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 Geneva/Quebec City, 17 October 2012IPU Logo-bottom

PROTECT DIVERSITY TO ENSURE PEACE IN TODAY'S POLARIZED WORLD
127th IPU Assembly

Diversity in all its forms needs to be respected and protected as never before to ensure peace in a highly polarized world, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) says on the eve of its 127th Assembly.

Although a special debate during the IPU Assembly will tackle citizenship, identity, linguistic and cultural diversity in a globalized world, there will be questions too on how to protect political diversity, not least within IPU’s own highly varied political membership.

“What we are seeing is a world that is becoming increasingly and more frighteningly divided along political, religious, racial and linguistic lines. Positions are too entrenched. We must all do what we can to end these schisms. IPU can and does have an important part to play on this,” says IPU President Abdelwahad Radi.

More than 1,300 participants, including nearly 670 MPs and Speakers of parliament from around the world, are expected to attend the 127th Assembly hosted by the Canadian parliament in Quebec City between 21-26 October.

IPU Assemblies have historically proved to be a unique forum bringing together all of the IPU membership and observers, including countries in conflict with each other or politically isolated. The ability to talk and listen to each other has long been valued as a first step in bringing peace.

The respect and protection of religious diversity in particular is also one of three emergency items being proposed for IPU members to act on. Proposed by the United Arab Emirates, it calls for an international agreement that would criminalize religious defamation.

Syria and Mali have respectively proposed emergency items on the violence against Christians and other minorities in Syria and the situation regarding institutions and security in Mali. IPU members will decide on which emergency item can be debated upon on the first day of the Assembly.  A resolution will be adopted on the closing day of the gathering.

In an event-packed Assembly, participants will tackle other peace-related issues such as how to build peace in countries after conflict; safeguarding civilian lives, and ways for MPs to support nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

A plan of action on ensuring gender parity within parliaments and their decision-making bodies, as well as improving the working environment of a predominantly male institution by transforming its working methods, structures and internal culture will also be adopted during the 127th Assembly.

For full details on the Assembly, please go to: http://www.ipu.org/conf-e/127agnd.htm


Established in 1889 and with its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the IPU, the oldest multilateral political organisation, currently brings together 162 affiliated parliaments and ten regional assemblies as associate members. The world organisation of parliaments has an Office in New York, which acts as its Permanent Observer at the United Nations.
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Contacts
For further information, please contact:

IPU
Jemini Pandya
Tel.: +41 79 217 3374
E-mail: jep@mail.ipu.org
Pia Drzewinski
Tel.: + 41 76 505 8865
E-mail: dp@mail.ipu.org

Canadian Parliament
Francine Pressault
Tel.: + 1 613 299 5359
E-mail: pressf@sen.parl.gc.ca
Terry Guillon
Tel.: + 1 613 794 6829
E-mail: terry.guillon@parl.gc.ca