RESOLUTION 390 on THE POLITICAL TRANSFORMATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA*

The Assembly,

1. Supporting the democratic aspirations and universal rights of all people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and worldwide;

2. Inspired by the determination and brave actions of peaceful political protestors across the region beginning in December 2010;

3. Appalled by the violence and brutality deployed by regimes against peaceful protesters, most notably in Libya and Syria, and deploring the tragic loss of innocent lives in the struggle for freedom;

4. Acknowledging the important role played by women in these revolutions and in promoting positive steps in the field of gender equality but strongly condemning violence against women;

5. Noting the diversity of the countries in the region and recognising that they will take different paths forward;

6. Underlining that political changes brought about by these revolutions must be designed and carried out by the people themselves;

7. Welcoming that Tunisia and Egypt have embarked on a path to democratic governance and will hold elections in 2011 and stressing the important role of democratically elected parliaments for the transparency and accountability of government action;

8. Acknowledging the commencement of the post-Qaddafi era and welcoming the stated commitment of the new Libyan transitional authorities towards democracy, the rule of law and respect of fundamental human rights;

9. Stressing that the countries of the MENA region and the Alliance share a host of security challenges and fully supporting NATO's engagement with the countries of the region;

10. Commending NATO and Partner countries for the success of Operation Unified Protector undertaken in conformity with UN Security Council Resolution 1973;

11. Supporting the commitment of the Alliance to the promotion of peace and stability in the region and emphasizing the crucial contribution of NATO partnership programmes, in particular the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Co-operation Initiative, which can provide important tools in the process of transition;

12. Reiterating its commitment to dialogue and co-operation with the parliaments of the countries of the region;

13. URGES the leaders of the MENA region to desist from violence against peaceful demonstrations and to embrace genuine political reform;

14. CONDEMNS the Syrian regime for its disproportionate use of deadly force against the Syrian people and DEMANDS that it puts an immediate end to it and engages in an open, meaningful dialogue with the opposition;

15. URGES member governments and parliaments of the North Atlantic Alliance:

a. to reaffirm their commitment to assist the new democratic governments of the MENA region in providing a secure and stable environment for citizens as they work through challenging political and economic transitions;

b. to enable NATO to increase its practical assistance to the countries of the region and to enhance its political dialogue with those countries;

c. to consider the need to rejuvenate and redefine NATO's partnerships with countries of the MENA region;

d. to ensure for a maximum of co-ordination among the UN, the EU, NATO and other international organisations in assisting the democratic transformation of countries of the MENA region, including through security sector reforms;

e. to help regulate the area's migration flows by ensuring close co-ordination with national governments and stimulating economic development and employment policies in the region;

16. PLEDGES to stand ready to provide support, when requested, to new parliamentary bodies during and after the transition period;

17. CALLS UPON all parties in the MENA region:

a. to ensure the protection of civilians, particularly women and children, during the transition period;

b. to engage actively in the promotion of reconciliation processes in civil societies ridden by instability and ethnic or religious conflicts;

c. to bring perpetrators to justice and ensure due process in compliance with international law and human rights protection standards; and

d. to facilitate broader engagement of women in the post-revolutionary policy-making and institution-building process.

[*] : Presented by the Political Committee and adopted during the Plenary sitting on Monday 10 October 2011, Bucharest, Romania.