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HOME PAGE -> LATEST NEWS -> NEWS ARCHIVES (MAY - OCTOBER 2006)
News Archives
(May - October 2006)
Strengthening parliamentary action to combat discrimination and violence against women
19 October 2006. More than 100 legislators took part in the fourth seminar on implementing the Convention on the elimination of All Forms of Discriminations against Women which was organized in Geneva by the IPU and the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (UNDAW). Debates focused on parliaments' role in defending and protecting women's rights. Legislators also discussed violence against women, further to the presentation by UNDAW of the recent United Nations in depth study on that same subject. [ More on the Seminar ... ]
IPU signs Partnership Agreement with the United Nations Democracy Fund
17 October 2006. On the occasion of the 115 IPU Assembly, IPU Secretary General Anders Johnsson and the Executive Head a.i. of the UN Democracy Fund, Mr. Magdy Martinez-Soliman, signed a partnership Agreement between the two organizations, which provides the "general framework in which both Parties will cooperate on issues of common interest in the context of supporting democracy throughout the world, consistent with the mandate of both UNDEF and IPU". As a first step in an ambitious cooperation agenda, UNDEF will be funding two projects submitted by IPU - a programme in Burundi focusing on women’s political participation, and a second regional project for Africa focusing on the work by parliaments in the implementation of international human rights instruments. [ Text of the Agreement (PDF, 301 Kb)... ]
New Japanese Minister of Agriculture is member of the Steering Committee of the Parliamentary Conference on WTO
25 September 2006. Mr. Toshikatsu Matsuoka, a member of the Steering Committee of the Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organization (WTO), is the new Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Kyodo News wrote that Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka, a Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker, is a well-known expert on farm policies and a strong advocate of agriculture and forestry interests. The 61-year-old lawmaker was senior deputyfarm minister in 2001 and served in key LDP posts related to farm policies. The six-term House of Representatives lawmaker is a senior member of a 32-member LDP faction led by new education minister Bummei Ibuki, which firmly supported Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a party leadership election earlier this month. Born in a rural town in Kumamoto Prefecture, Mr. Matsuoka worked for the farm ministry from 1969 to 1988. He was first elected to the Lower House from a district in Kumamoto in 1990. The Parliamentary Conference on the WTO brings together members of parliament who specialize in trade issues and is convened by the IPU and the European Parliament. [ More on Parliamentary Conference on the WTO ... ]
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour: "When MPs make laws, they must respect freedoms and fundamental rights"
25 September 2006. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Louise Arbour was today at The House of Parliaments, attending the seminar entitled Law and justice: the case for parliamentary scrutiny. She said that members of parliament should "preserve the integrity of the Judiciary and pay attention to general questions, but without interfering in specific cases. When they make laws, they must respect and optimize freedoms and fundamental rights. They must also take heed of any distortions that may occur within the Judiciary ". Mrs. Martine Brunschwig-Graf, Member of the Swiss parliament and President of the Association for the Prevention of torture, added that legislators should pass laws that respect fundamental rights. Regarding their oversight function, she said "we should pay attention and listen. Some parliaments provide for the right of petition. They can therefore receive information from average citizens who feel they have been wronged". The Swiss parliamentarian said that efforts should be made to ensure that the necessary national institutions – for human rights or the prevention of torture - are put in place. "There is a line of tension that will never be broken surrounding the separation of powers between the judicial branch and the mandate of having to hold to scrutiny policies implemented in all spheres, including the sphere of justice. Some parliaments, like the Swiss parliament, appoint judges, and must therefore ensure that these judges are above reproach".
Law and justice: the case for parliamentary scrutiny
25 September 2006. What is the role of parliament in guaranteeing the independence of the Judiciary and the proper administration of justice? This is one of the questions that will be addressed at a seminar that was inaugurated today at The House of Parliaments, attended by officials including Mrs. Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Mrs. Martine Brunschwig-Graf, Member of the Swiss parliament and President of the Association for the Prevention of Torture; and Mr. Nicholas Howen, Secretary General of the International Commission of Jurists. The seminar, which will run until Wednesday, under the chairmanship of Mr. Dumisani D. Gamede, Member of the National Assembly of South Africa, brings together members of parliamentary human rights bodies and specialized parliamentary committees on justice and internal affairs from over 40 countries. They will be discussing issues such as the administration of prisons, the prevention of torture, the organization of the Judiciary and the rights of accused, detainees and prisoners. Participants at the seminar, organized jointly by the IPU, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), will also deal with the international norms that govern detention and the right to a fair trial. They will consider what contribution parliaments and their members can make to ensure that these norms are implemented and to guarantee the independence of the Judiciary, a pillar of democracy.
IPU supports the development of parliamentary library in Cameroon
20 September 2006. The National Assembly of Cameroon has formally taken possession of a donation of 750 books and periodicals from the IPU. They will be placed in the parliamentary library, for use by parliamentary researchers, staff and parliamentarians themselves. It is widely acknowledged that a comprehensive library and information service is a key element of an effective parliament. The donation comes as IPU reorients its services towards the delivery of information on parliaments in electronic format to a global audience. Donations from the IPU's specialized collection of books on the institution of parliament have also been made to parliamentary libraries in Algeria and the Russian Federation. [ More on effective parliaments ... ]
Parliaments to scale up involvement in HIV/AIDS
20 September 2006. The first meeting of the IPU Advisory Group on HIV/AIDS was held in Geneva on 18 and 19 September 2006 under the chairmanship of Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye, Chairperson of the HIV/AIDS Committee of the Parliament of Uganda. The Group met to discuss the need for more active involvement of parliaments in scaling up the worldwide response to the pandemic. The Group’s major focus will be advocacy, primarily within parliaments, and subsequently to influence governments and the general public. The current nine members of the Advisory Group, all legislators actively involved in HIV/AIDS work in their national parliaments, are from Brazil, India, Philippines, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sweden, Uganda and the United Kingdom.
Parliaments in the Least Developed Countries need more independence and more capacities to perform well, IPU-UN panel finds
15 September 2006. As part of the United Nations midterm review of the Brussels Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries, a parliamentary panel was held on September 15 at the New York headquarters of the United Nations on the subject of "the role of LDC parliaments in the consolidation of good governance for development". The panel, attended among others by the parliamentary Speakers of Sri Lanka and Latvia, as well as Deputy Speakers from Tanzania and Uganda, drew attention to the special needs of parliaments in the LDC area. The discussion also touched on the ways and means to strengthen parliaments in their legislative and oversight functions and to improve their relationship with constituents, civil society and the media. In a speech before the High-level UN Meeting on LDCs on September 18th, the conclusions of the panel discussion were submitted to the consideration of the United Nations. [ Full text of the speech (PDF, 27 Kb) ... ]
Parliamentarians call for resumption of WTO negotiations
15 September 2006. Members of the Steering Committee of the Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organisation (WTO), urged the members of the WTO to demonstrate strong political will to resume trade negotiations without further delay. The Parliamentary Conference on the WTO brings together members of parliament who specialize in trade issues and is convened by the IPU and the European Parliament. Meeting at the House of
Parliaments, the Committee noted that the decision taken in July of this year to suspend the WTO negotiations has effectively ended all hopes for the Doha Round to be concluded by the end of 2006. This situation has been a wake-up call for political decision-makers and legislators call upon the United States, the European Union, the G20 members of developing countries, and others to play a constructive role in achieving this objective and to deliver an outcome that is centred on development. The Parliamentary Conference will meet in Geneva in early December this year to assess the extent to which the WTO negotiations benefit all countries and live up to their development objectives. [ Full text of the Statement adopted by the Steering Committee (PDF, 10 Kb) ... ]
President Casini offers IPU's support towards achieving peace in the Middle East
11 September 2006. Referring to the terrorist attacks that had taken place on 11 September 2001, the IPU President, Mr. Pier Ferdinando Casini, expressed his and IPU's solidarity with the American people. On a tour of the Middle East region, he also voiced the hope that all peoples in that region would soon be able to live in peace and stability within secure and internationally recognized borders. This included the Palestinian people who should have their own State, he noted. President Casini also called for the liberation of the detained Palestinian legislators and Israeli hostages. He concluded by offering IPU's support, through the channels of parliamentary diplomacy, towards achieving peace and stability in the region.
IPU President Casini concludes three-nation Middle East tour in Lebanon
11 September 2006. The President of the IPU, Mr. Pier Ferdinando Casini, urged all the parties concerned in the Middle East conflict to seize the momentum provided by the adoption of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 and turn it into an opportunity for peace and stability in the region. It placed a very heavy burden on all the countries and organizations involved, including the leaders in Lebanon who had to work together towards the common goal. In his meeting with the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Mr. Fouad Siniora, the IPU President agreed that implementation of resolution 1701 had to be accompanied by a political process that would result in the withdrawal of all Israeli forces, the release of all detained Lebanese and Israeli citizens, and a solution being found to the problem of the Shebaa Farms. Accompanied by the IPU Secretary-General, Mr. Anders B. Johnsson, President Casini expressed the solidarity of the IPU and the world parliamentary community with the Lebanese parliament and people.
Inauguration of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean
11 September 2006. At the inaugural session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), today in Amman, the President of the IPU, Mr. Pier Ferdinando Casini, made a strong plea for dialogue to build trust among peoples, cultures and religions and as a means of resolving conflicts and disagreements. The Speaker of the Jordanian House of Representatives, Mr. Abdulhadi Al-Majali, presided over the session which proceeded to elect Mr. Abdelwahed Radi, Speaker President of the House of Representatives of Morocco, as PAM President. The Assembly also decided to locate its headquarters in Valletta (Malta). The Assembly endorsed a presidential statement calling upon the Israeli authorities to release the recently imprisoned Speaker and several members of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
IPU President Pier Ferdinando Casini meets Iranian President Ahmadinejad
10 September 2006. The President of the IPU, Mr. Pier Ferdinando Casini, concluded a two-day official visit to Iran during which he called for dialogue and negotiations to resolve the current impasse over the nuclear issue in Iran. Besides being received by the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mr. Casini, who was accompanied by the IPU Secretary General, Mr. Anders B. Johnsson, also met with Dr. Gholamali Haddad-Adel, Speaker of the Majlis Shoraye Eslami (Parliament), Mr. Manoochehr Mottaki, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and other Iranian Senior Officials. During the talks, the Iranian representatives reiterated their commitment to pursuing 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 expressed willingness to provide guarantees that enriched uranium would be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and that the country was willing to submit to an inspection and monitoring regime.
MPs participate in the drafting process of a new convention for persons with disabilities
18 August 2006. Mr. Kaj Nordquist (Sweden) and Mr. James Mwandha (Uganda) were among the members of parliaments that joined their national delegations for the last series of negotiations on the new UN Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities. They are also members of a joint UN-IPU editorial board that will be preparing a Handbook for Parliamentarians on the Disability Convention, which should be ready for distribution among the parliamentary community in May 2007, on the occasion of the 116th IPU Assembly in Bangkok. The Chair of the UN Ad Hoc Committee, Ambassador Don MacKay of New Zealand, welcomed the initiative of the handbook as both very useful and timely.
Iraqi parliamentarians discuss human rights challenges
11 August 2006. On 10 and 11 August, the members of the Committee on Human Rights of the Council of Representatives of Iraq (the Iraqi Parliament) came to IPU Headquarters to take part in a workshop, jointly organized by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the IPU. With presentations from Canadian Senator Sharon Carstairs and Mr. Zdislaw Kedzia, Professor of Constitutional Law, the participants discussed the specific challenges faced by the Committee and concrete ways to strengthen the effectiveness of its work, including by establishing a strong working relationship with other human rights stakeholders, such as the Iraqi human rights commission.
IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians meets in Geneva
14 July 2006. The Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians examined 64 cases concerning 244 MPs in 33 countries. They included 30 public cases concerning 112 parliamentarians in Bangladesh, Belarus, Burundi, Cambodia, Colombia, Ecuador, Eritrea, Honduras, Palestine/Israel, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Zimbabwe. The Committee also elected Mr. Franklin M. Drilon, President of the Senate of the Philippines, as its new President. Established in 1976, the Committee meets in camera four times a year to ensure that the human rights of the world's parliamentary community - composed of more than 40'000 members - are respected. It has contributed to the settlement of a large number of the 500 cases in 104 countries that it has examined since its creation. [ Latest public resolutions of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, May 2006 ... ]
UK House of Lords: Election of a woman as the first Lord Speaker
10 July 2006. IPU applauded the election of the Rt Hon Baroness Hayman as the first Lord Speaker of the House of Lords. She was elected on 4 July by a secret ballot of all members for a five year term. Until recently, the presiding officer of the House of Lords was the Lord Chancellor, a member of the government and head of the judiciary. The primary role of the Lord Speaker is to preside over the proceedings in the House of Lords. The Lord Speaker is also expected to act as a non-political spokesman for the House at home and abroad. [ More about women speakers of national parliaments ... ]
Reforming the United Nations
4 July 2006. A high-level parliamentary delegation traveled to United Nations Headquarters in New York on June 26-27, for a series of discussions and consultations on the question of United Nations reform and implementation of the 2005 World Summit Outcome. The Report of their mission, which includes a series of conclusions and recommendations for parliamentary action in support of the United Nations, has been circulated to all national parliaments. [ Full text of the Report (PDF, 28 Kb) ... ]
IPU expresses concern at the detention of Members of the PLC
2 July 2006. The IPU expressed concern at the detention of several members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), the elected parliament that meets in Ramallah. The IPU called upon the Israeli authorities to show restraint and respect for the parliamentary mandate which the legislators concerned were given in the elections held earlier this year. The parliamentarians should, therefore, be released immediately. In the same spirit as it called for the respect of the right to liberty for the detained Palestinian parliamentarians, the IPU also called for the prompt and unconditional release of the Israeli soldier taken hostage by some Palestinian groups.
International Forum of Women Parliamentarians
29 June 2006. An International Forum of Women Parliamentarians, organized jointly by the Algerian Parliament, the United Nations Development Programme (UNPD) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union was held on 25 and 26 June in Algiers. The Forum brought together women MPs from eight countries of the Euro-Mediterranean area: Algeria, Belgium, Egypt, France, Jordan, Morocco, Spain and Tunisia. During the two-day event, participants discussed the role of women in politics, particularly in the Arab world, and ways and means of strengthening their involvement in political life. The following themes were covered: the opportunities and challenges of political representation facing Arab women, participation of Algerian women in the political arena and experiences of other countries, mechanisms to promote women's participation in politics and the role of political parties.
Guidelines for the International Community on Parliaments, Crisis Prevention and Recovery
28 June 2006. Strong parliaments have vital contributions to make to peacebuilding and democratization. After conflict, however, parliaments are weak in relation to the executive branch, armed groups and other non-state actors. Building enduring peace and democracy requires timely and dedicated support to parliaments' development. As the newly released Guidelines for the International Community on Parliaments, Crisis Prevention and Recovery elucidate, the international community needs to increase its support to, and liaison with, parliaments in conflict-affected countries. Otherwise, investments in elections and transitional processes risk being undermined. The Guidelines are the culmination of a year-long initiative by UNDP in association with the IPU, involving almost 30 country-level case studies. [ More on the role of parliaments in crisis prevention and recovery ... ]
New data published on parliamentary bodies dealing with gender equality
27 June 2006. Data on 67 specialized parliamentary bodies dealing with gender equality in 57 countries is now available in the PARLINE database. This rich resource, which provides information on the mandate, membership and working methods of such bodies, is part of IPU's ongoing efforts to compile information on the
world's parliaments, including from a gender perspective. To access the resource, select 'gender equality' in the 'Specialization' field at the page on Specialized Parliamentary Bodies. Other specialized resources include parliamentary bodies dealing with human rights and international trade (forthcoming).
IPU-UNITAR seminar in Yaoundé: Parliaments, sustainable development, water and desertification
26 June 2006. At the invitation of the National Assembly of Cameroon, the IPU and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) are holding, from today in Yaoundé a three-day seminar for African Parliaments on sustainable development, water and desertification. The seminar will seek to build the capacity of African parliaments to deal with sensitive environmental issues such as drought and desertification. The IPU-UNITAR seminar should also help enhance awareness in the targeted parliaments of international policy, goals and legislation related to water conservation and management and lead to more effective involvement of parliamentarians in efforts to combat drought and desertification as well as ensure rational management of water resources. In this way parliamentarians can ensure that national and global efforts are commensurate with the needs and conditions of their constituents.
IPU and European Parliament call on WTO Members: "Concrete results are politically indispensable. There is no Plan B"
23 June 2006. The Steering Committee of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO - co-organized by the IPU and the European Parliament - gathered for a two-day meeting at The House of Parliaments, the IPU Headquarters. After their meeting with the WTO Director-General, Mr. Pascal Lamy, the parliamentarians from developed and developing countries issued a statement in which they call on all WTO Members to come to Geneva next week open-minded and politically determined. "We are convinced that concrete results in the areas of agriculture and non-agricultural market access are both politically indispensable and possible. The Doha Round is about development. It is our common responsibility. There is no "Plan B", they said. As elected representatives of the people, the parliamentarians have the duty to follow and oversee government action in the field of international trade, seeking to promote the fairness of trade liberalization in the interests of our citizens. "We observe that government negotiators and WTO officials alike show signs of growing openness to the idea of using the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO as a de facto parliamentary dimension of this important intergovernmental body. With a constructive engagement of all parties, achievement of this objective also de jure should be within reach", they added. [ Full text of the Statement adopted by the Steering Committee (PDF, 10 Kb) ... ]
WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy meets legislators: "A no or a yes to international accords is a bit like an atomic bomb, it limits your margin of involvement"
22 June 2006. WTO Director-General, Mr. Pascal Lamy, briefed the Steering Committee of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO, organized by the IPU and the European Parliament. Mr. Lamy said that the role of parliamentarians in implementing legislation as a follow up to commitments made by Member States "clearly makes parliamentarians crucial partners of international trade negotiations and more specifically of the WTO, which is the predominating legislation in world trade, since bilateral trade treaties have to comply with standards which are set in the multilateral system". But the WTO Director-General also said that there were areas where frustrations remained and where improvements should be made. "There is an obvious divergence in the way parliaments deal with international trade. Some parliaments play a determining role in the positions their governments adopted at international negotiations and can call for amending or changing negotiating positions; others do not enjoy such a broad role. Some parliamentarians only step in at the end of the negotiations, delivering either a no or a yes to international accords. And while that role is extremely powerful it is a bit like an atomic bomb, it is either or and then it limits the margin of involvement". [ Full text of Mr. Lamy's speech ... ]
President Casini visits the US
9 June 2006. IPU President Pier Ferdinando Casini paid an official visit to the United States on 8-9 June, for meetings with Congressional leaders in Washington DC and with a series of high-level United Nations officials in New York. The highlight of the program on Capitol Hill was the panel discussion organized jointly by IPU and the Congressional House Democracy Assistance Commission – led by Congressman David Dreier, Chairman of the Rules Committee – which addressed the question of "Building strong and effective parliaments in post-conflict societies: lessons Learned and the road ahead" and which enjoyed great interest from many members of Congress. President Casini’s visit to New York included meetings with Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown, UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman and forthcoming General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, and focused on the concrete modalities for enhanced cooperation between the IPU and the United Nations".
Parliamentarians meet during UN High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS
2 June 2006. Many parliamentarians are not sufficiently aware of the gravity of the HIV/AIDS pandemic or of government commitments taken at the United Nations in an attempt to counter it. Parliaments also need to be more open to grassroots HIV/AIDS organizations in order to better inform their debates on the subject. These are some of the conclusions that emerged from a meeting at which the Inter-Parliamentary Union joined forces with UNAIDS and UNDP to bring together parliamentarians present in New York at the United Nations High-Level Review Meeting on HIV/AIDS. [ More on the 2006 High-Level Meeting on AIDS ... ]
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