"In the Middle East, parliamentary diplomacy needs to keep the momentum of dialogue going"

Q: Mr. President, the IPU promotes parliamentary diplomacy. Recently you were in Iran, Jordan and Lebanon. In Iran, you were received by President Ahmadinejad, the Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Haddad-Adel, the Secretary of the Guardian Council, Ayatollah Jannati, and by Foreign Minister Mottaki. What was your message to your Iranian hosts?
Pier Ferdinando Casini : I urged them to respect the United Nations Security Council resolution on suspension of their uranium enrichment programme, stressing if they did, Iran could play a leading role in bringing stability to the region. I said that dialogue and negotiation were the only possible avenues through which Iran and other countries could reach an agreement and solve their differences. I added that the Parliament had played an important role since it was elected to represent the people. I also mentioned Israel's right to exist. Our Iranian counterparts reiterated their commitment to pursuing a course of dialogue and negotiations to resolve the nuclear issue, adding that the bottom line of any agreement must contain recognition of their right to enrich uranium for the purpose of nuclear energy. They said they were willing to provide guarantees that enriched uranium would be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and that Iran would submit to an inspection and monitoring regime.

Q: What were the highlights of your visit to Amman and Beirut?
P.F.C.: We were in Amman on 11 September for the inauguration of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM). The establishment of this new Assembly is the manifestation of the shared belief around the Mediterranean in dialogue as a preferred means of resolving differences. It represented the culmination of a 15-year-long process, during which the IPU had facilitated political dialogue among members of parliament on security and cooperation issues in the Mediterranean. The Assembly has furthermore endorsed a statement by its President, Mr. Abdelwahed Radi, calling on the Israeli authorities to release the Speaker and several members of the Palestinian Legislative Council who were recently imprisoned. In Lebanon, we met the Prime Minister, Mr. Fouad Siniora. We agreed that implementation of resolution 1701 should be accompanied by a political process leading to the strengthening of the State of Lebanon and the cessation of external interference, as well as the withdrawal of Israeli forces once all Lebanese prisoners and Israeli citizens were released, and that a solution should be found to the problem of the Sheba Farms.

Q: The Amman meeting coincided with the commemoration of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks. What was your message?
P.F.C.: We wanted to express our solidarity with the victims of those terrorist attacks and with the American people. I also made a call for dialogue to build trust among peoples, cultures and religions and as a means of settling conflicts and differences.

Q: Regarding the crisis facing the Middle East, what can the world organization of parliaments do?
P.F.C.: Parliamentary diplomacy is a new force to be reckoned with in the world today. Added to traditional government diplomacy operating at the multilateral and bilateral levels is the emerging presence of parliaments. Parliamentary diplomacy is important because governments come and go but parliaments remain. And also because in parliament both the majority and the opposition are represented. Similarly, the delegations to IPU Assemblies are composed of majority and opposition members of parliament of the country, which makes for a remarkably rich exchange at the international level. In the Middle East, parliamentary diplomacy needs to keep the momentum of dialogue going.

Q: IPU supports reconciliation processes, particularly in Africa. What is the status exactly?
P.F.C.: We were in Nairobi for our last Assembly in May earlier this year. In several African countries there is a problem of accessing parliamentary democracy. We support national reconciliation processes and the formation of parties represented on a political basis to replace the tradition of tribal or racial confrontations that still exist in certain countries. We have invited the major political organizations – the Christian Democrat International and the International Socialist Organization inter alia – to participate henceforth in the work of the IPU as observers. Opening the door to major political organizations founded on an ideological basis means making the institution of parliament more dynamic, particularly in those parliaments where democracy is being implanted. Parliament should not be a meeting point for different tribes, but a melting pot for different ideas when a country's future is at stake. It should also foster dialogue on the basis of participation with all political institutions.

Q: Let's talk about the fight against terrorism. How to combat terrorism while respecting the rights of citizens?
P.F.C.: This is the major challenge of the third millennium. In theory, democracy should be able to defend itself without resorting to extraordinary measures. I am proud that my country has fought and won the battle against terrorism without having to resort to any special laws. But in certain circumstances, citizens must understand that reducing their rights a little means heightening their security. The rights affecting the private lives of citizens are fundamental, but if the fact of reducing a little our right to privacy means more effective and efficient defence and national security, then I think it's a sacrifice that citizens must make. However, if liberty must be compromised to better guarantee security, that is unacceptable. Genuine peace can only be based on liberty and citizens' rights.

Q: What can be done to ensure that the rights of parliamentarians are better respected?
P.F.C.: The Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians is one of the IPU's most important features. As we saw at our Assembly in Nairobi, certain political problems can sometimes be overcome to uphold a higher principle: the right of parliamentarians to have their rights safeguarded. Our Committee, which also has close ties with the United Nations, must be strengthened. The battle for ensuring respect for the rights of prosecuted members of parliament should be waged not only in Geneva, but also by parliaments in the major capitals of the world.

Q: Can political parties do more to foster gender partnership in politics?
P.F.C.: Parties can do more but institutional rules are also useful sometimes. For instance, the fact that it is mandatory to include women in delegations to IPU Assemblies is a concrete measure for promoting the presence of women. If no woman is included in a delegation, the voting rights of that delegation are somewhat diminished. This is a very important principle that has led to the establishment of quotas in certain parliaments. If the truth be told, I believe that quotas should be avoided because they run the risk of becoming an exclusive domain. But it is probably equally true that, in certain circumstances, when women participate in politics only sporadically, quotas could provide an effective temporary solution.