The Presidents of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE PA) issued a joint statement on Thursday linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.
They stressed the importance of international cooperation in the face of "this grave multifaceted crisis" and emphasised the importance of "close co-ordination with national parliaments" in order to "promote democratic, effective and coherent public policy responses" to "address citizens' concerns". These institutions have "continued to function throughout this crisis" in order to provide oversight and "contribute to the conceptualisation and design of support measures, not least in the social and economic spheres, targeting the most vulnerable segments of our societies". They will also be responsible for ensuring that democratic standards are respected in the implementation of emergency measures.
The three presidents who signed the declaration assure that their organisations "stand ready to support national parliaments", in particular by offering them platforms for the exchange of experience and "access to accurate and trustworthy information". (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)