IPU UNDERWAY IN GENEVA

The 131st Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference commenced in Geneva, Switzerland yesterday with a clarion call to end violence against women and to strive to tackle growing threats to global peace, security and human rights.

The global conference will also see the election of a new President of the IPU following the expiry of the three year term of incumbent, Hon Abdelwahad Radi of Morrocco.

In his remarks, the out-going President of the IPU, Abdelwahad Radi remarked that the Assembly had committed to enhancing its role in championing for democracy and towards ensuring equity, equality and justice for all. He said that gender inequality and violence continues to undermine equal opportunities and human rights.

The UN Secretary General, Ambassador Ban Ki Moon called for more advocacy for women and an increase in numbers of women in Parliament. In a brief recorded message to the participants, the UN Chief said it was important for the IPU to champion the cause for gender equality as a means to realizing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Speaker of EALA, Rt. Hon (dr) Margaret Nantongo Zziwa urged Partner States to embrace affirmative action in decision making to support gender equality. Rt. Hon Zziwa also called for enhanced sensitization to reverse the trend.

“Sensitization of the men through all forms of education, role modeling “”and constant reminding is important to enable them to realize that women must co-exist in all spheres of life to ensure sustainability and development. Empowering women and the girl child through education like gender equality and role modeling clubs will help reduce their vulnerability and dependency solely on the male gender or spouse.”

The Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, Rt. Hon Rebecca Kadaga noted that research on domestic violence against women, particularly, on the causes and consequences of violence had shown increase in the vice over time.

“Despite the recommendation, many cases of violence still go unreported. In a survey conducted in the 28 EU States, 42,000 women revealed that only 14% of women reported their most serious incident of intimate partner violence to the police, and among 13% reported most serious non-partner violence to the police - many simply because statistics of dead women, due to the clan or trade land settling that prevents victims from “embarrassing” the family in speaking out”, the Speaker noted.

Rt. Hon Kadaga who is an Executive Committee Member of the IPU, remarked that girls and women continued to be maimed, assaulted and killed as they go on with their daily duties. Speaker Kadaga called for more sensitization to embrace change in the Community. She called for additional legislation on protection of violence against women.

The Speaker of New Zealand Parliament Rt. Hon David Carter, noted that his country had made significant progress in empowerment of women and that there was more representation in Parliament by women today as it strives for equal and proportional representation.

An unprecedented 744 MPs from 141 countries, including 104 Speakers and Deputy Speakers of Parliaments are attending the IPU Assembly. The Assembly expects to adopt some emergency items. The current proposals include fighting terrorism and extremism, protecting the rights of the Palestinian people, addressing sovereign debt crises and combating human trafficking.

The elections of the new President of IPU takes place on October 16, 2014. Indonesian MP Nurhayati Ali Assegaf, Speaker of the Australian Parliament Bronwyn Bishop, Bangladesh MP Saber Chowdhury and former Speaker of the Maldives Parliament Abdulla Shahid have so far declared their candidature for the post.

The election, will cement a new leadership structure following the election of the first African IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong (Cameroon) in March this year.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) also formally welcomed back the Republics of Guinea and Madagascar as Members of the Organization. Their re-admission of both countries at the opening session of IPU’s 131st Assembly in Geneva increases IPU membership to 166 national parliaments.

Guinea had previously been an IPU Member between 1996-2007 and 2008-2009. Both departures from the Organization were due to the political instability in the West African country - the last one in 2009 following the dissolution of the National Assembly by a military coup in December 2008.

In earlier meetings called on the sidelines of the Assembly, young Parliamentarians from 61 countries called for wide-ranging measures to be put in place to ensure the world’s youth are politically engaged and represented at the conclusion of the first global conference of its kind.

More than 180 young MPs, youth leaders and experts yesterday, identified youth quotas for parliaments and political parties among several key actions to assure youth political representation and participation. Currently MPs under 30 years of age represent less than two per cent of Parliamentarians.