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HOME PAGE -> LATEST NEWS -> NEWS ARCHIVES (DECEMBER 2008 - FEBRUARY 2009)
News Archives
(December 2008 - February 2009)
In Lomé, women and men MPs map action for enhanced implementation of CEDAW
17 February 2009. “We have a pressing duty to strengthen the action of our parliaments as a whole in promoting women’s rights and honouring our international and regional commitments in this area”. It was with these words that Mr. Mathurin Coffi Nago, Speaker of the National Assembly of Benin and member of the IPU Executive Committee, opened the seminar organized in Lomé by the National Assembly of Togo, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the United Nations Development Programme. The seminar provided an opportunity for the parliamentary delegations of Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo to interact with experts and representatives of international organizations. During their exchanges, participants identified key elements for enhancing the involvement of parliaments and their members in the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), namely: information and training, organization of parliamentary proceedings, legislative action, overseeing the executive, and partnerships and sensitization. As part of his closing remarks, Mr. Abass Bonfoh, Speaker of the National Assembly of Togo, invited parliamentarians from the subregion to draw inspiration from the seminar in order to engage in “action conducive to the effective implementation of CEDAW”. |
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FGM constitutes a grave human rights violation
9 February 2009. The panel discussion held on the occasion of the International Day of Tolerance Zero to FGM, 6 February, was an expression of political will to continue and accelerate efforts to put an end to this intolerable form of violence against women and girls, said the IPU Secretary General, Anders B. Johnsson. Swiss MP Maria Roth-Bernasconi recalled that FGM is practised primarily in North-East and West Africa, as well as in some regions in the Middle East. However, migration flows have resulted in the spread of this practice beyond the countries of origin. FGM constitutes a grave human rights violation. It is an expression of the gender inequality which is deeply rooted in the social, economic and political structures of the countries where it is practised, she added. [ Latest IPU publication on FGM ... ] |
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Political will at the centre of achieving zero tolerance to FGM
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6 February 2009. How to put an end to female genital mutilation (FGM)? With political will, which is at the centre of achieving zero tolerance to FGM, say the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the International Organization for Migration and the Geneva Department of Institutions. To follow up on the event organized last year at The House of Parliaments, the four organizations are holding today another interactive panel, on the International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM, at the Centre International de Conférences de Genève. A joint publication is presented on this occasion. Between 100 million and 140 million women - mostly in 28 African countries and others living as immigrants in Australia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the USA - have experienced genital mutilation. This ancient practice, which, contrary to popular belief, is not encouraged by any religion, exposes these young girls and women to irreversible health risks, especially with regard to their reproductive health, and jeopardizes their life and that of their unborn children. [ More about IPU campaign against FGM ... ] |
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IPU President ready for talks with Palestinian President Abbas
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5 February 2009. IPU President, Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, looks forward to hold talks with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas. "I am pleased to accept the invitation I have received to visit Palestine and hold talks with President Abbas and the Palestinian leadership", he said. "I expect to learn from them of their efforts to unite the Palestinian people and to explore with them how best the IPU can be of assistance, including to help build a strong Palestinian parliament and rebuild its destroyed office in Gaza." President Gurirab will visit the region at the end of the month to follow up on the recommendations formulated at the recent meeting of the IPU Executive Committee in Geneva. |
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IPU President issues an urgent statement on Gaza
30 January 2009. At the end of a two-day session of the IPU Executive Committee that took place in Geneva, the President of the IPU, Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, issued a statement focusing on the deplorable situation in Gaza and the broader political crisis in the Middle East. The statement also speaks of the global financial crisis and of the parliamentary contribution to the forthcoming United Nations Conference on Climate Change, due to be held in Copenhagen in December 2009. [ Full text of the statement ... ] |
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IPU Advisory Group on HIV/AIDS at work in South Africa
28 January 2009. The IPU Advisory Group on HIV/AIDS held a series of events in South Africa during the week of 19-24 January 2009. The two-day regional training seminar for the parliaments of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) provided members of parliament to from the two regions with an opportunity to discuss their role in improving access to HIV treatment. The event was hosted by the Parliament of South Africa under the direct supervision of the Deputy Speaker, Ms. Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge. After the conclusion of the seminar, the Group, led by its newly-elected chair Hon. Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu of South Africa, remained in the country for the rest of the week for meetings and visits. These included a day-long hearing inside the Parliament with different sectors represented in the South African National AIDS Council, followed by meetings with senior health officials in the provinces of Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng, and visits to hospitals, clinics, and orphanages. The Group’s aim was fourfold: to learn about South Africa’s response to HIV/AIDS; to examine the role of parliament in addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic; to enhance knowledge among fellow parliamentarians on legislative responses to HIV/AIDS; and to make it possible for members of parliament from different countries to share experiences with national health officials, from the topmost level to the village volunteer. |
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IPU President convenes an extraordinary session of the Executive Committee to discuss the crisis in the Middle East
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26 January 2009. Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab is convening an extraordinary session of the IPU Executive Committee to discuss possible IPU initiatives in the face of the crisis in the Middle East. The Committee will meet at IPU Headquarters in Geneva on 29 and 30 January. The Deputy Commissioner General of UNRWA, Mr. Filippo Grandi, will brief the Committee on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The Committee will also review other urgent issues, including the global financial crisis and IPU’s climate change campaign.
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IPU President calls on parliamentarians to help make 2009 a year of peace and prosperity
1 January 2009. Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab today called on parliamentarians everywhere to help turn 2009 into a year of peace and prosperity for all. In his New Years message, the IPU President invited parliamentarians to give peace a chance and to join him in a crusade in support of greater democracy in countries and in multilateral institutions. "The year that has come to a close bequeaths to us a record number of unresolved crises", he said. "Working together we can help set the political agenda and make sure that peace and development receive the priority attention they require. Let us work together to achieve these objectives through international cooperation and, in the process, make 2009 the finest hour of our institution, the Inter-Parliamentary Union. I invite all of you to give peace a chance", he concluded. [ Full text of the message ... ]
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IPU President calls for immediate return to constitutional order in Guinea
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31 December 2008. The IPU called today on the military authorities in Guinea to act quickly to restore constitutional order in the country. IPU President Theo-Ben Gurirab reiterated that any process which overturns a government by unconstitutional means is fundamentally flawed and totally unacceptable. The army should return to its place, which is in the military barracks, not in government house, he said, reacting to the recent coup d'état in the country. The IPU President expressed support for the African Union's decision to suspend the participation of Guinea in its activities and demanded that free and fair elections be organized without delay. The process by which power alternates in a democracy, he recalled, must allow for free political competition and be the product of open, free and non-discriminatory participation by the people. It is for the people of Guinea to decide on its government. President Gurirab emphasized that democracy is founded on the right of everyone to take part in the management of public affairs. It requires a Parliament in which all components of society are represented and which has the powers and means necessary to express the will of the people by legislating and overseeing government action.
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IPU President calls for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East
29 December 2008. The IPU President, Dr. Theo Ben Gurirab, called today for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East and for a return to the negotiating table. He invited parliamentarians everywhere to raise the matter in their parliaments and press for an early resumption of peace negotiations. He reminded the leaders of Hamas and the Israeli authorities that further violence will only bring more suffering to the Palestinian people and will not provide any greater measure of security for the Israeli people. "Decades of conflict have proven beyond doubt that armed force and violence will never bring peace and security to the Middle East", he stated. President Gurirab also expressed concern for the steadily deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and called for a lifting of the embargo.
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Women MPs of GCC States call for greater media spotlight on the role of women in politics
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22 December 2008. Women members of parliament and women in politics from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen met to discuss partnership with the media and women’s associations on the occasion of the Third Regional Conference of Women Parliamentarians and Women in Political Decision-making Positions of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States. At the invitation of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Shura Council of Oman, the Conference took place on 21 and 22 December 2008 in Muscat, Oman. Participants said that by reporting on women’s activities in politics, the media not only places the spotlight on the growing and indeed novel role of women, but can also encourage the young generation to enter the political arena. They pointed out that the media could greatly benefit from reporting on the work and views of women parliamentarians and from consulting them as information feeders. To improve their relationship with the media, participants agreed to meet with key media representatives, improve their communication skills and make available their contact details to the media. As for women’s associations, women MPs highlighted that they played a key role in women’s political empowerment and were important allies in the promotion of gender issues. An effective partnership would allow women MPs to benefit from pertinent information and support provided by these associations, while, in return, women MPs, in their capacity as lawmakers, could defend issues raised by the grass-roots organizations. [ More on the Conference ... ]
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Vietnamese delegation at the House of Parliaments
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12 December 2008. The IPU Secretary General, Mr. Anders B. Johnsson, received a high-level delegation from the National Assembly of Viet Nam, led by Mr. Nguyen Van Son, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and President of the Vietnamese Inter-Parliamentary Group. The talks centred around the cooperation between the National Assembly and the IPU. The Secretary General pledged continued IPU support to the Vietnamese Parliament in the area of law making and oversight. The delegation also discussed the financial crisis and the need for robust parliamentary involvement in ensuring transparency of the international financial architecture.
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A parliamentary response to violence against women
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2 December 2008. Violence against women remains a major issue on the international human rights agenda. It is a universal problem, differing only in scope and nature from one country to another. Legislators must show commitment and legislate to combat it. In order to mobilize legislators to address this problem, the IPU is holding a three-day conference entitled A parliamentary response to violence against women at the Centre international de Conférences de Genève, starting today. The meeting will bring together members of parliament from around the world to take stock of the situation, discuss the various types of violence against women and focus on concrete parliamentary initiatives that can be taken to combat such violence. [ More on the Conference ... ]
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Better access to information is required to fix problems with democracy
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1 December 2008. In a keynote address to the second World e-Parliament Conference, IPU Secretary General Anders B. Johnsson emphasised that better access to information will help citizens to press for resolution of some of the major challenges facing democracy, such as male domination of public life, corruption and the lack of media pluralism. The Conference brought together parliamentarians and parliamentary ICT directors to examine progress in the use of ICT to make parliamentary processes more transparent, accessible, accountable and effective. A draft revision of IPU’s 2000 Guidelines for parliamentary web sites was one of the topics put forward for expert discussion. The updated version is scheduled for publication in early 2009. The conference was co-organized by the European Parliament, the Global Centre for ICT in Parliament, and the United Nations. [ More about Parliaments and ICT ... ]
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1 December - World AIDS Day. IPU President Theo-Ben Gurirab: "Parliaments must legislate to provide more ARVs"
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1 December 2008. As people everywhere celebrate World AIDS Day, the President of the IPU, Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, said that "more had to be done to get drugs and treatment to people who desperately need them. Thirty-three million people are living with HIV, only one third of whom have access to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs". The provision of affordable ARV treatment, which has improved and extended the lives of many people infected with HIV, is a subject that encompasses human rights, intellectual property law, and trade regulations. It is a complex field, in which the legislator can do much to set the right framework for enlightened policy. In order to encourage legislators to act, the IPU has published a Handbook for Parliamentarians entitled Taking action against HIV and AIDS. This Handbook, produced jointly with UNAIDS and UNDP, is both a call for parliamentary leadership and a reference book to which legislators and their staff may turn for guidance on specific issues in the response to HIV and AIDS. [ See press release ... ]
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