Workshop on the Role of the Parliament in the Development of a National Security Policy in the Arab Region

Montreux, Switzerland, 18/04/2007 - 20/04/2007.

Organizer(s): Organized in partnership with the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) and the UNDP-Lebanese Parliament Support Project..

The workshop brought together elected members of parliament from Lebanon, Jordan and Morocco and a selected group of regional and international researchers and experts. It aimed at examining the process of building consensus on the national security policy by assessing current institutional processes related to the formulation of national security policies in the Arab world, with particular focus on the case of Lebanon and the role of parliament both in the development and implementation stages.

The workshop provided an opportunity to review some international experiences such as Austria’s and Switzerland’s, more particularly the challenges and opportunities that emerged in the formulation of national security policies and the role played by the parliament throughout the process. Discussions were focused on how Lebanon can develop a consensual approach towards national security policy and the key role that parliamentarians and parliament should play. Presentations of the cases of Jordan, Morocco, and Palestine depicted national security policy as an overarching framework for comprehensive security sector reform, in which parliament is required to play a stronger and more effective role.

The third day was devoted to a visit to the United Federal Assembly of Switzerland in Bern, and included meetings with MPs representing the Security Committees of both the National Council and the Council of States.