Lawmakers worldwide "gravely concerned" about Myanmar
Lawmakers from around the world urged Myanmar's military junta to "immediately and unconditionally" release all political activists, monks and ethnic leaders jailed in the country. In a resolution on an emergency item on the matter, delegates at an Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly said they were gravely concerned about the deterioration of the human rights situation in the country formerly known as Burma, where at least 10 people died last month in a crackdown on democracy protests. The Geneva-based IPU represents over 140 national parliaments across the world, as well as seven regional parliamentary assemblies. The IPU resolution appealed to the international community to "seriously consider taking necessary and effective economic measures and suspending military assistance and arms sales to Myanmar" in the event of "further setbacks in the constructive process of dialogue and reconciliation".
Reuters - 10 October 2007
President of IPU Committee on Human Rights says violations are on the increase
The President of the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, Canadian Senator Sharon Carstairs, said that three cases would be highlighted in today's final session: those of parliamentarians in Columbia, Myanmar and the Philippines. Carstairs added, in a press conference today, that violations of the human rights of parliamentarians is on the increase, with situations where there is no information about the disappeared parliamentarians, whether they are alive or dead, such as the case of the 11 Eritrean parliamentarians. She told reporters that 26 parliamentarians are in jail in Myanmar, in Sri Lanka there is concern for 20 parliamentarians, and some have been murdered. She added that Senator Pimentel from the Philippines would be leading a mission to Sri Lanka shortly. Carstairs said that there is concern in Lebanon about the increasing number of parliamentarians being murdered.
Kuwait News Agency, Kuna - 10 October 2007
Top Chinese legislator meets IPU President and US Congressman
Top Chinese legislator Wu Bangguo met Mr. Pier Ferdinando Casini, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Ike Skelton, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, who heads an eight-member congressional delegation from the United States. In his meeting with Casini, Wu, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), expressed his appreciation for the unique role played by the IPU to help address various international issues. As an important IPU Member, the NPC will continue to boost ties with the Organization and make efforts to score progress on multilateral parliamentary cooperation,Wu stressed. Casini spoke in positive terms about the contribution that the NPC has made to promote IPU reform and development, stressing that the Organization values the ties with the NPC and expects it could play a major role in various issues taken up by IPU. Skelton said that interparliamentary exchanges and dialogue have strengthened mutual understanding and trust.
Xinhua - 28 August 2007
Advancing the rule of law is vital work, says Ban Kimoon
Advancing the rule of law is vital work, says [UN Secretary General] Ban Ki-moon. Upholding and strengthening the four pillars of the modern international legal system - human rights, humanitarian, criminal and refugee law - is "crucial to the cause of peace", Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told a meeting in New York of parliamentarians from around the world. In a speech to the Annual Parliamentary Hearing, jointly organized by the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Mr. Ban said that advancing the rule of law brought widespread benefits to the international community. "I can help prevent or resolve conflicts and check weapons proliferation", he said.
UNNEWS - 20 November 2007