Issues on safeguarding civilian lives from conflict, natural disasters and other threats as well as how to ensure any future global development plan really delivers, will preoccupy nearly 120 national parliamentary delegations at the 128th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in the Ecuadoran capital, Quito on 22-27 March.
Under the main theme of From unrelenting growth to purposeful development ‘Buen Vivir’, nearly 1,200 delegates including almost 630 MPs will look for solutions to ensure economic growth can lead to general human well-being.
The future of human development will also be tackled. Participants, including 42 Speakers of parliament, will focus on how democratic governance can be integrated into a new global development agenda post-2015 when the current Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) expire. Lack of effective, democratic governance has had a significant impact on MDGs not being met, particularly amongst the most marginalized groups.
“National parliaments by and large were left out of the equation when the MDGs were first drawn up. Yet they are key to ensuring the success of any national development plan because of their fundamental role in democratic governance,” says IPU President Abdelwahad Radi. “This is why IPU is working to ensure democratic governance is at the heart of the post-2015 development agenda.”
The 128th Assembly in Quito, to be opened by Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa on 22nd March, will also address parliament’s role in safeguarding civilian lives and the responsibility to protect. Of international concern, this pressing issue will also be pertinently echoed in proposals for an emergency item concerning Syria as well as in the presentation of a model law on facilitating and regulating international disaster relief.
Other proposals for an emergency debate include protecting the human rights of homosexuals and criminalizing the deliberate destruction of world cultural heritage.
In a tightly-packed Assembly agenda, the rights of disabled children, finding innovative financing mechanisms for sustainable development, the use of social media to enhance citizen engagement on democracy and how MPs can address the issue of rape, will also be addressed.
IPU’s Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians will hold an open session to promote greater awareness of the threats facing MPs around the world whilst its Committee on Middle East Questions will decide on next steps to help ensure progress on peace negotiations following a long-anticipated mission to Gaza, West Bank and Israel.
Take part in the Assembly debates or follow on Twitter using #IPU128Quito.
For full details on Assembly agenda, please go to : http://www.ipu.org/conf-e/128agnd.htm
Journalists wanting accreditation to attend 128th IPU Assembly, please contact:
Julia Ortega, Tel: +593 99 811 3863 or Email: julia.ortega@asambleanacional.gob.ec
The 128th Assembly will be webcast live on envivo.asambleanacional.gob.ec starting with the inaugural ceremony on 22nd March.
For further information, please contact:
IPU Press Office
Jemini Pandya, Tel: + 593 99 763 9725 or + 41 79 217 3374 or Email: jep@ipu.org
Leonie Guguen, Email: lg@ipu.org
Ecuadoran Parliament Press Office
Julia Ortega, Tel: +593 99 811 3863 or Email: julia.ortega@asambleanacional.gob.ec
Carolina Granda, Tel: +593 998 118 923 or Email: granda.carolina@gmail.com
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