“Where the space for civil society is shrinking and civil and political rights are curtailed, societies are less stable.” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism and Chair-in-Office of the OSCE Ian Borg stressed the positive correlation between an enabling environment for civil society and security, when he was addressing the OSCE Parallel Civil Society Conference 2024, organised by the global NGOs coalition, the Civic Solidarity Platform (CSP), in Rabat, Malta, on Wednesday evening.
The conference is held every year on the eve of the Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which the Maltese Chairpersonship of this organisation is hosting in Malta on Thursday and Friday. This year’s conference brought together activists, researchers, and other civil society experts to discuss current challenges in the 57 participating states of the OSCE and present recommendations for a more secure and inclusive future.
The CSP is a coalition of more than 100 civic organisations from across the OSCE region, as well as other international NGOs, to promote democracy, the rule of law and human rights.
“Malta knows well that a secure, resilient future for our countries and the OSCE region will require a strong, diverse and vibrant civil society,” OSCE Chair-in-Office Borg said, stressing that “it is incumbent on us all to provide an enabling environment for their important work. Civil society supports the resilience of democratic institutions. It promotes respect for fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, as well as tolerant and non-discriminatory societies.”
Deputy Prime Minister Borg commended CSP’s 2024 Valletta Declaration, which was presented to him during the same conference. It encapsulates the outcomes of the conference discussions, with a call for action to the OSCE and its participating States ahead of the Ministerial Council.
During its OSCE Chairpersonship this year, Malta has worked to actively integrate civil society voices in its decisions and initiatives. In September, it collaborated with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to organise the 2024 Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, this year’s largest human rights conference in Europe, attracting over 1,500 participants.
On Thursday and Friday, Malta will welcome more than 800 delegates from the 57 participating states of the OSCE, including foreign ministers, ambassadors, and other diplomats, as well as international journalists, for the 31st Ministerial Council of this organisation, to discuss important regional security challenges, as well as pressing organisational decisions.
Malta began its 12-month Chairpersonship of the OSCE in January, under the theme “Strengthening Resilience, Enhancing Security”, after it was unanimously elected to head this Organisation for the first time in its history, in November 2023.
For more information, visit affarijietbarranin.gov.mt or follow the Affarijiet Barranin socials.
Photo: MFT
