The CSTO PA Standing Commission on Defence and Security forms a legal framework for harmonization of CSTO defence legislation

The CSTO PA Standing Commission on Defence and Security was established by the decision of the first plenary meeting of the CSTO PA on March 30, 2007.
In accordance with the Regulations on Standing Commissions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, approved by a CSTO PA decision of April 3, 2008, the Commission ensures preliminary consideration and preparation of items and draft decisions to be submitted to Council meetings and CSTO PA plenary meetings; it analyses and summarizes information and discusses issues on the directions of its activities.
The main focus of the Commission’s activities is to develop the CSTO legal framework designed to bring together and harmonize the national laws of the CSTO Member States in the area of defence and security, as well as to implement the relevant decisions of the CSTO Collective Security Council (CSC).
The Commission’s activities include developing model laws, recommendations and other legal acts aimed at bringing closer the national legislation of the CSTO Member States in the area of defence and security; preparing proposals for the coordination of the legislative activity of the national parliaments which ensure implementation of the goals and tasks of the CSTO PA, as well as addressing the issues regarding the use of model laws, recommendations and other legal acts adopted by the CSTO PA in national legislation.
The CSTO PA Standing Commission on Defence and Security conducts parliamentary monitoring of the military and political situation in the regions of CSTO’s collective security in order to identify ways of improving measures to ensure legal support of the collective security system of the CSTO Member States.
The Commission considers the issues of ratification and implementation of other domestic procedures in respect of international treaties concluded within the CSTO, as well as progress in implementing decisions of the CSTO Collective Security Council sessions.
The Commission ensures exchange of views on the current problems of harmonization of the CSTO Member States’ legislation in combating terrorism and extremism, illicit trafficking in weapons, narcotics, psychotropic substances and their precursors, fighting crime and ensuring information security.
Interim results of the Commission’s work:
– a total of 30 meetings have been held by the Standing Commission since its establishment (of which seven field meetings in Yerevan (Republic of Armenia) in 2008 and 2013; in Minsk (Republic of Belarus) in 2009 and 2014; in Cholpon-Ata (Kyrgyz Republic) in 2016; in Brest (Republic of Belarus) in 2018; in Dushanbe (Republic of Tajikistan) in 2019);
– 46 model legislative acts, recommendations and other legal acts have been adopted on the initiative of the CSTO PA Standing Commission on Defence and Security.
Commission members carry out parliamentary monitoring of the political and military situation in the regions of CSTO’s collective security.
An exchange of views on current issues has become a firmly established form of work by the members of the Commission. For instance, at the meetings views were exchanged regarding the following issues:
– harmonization of the legislation of the CSTO Member States to combat hate crime motivated by ethnic, racial and religious intolerance;
– development of alternative energy as a factor enhancing the energy security of the CSTO Member States;
– harmonization of the legislation of the CSTO Member States to combat terrorism and extremism;
– development of cooperation among the CSTO Member States to combat international drug trafficking;
– approximation and harmonization of the legislation of the CSTO Member States in the area of information security.
Commission members regularly inform their counterparts from the parliaments of the CSTO Member States about the experience of their respective parliamentary commissions in harmonizing national legislation on defence and security and in implementing the adopted model laws and recommendations in this area.
The Commission is chaired by Anatoly Vyborny, deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Security and Corruption Control of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.
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