported the key statement in Lord Jopling’s report, that “the Euro-Atlantic community should reaffirm its commitment to support Ukraine and take additional meaningful steps to help it in its struggle for independence and territorial integrity.” Mr Cozlij highlighted the reality of Russian aggression against Ukraine as part of the imperialistic agenda that threatens stability in the world. He urged the Euro-Atlantic community to deliver a strong and united message community to the Russian Federation that the Euro-Atlantic community will never compromise or tolerate violations of territorial integrity and independence of any country; to increase sectoral economic sanctions against Russia for its violations of the Budapest Memorandum and the Minsk Agreements; and to strengthen NATO-Ukraine cooperation and initiate talks on Ukraine’s membership in NATO.

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39. During the question and answer, members discussed the role of international organisations in Ukraine, raising the issue of a more robust OSCE mission in eastern Ukraine.

40. Marc Angel shared strong statements regarding Russia’s participation in the NATO PA. However, he also urged to explore ways of having a dialogue with Russia in order to reduce security threats in Europe.

41. The Ukrainian delegation supported the excellent draft report and suggested translating and publishing it in Ukrainian to show the Ukrainian audience how the situation in Ukraine is portrayed in the West, especially when it comes to corruption. Ukrainian delegates also pointed out that many OSCE monitors are from Russia, which sometimes results in biased OSCE reports on the implementation of the Minsk II. The delegation called NATO to start talks on Ukraine’s membership as a means to end the war in eastern Ukraine.

IX. Presentation by Jean-Christophe DUMONT, Head of International Migration Division, OECD, on The Migrant Crisis, followed by a discussion

42. Jean-Christophe Dumont opened his presentation by stating that behind the migration crisis that hit Europe in the summer 2015 there are a number of crises: humanitarian, security and trust. Officials in Europe recorded an estimated 1.3 million asylum seekers for 2015, which is twice the number of 2014 and comparable only to the situation in the early 1990s. In the meantime, Turkey hosts 2.7 million refugees, Lebanon hosts 1 million, and Jordan hosts 0.7 million. Half of the Syrian population has been displaced internally and to other countries.

43. This is a historical moment for Europe; however, its impact on individual member states is different. Only three countries in the EU are increasingly exposed to the migration crisis: Sweden (equivalent of 1.7% of its population applying for asylum), Germany (equivalent to 1% of its population), and Austria. The number of asylum seekers in Belgium and the Netherlands has doubled in 2015 in comparison to 2014. However, these countries have already observed such high numbers in the early 1990s. While much of the public focus has been on the Syrian refugees, it is important to remember that, in the first months of 2016, the asylum applications of Syrians were only 40% of all applications. Furthermore, there is a large difference between the country of origin of applications in each EU member state: France (Sudan), UK and Switzerland (Eritrea), Finland (Iraq), Italy (Nigeria), Sweden (Syria) and Germany (Syria). This diversity in terms of the size of impact and the diversity of flow of refugees explain why it has been difficult so far to find a common solution to the migration crisis in Europe and beyond.

44. According to the UNHCR estimates only 1/4 of the funds which are necessary to deal this year with the humanitarian issues associated to the Syrian crisis has been funded. By 2018, an additional 450,000 resettlement places should be found, whereas all the pledges reach up to 100,000. The humanitarian model which has been built since 1951 in Europe is now put to the test. With the growing migrant crisis there is a growing lack of trust in the public opinion about the capacity of countries to manage migration. Migration is increasingly seen as a threat, while the benefits of migration are put aside. Therefore, European politicians should work on rebuilding trust in migration. The lack of knowledge on migration has to be reduced, so that the issue can be presented in a more balanced way.

45. Although the migrant crisis has not yet evolved into a security crisis, European governments must take this possibility into account. The security risk of terrorists crossing the borders along with refugees is marginal. However, the real security risk lies in a possibility of implosion of countries neighbouring Syria that are facing the flow of unsustainable amount of refugees. This may affect the stability of the region in general.

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46. Mr Dumont suggested that in order to deal with the migrant crisis, Europe needs to provide support for refugees, reinforce border control, and improve coordination with origin and transit countries. This needs to be complemented by measures aiming at fostering the integration of refugees and their children, as well as by actions to combat smuggling networks of humans and weapons. In order to do that, European policy makers need to continue to reinforce intelligence, border control, police actions, and additional steps by weakening the modus operandi of terrorists. In a short term, by establishing legal routes for people to enter the European Union, provided they fulfil the requirements, Europe can reduce the illegal smuggling of humans. In the long term, the organisation of OECD’s development assistance needs to be improved. The migrant crisis has revealed that Europe was not prepared to respond effectively. Europe can be caught off guard once; however, failing to respond swiftly to the crisis twice would be a real policy failure.

47. Marc Angel noted that the 2014 UNHCR report estimated 60 million people have been displaced as a result of war, most of whom are hosted by low income countries. Therefore, the efforts of Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey in hosting Syrian refugees must not be left unrecognised. He also pointed to the need to have adequate readmission agreements with relevant countries. Certain countries refuse to sign a readmission agreement, which creates problems for recipient countries. Mr Dumont said that the European Commission is the key body in negotiating readmissions agreements and urged the European External Actions Service to step up its efforts in this regard.

48. A delegate from Armenia discussed the issue of migrants’ contribution to host country’s economic development, while a Canadian delegate highlighted Canada’s efforts made over the past year in the resettlement of refugees. A delegate from Belgium raised the issue of the brain drain in the countries of migrants’ origin. Mr Dumont that current international approach focuses on providing for the most vulnerable people. However, it is also important to provide opportunities for highly skilled people and maintain their skills. For instance, when the time of rebuilding Syria comes, these people with skills will be in high demand.

X. Summary of the future activities of the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security and the Sub-Committee on Democratic Governance

49. The Chairman thanked the Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Serbian delegation for hosting a Committee’s visit and reminded the Committee of the upcoming CDS visit to Egypt, which is awaiting a final confirmation. The CDS also plans on joining the Mediterranean and Middle East special group’s activities in Italy in early November, which also has to be confirmed.

XI. Other business

50. The Chairman also reminded delegates about two important seminars which will take place in Kyiv in June and in Pristina in October.

XII. Closing remarks

51. The Chairman thanked the Albanian host delegation, the guest speakers, as well as the Committee director, the coordinators, the research assistant and interpreters. He announced that the next session will take place in Istanbul, Turkey.

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