Parliamentary Hearing calls for greater support for disarmament, international criminal justice and counter-terrorism
Some 200 parliamentarians from over 70 countries gathered at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 20 and 21 November for the annual Parliamentary Hearing. This record attendance attested both to the enhanced status of the Hearing as a joint IPU-UN event and to the relevance of the issues under consideration, most notably disarmament, international criminal justice and terrorism.
Entitled Reinforcing the rule of law in international relations: the key role of parliaments, the Hearing was organized by IPU in cooperation with the Office of the President of the General Assembly,Mr. Srgjan Kerim, who opened the Hearing. The President of the IPU, Mr. Pier Ferdinando Casini, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon also addressed the opening session.
President Casini noted that "when we [parliamentarians] talk to our constituents…we hear an overwhelming desire for peaceful coexistence with others. There seems to be a disconnect between the decisions taken at the "top" and the real mood of the people down "below" that we politicians and diplomats must endeavour to overcome." This observation was echoed in one of the conclusions of the session on disarmament: that MPs need to work more with grass-roots organizations and constituents to raise awareness of the dangers of the 27,000 nuclear warheads currently deployed around the world as well as of the enormous cost of maintaining and securing this arsenal.
Regarding the question of international criminal justice, the meeting dwelled in particular on the role of the International Criminal Court and of other country-specific tribunals. Two important conclusions emerged: parliamentarians should press for the universal acceptance of the International Criminal Court (less than two-thirds of all countries have ratified the Rome Statute) and they should help ensure that the international community cooperates in the enforcement of arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court and other international tribunals.
The discussion on counter-terrorism touched on a variety of issues. It was agreed that parliaments should be vigilant in ensuring that governments adopt a balanced approach to combating terrorism, which combines strengthening the security apparatus, protecting human rights (such as the right to a fair trial for everyone, including terrorism suspects), and addressing the root causes of terrorism. The legislators also agreed that parliaments should ensure that the victims of terrorism receive adequate compensation and are allowed to articulate their grievances.
The final report of the Hearing will be circulated to the IPU Member Parliaments as well as the General Assembly as an official UN document.
15 September: International Day of Democracy
Stressing the continuing need to promote democracy, development and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, the United Nations General Assembly agreed on 8 November to observe 15 September each year as the International Day of Democracy. In a resolution adopted by consensus, the United Nations recognizes the crucial role that parliaments are called upon to play in the democratization process, and welcomes the tripartite format (governments-parliaments-civil society) of the International Conference of New or Restored Democracies. In her address to the General Assembly, the IPU Representative noted: "It is meaningful that the International Day of Democracy has been chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Democracy, adopted by IPU Member Parliaments ten years ago. The precepts and principles enshrined in this important political document are as valid today as ever before, and we invite the United Nations and its Member States to more systematically integrate these core principles into their efforts to strengthen democracy worldwide".