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HOME PAGE -> LATEST NEWS -> NEWS ARCHIVES (MAY - JULY 2008)
News Archives
(May - July 2008)
Parliament and human rights treaties
21 July 2008. The Congolese Parliament hosted a three-day seminar on "The Parliament of the Republic of Congo and human rights treaty bodies: strategies for enhanced collaboration". Organized as part of the second phase of an IPU project entitled "The role of parliaments in the implementation of international and regional human rights treaties", this event brought together about one hundred participants, including parliamentarians and parliamentary staff, representatives of government, civil society and international organizations and members of the national Human Rights Commission. [ Conclusions of the Seminar ... ]
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IPU delegation received at the Knesset
21 July 2008. The IPU Secretary General, Mr. Anders B. Johnsson, accompanied two members of the IPU Committee on Middle East Questions, Mr. John Carter of New Zealand and Ms. Ann Clwyd of the United Kingdom, to the Israeli Knesset. The delegation explored avenues for the Committee to facilitate dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian legislators. Several Israeli MPs were present, including Mr. Silvan Shalom, former Foreign Minister, member of the Likud party and leader of the Knesset delegation to the IPU, Ms. Ronit Tirosh, member of the Kadima party, and Mr. Gideon Sa’ar, Chairman of the Likud faction in parliament. The meeting was also attended by the Secretary General of the Knesset and the incoming Israeli Ambassador to Geneva. The IPU Secretary General also met with the Speaker of the Knesset, Ms. Dalia Itzik.
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IPU delegation holds talks with Palestinian Officials
21 July 2008. Two members of the IPU Committee on Middle East Questions, Mr. John Carter of New Zealand and Ms. Ann Clwyd of the United Kingdom, accompanied by the IPU Secretary General, Mr. Anders B. Johnsson, visited Ramallah on the West Bank, where they met with several Palestinian representatives. Among them were Mr. Qaddura Fares, former member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and Chairman of the Palestinian Society Prisoners’ Club, Dr. Saeb Erakat, Head of the Palestinian Negotiation Department, and Ms. Muzna Shihabi, Communications Advisor in the Negotiation Department. The delegation was also received by a number of members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). They included Mr. Azzam Al-Ahmad, Head the Fatah parliamentary bloc, Ms. Khalida Jarrar, member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Head of the PLC Prisoners’ Committee, Fatah members Mr. Faisal Abu Shahla and Dr. Bernard Sabella, Dr. Abdul Karim, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Fatah member and Chair of the Political Affairs Committee, and PLC Secretary General, Mr. Ibrahim Kreisheh.
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IPU Secretary General visits the Islamic Republic of Iran
19 July 2008. The IPU Secretary General, Mr. Anders B. Johnsson, visited Teheran at the invitation of the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Ali Larijani. The purpose of the visit was to discuss the situation in the region and cooperation between the Iranian Parliament and the IPU. The Secretary General was also received by the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mr. Manoucher Mottaki.
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IPU Advisory Group on cooperation with the UN meets in Geneva
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18 July 2008. Cooperation with the United Nations continues to top the agenda of the world organization of parliaments. A group of parliamentary experts from ten countries met at IPU Headquarters in Geneva to finetune plans for cooperation with the UN in the months to come. In September, the IPU will send a field mission to the United Republic of Tanzania, one of the pilot countries on the UN "Delivering as One" strategy. Parliamentary briefings and hearings will be held in New York in connection with the 63rd United Nations General Assembly. A plenary session of the IPU Committee on United Nations Affairs will take place in Geneva during the 119th IPU Assembly in mid-October. The Advisory Group plays the role of overall coordinator of this work. At the start of its meeting, the Group elected Mr. F. Vallersnes of Norway as its Chairperson. [ More on IPU-UN cooperation ... ]
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IPU calls for the release of all remaining hostages in Colombia
17 July 2008. The IPU has called for the release of all hostages held by the FARC in Colombia during the current session of its Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians. The Committee has worked for several years in support of the release of several members and former members of parliament taken hostage by the FARC. It welcomes the recent liberation of former senator and presidential candidate, Ms. Ingrid Betancourt. It appeals to the FARC to release Mr. Oscar Lizcano, who was taken captive in August 2000 and who is the only remaining Colombian Member of parliament being held by the FARC. [ See also IPU press release ... ]
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IPU Secretary General in Sudan
30 June 2008. The IPU Secretary General, Mr. Anders B. Johnsson, paid an official visit to Sudan. The one-week field visit offered him the opportunity to refocus on the peace efforts and examine how the IPU and its Member Parliaments can assist in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The IPU Secretary General visited the National Assembly in Khartoum as well as the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly in Juba in the south. Discussions were held with the Speakers and the leadership in the parliaments and all the political parties, the President of the Republic of Sudan, as well as with the First Vice-President and President of the Southern Sudan Government, cabinet ministers, and representatives of international organizations, academia and the media.
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Parliamentarians from English-speaking African countries discuss strategies to strengthen their contribution to addressing post-conflict challenges
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25 June 2008. At the invitation of the Parliament of Sierra Leone and the IPU, parliamentarians and parliamentary staff from Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Sudan exchanged views on how to strengthen the role of their parliaments in promoting inclusive political processes, institutional reform and reconciliation. They did so at the regional seminar held in Freetown from 23 to 25 June, the first activity of a two-year IPU project to promote focused parliamentary debate and action in these areas at the national level in English-speaking African countries. Participants expressed their support for working with the IPU by organizing joint follow-up national seminars aimed at examining the specific circumstances of their countries and adopting parliamentary action plans to address specific challenges in the area of reconciliation and institutional reform. [ More on the Seminar ... ]
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IPU Executive Committee: free and fair elections in Zimbabwe impossible under present circumstances
20 June 2008. Meeting in Geneva on 20 June, the IPU Executive Committee discussed the situation in Zimbabwe in the light of the declaration issued at its recent Assembly in Cape Town. In Cape Town, the world parliamentary community called on the Zimbabwe authorities to release all election results immediately, lift all restrictions on freedom of assembly and speech, and exercise restraint in maintaining peace. It also urged that the newly elected parliament be convened as soon as possible. The Executive Committee was therefore deeply concerned that in reality the newly elected parliament had still not been convened, freedom of speech and assembly did not exist and growing violence marred the current election campaign. It condemned the murder of opposition parliamentarians, and expressed serious concern at the public statements made by the current President of Zimbabwe, and others in government, claiming that they would not relinquish power regardless of the outcome of the elections. The Committee said that it was not possible to hold free and fair elections in Zimbabwe under such circumstances and that any claim to the contrary would not be in the interest of the people of Zimbabwe or the international community. It urged the Zimbabwean authorities to work with the African and international communities to restore respect for the rule of law in order for free and fair elections to be held in the country. [ Full text of the statement ... ]
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Contributing to aid effectiveness: Stakeholder Forum in Rome
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14 June 2008. Some 40 parliamentarians who gathered in Rome last week agreed that parliaments must play a much stronger role in planning, implementing and assessing national development plans including development aid. The Rome Stakeholder Forum, held on 12-13 June, brought together representatives of parliaments, civil society and local governments to discuss the role of these actors in strengthening aid quality and effectiveness at the country-level. Key messages and recommendations from Rome meeting will feed into discussions at the Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) that will take place in New York at the end of June 2008. Participating parliamentarians agreed that budget support is the preferred aid modality and recognized that it requires strong national structures to ensure transparency and accountability. They proposed that separate aid or financing committees or sub-committees would help ensure more detailed scrutiny. A unifying theme in all discussions was the need for capacity building of parliaments and exchange of experiences and best practises.
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IPU highlights the role and responsibility of parliaments in post-conflict processes
13 June 2008. During a busy week at United Nations Headquarters in New York, the IPU in cooperation with the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) held a panel discussion on "Parliaments, Peacebuilding and Reconciliation". Dr. Frene Ginwala – former Speaker of the South African Parliament, Senator Sylvestre Ntibantunganya – former President of Burundi, Senator Rosario Green of Mexico and IPU Secretary-General Anders Johnsson joined PBC Chairman, Ambassador Yukio Takasu of Japan, for a substantive exchange and thoughtful analysis of the challenges facing newly established post-conflict parliaments and their dramatic impact upon the peacebuilding and reconciliation process. The panelists also highlighted some of the lessons learned and good practices that may inspire future work and support by the United Nations.
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Parliamentarians promote commitment to HIV/AIDS response
9 June 2008. In conjunction with the 2008 High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on AIDS at the UN Headquarters in New York, the IPU held a parliamentary briefing to help highlight some of the critical issues being discussed at the United Nations and to serve as a parliamentary forum for a debate on major issues such as stigma and discrimination, including travel restrictions against people living with HIV/AIDS. The briefing, opened by the IPU Secretary General, Mr. Anders B. Johnsson, was moderated by Ms. Kay Hull, a parliamentarian from Australia. The other panellists were the Deputy Executive Director, Management and External Relations at the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Deborah Landey, the Director of HIV/AIDS Practice at UNDP, Jeffrey O’Malley; United States Congressman Jim McDermott; South African MP Hendrietta Bogopane; Belgian Senator Marleen Temmerman, and Indian legislator Jesudas Seelam. Organized in cooperation with UNDP and UNAIDS, the briefing provided legislators with up-to-date information and gave members of parliament the opportunity to discuss follow-up of the conclusions of the First Global Parliamentary Meeting on HIV/AIDS held in Manila last November.
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Parliamentarians strengthen their engagement with the Information Society
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29 May 2008. Parliamentarians expressed concern about the risk of misuse of personal data in the fight against terrorism at a recent meeting on the role of parliaments in shaping the Information Society which took place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Some argued that it is parliament’s duty to safeguard the balance between individual rights and national security, and that legislation should clearly define the extent of powers given to the executive to collect and use personal data. Parliamentarians also called for greater international cooperation to combat Internet crime and ensure cybersecurity. IPU reported the conclusions of the meeting, which was organized by the Global Centre for ICT in Parliament, to the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development. These events were part of the international follow-up to the World Summit on the Information Society (2003 and 2005). [ More on parliaments and ICT ... ]
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Stronger State institutions needed to fight social and economic inequality and organized crime in Central America
8 May 2008. At a two-day regional seminar (6-7 May) held in San Salvador and organized jointly by the IPU and the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador, parliamentarians from the region discussed the challenges that remained more than twenty years after the signing of the historic Esquipulas II Accord that had brought democratic governance and stability to the region. Participants noted that even though the absence of armed conflict and the organization of regular free and fair elections had transformed society to a large extent, many of the underlying causes of conflict still persisted. Social and economic inequality continued to deprive millions of Central Americans of a life of dignity. The expansion of organized crime and the proliferation of gangs had once again put security and effective administration of justice high on the regional agenda. Participants highlighted that those and other challenges needed to be tackled urgently and seriously - both at the national and regional levels - through more effective political leadership and stronger State institutions, including parliament. The regional seminar came on the heels of a unique national roundtable with high-profile Salvadorean personalities who had been involved in the nation’s peace negotiations. [ More on the Seminar ... ]
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