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News Archives
(May-July 2005)
The Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians examined 26 public cases in 17 countries
14 July 2005. The Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians of the IPU met at The House of Parliaments, the IPU Headquarters in Geneva, from 11 to 14 July 2005, for its 110th session. The Committee examined 56 cases, 26 of which are public, covering human rights issues involving legislators from Belarus, Burundi, Cambodia, Colombia, Ecuador, Eritrea, Honduras, Indonesia, Israel/Palestine, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Rwanda, Turkey and Zimbabwe. The public report currently under consideration by the Committee is available at the IPU Secretariat. [ more ... ]
Photo: Philippe Nobile |
IPU President meets with Speaker Hastert of the United States House of Representatives
1 July 2005. The IPU President, Chilean Senator Sergio Páez, met the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, J. Dennis Hastert, and the President of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly, United States Congressman Alcee L. Hastings, on the occasion of the 14th Annual Session of the OSCE, held in Washington, D.C. The IPU President joined Speaker Hastert, United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Alcee L. Hastings and Dimitrij Rupel, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Foreign Minister of Slovenia, in addressing participants in the opening plenary of this event. In his speech, the IPU President focused on the challenges and opportunities ahead in shaping a strategic partnership between the IPU and the United Nations, as well as on the importance of strengthening ties and enhancing coherence in the cooperation with regional parliamentary assemblies.
Seminar on Parliamentary Oversight of the Security Sector in Latin America
1 July 2005. The IPU organized a seminar in Montevideo (Uruguay) on 1 and 2 July 2005, together with the parliaments of Argentina and Uruguay and the Geneva-based Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF). The seminar focused particularly on how to ensure strong parliamentary oversight in crisis situations, such as states of emergency and the fight against terrorism, in which parliaments are often sidelined by the executive. In the 1970s and 1980s, military coups d'états took centre stage in Latin America in response to political crises. Since then, there has been a shift towards embedding the armed forces into a democratic structure under civilian authority, though such control often remains erratic. Moreover, in many cases the return to democracy has yet to address the question of how to respond to the legacy of abuses that frequently marked the reign of authoritarian regimes. [ more ... ]
IPU and OAS intend to renew their cooperation
1 July 2005. In Washington, the IPU President, Senator Sergio Páez, was officially received by Mr. José Miguel Insulza, the new Secretary-General of the Organization of Americans States (OAS). The IPU President and the OAS Secretary General discussed the possibility of developing the cooperation between the two institutions in areas such as the monitoring of elections.
IPU expertise for women parliamentarians in Bahrain
20 June 2005. Following the visit of the IPU President to Bahrain, in May 2005, the IPU carried out a needs assessment mission with the view to providing support to women parliamentarians and women candidates to the upcoming elections, scheduled to take place in 2006. The IPU Manager of the Programme for the Promotion of Partnership between Men and Women, Ms. Kareen Jabre, was received by the Speaker of the Shura. She also met with female and male senators and members of the Council of Representatives. Finally, discussions were held with the Supreme Council for Women to discuss possible cooperation for the promotion of women in politics in Bahrain.
Expert panel on democracy meets in Geneva
17 June 2005. The panel on the IPU's Democracy Framework Project held its second meeting at the IPU's Geneva Headquarters on 16 and 17 June 2005. The Project will produce a manual of good parliamentary practice, which will identify those parliamentary practices that allow parliaments to play a meaningful role in the promotion of democracy nationally and internationally. The June meeting of the panel reviewed the draft prepared by Professor David Beetham of the United Kingdom. This manual takes into account data provided by parliaments themselves on what they consider to be good practices. [ more ... ]
Seminar on Parliaments, Freedom of Expression and Tolerant Societies
27 May 2005. "The freedom of expression enjoyed by parliamentarians depends to a great extent on the freedom of expression enjoyed in society in general. As legislators, parliamentarians have a special responsibility for ensuring an environment favourable to free expression" declared Mr. Emile Guirieoulou, President of the Committee on General and Institutional Affairs and member of the National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire, and Rapporteur of the Seminar on Freedom of Expression, Parliament and the Promotion of Tolerant Societies, held from 25 to 27 May 2005 at the IPU's Headquarters. He underlined the importance for parliamentarians of access to information and pointed out that by the same token, parliaments too were required to provide access to the information they held. [ more ... ]
IPU President in Kuwait
25 May 2005. "I wish to congratulate Kuwaiti women on their efforts, as well as Kuwaiti legislators and authorities on their decision. Modern societies will only be more humane and more equitable when all of their citizens are actively involved in the decision-making process. The IPU is ready to help if the parliament and the women request it" said the IPU President, Senator Sergio Páez, during his official visit to Kuwait, in May 2005, after the decision was taken by the National Assembly of Kuwait to grant women the right to vote and to stand for election. The IPU President met with the Speaker of the National Assembly of Kuwait, Mr. Jessim Mohammad Al-Khurafi, and with the members of the Board of the Women's Cultural and Social Society, the oldest women's group in Kuwait.
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