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Promoting safe motherhood in Uganda
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6 February 2012. As part of their joint project to promote parliamentary action on maternal, newborn and child health, the IPU and the Ugandan Parliament recently hosted two constituency meetings in communities with high maternal and child deaths. In Kamuli District, eastern Uganda, close to 1,000 community members, leaders and representatives of development agencies attended the meeting. The Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, addressed the event, highlighting practices to promote safe motherhood. At the second event in Rubabo, western Uganda, several members of parliament sensitized over 300 community, district and religious leaders to the importance of family planning to maternal and child health. Organizations participating in both events provided much-needed child, maternal and sexual and reproductive on-site health services at no cost. These included simple vaccinations, baby weighing, vitamin supplementation, safe male circumcision, family planning, pregnancy testing and counselling and screening for HIV/AIDS and cervical cancer. In Kamuli, UNICEF donated 2 motorbike-drawn ambulances to the district. |
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New Year Message from the IPU President
31 December 2011. In his New Year message, the IPU President, Mr. Abdelwahad Radi, said that for the Inter-Parliamentary Union 2011 was the year when its Strategy for 2012-2017, Better parliaments, stronger democracies, was adopted. It should help Member Parliaments build a more universal, dynamic and effective IPU; one that is able to advance democratic culture, values and institutions through inter-parliamentary cooperation. Thinking of the year to come, President Radi said that lasting solutions would have to be found to a lingering global economic crisis, whose political ramifications are yet to be brought under control. Much remains to be done to make gender equality a daily reality, notably in politics. "The IPU must lend its support to the democratic reconstruction of the countries swept up by the Arab Spring, and play its role of peacemaker in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by promoting dialogue between parliamentarians from both sides", he concluded. [ Full text of the message ... ] |
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Parliamentary message to the eighth WTO Ministerial Conference
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15 December 2011. "The road to fairer and more equitable international trade will be vastly facilitated with the conclusion of the Doha Round. We call on all Parties to show greater flexibility and make the necessary breakthroughs to enable a successful outcome of the Round", reads the parliamentary message to the WTO Ministerial Conference that starts its work in Geneva today. The message reflects the common viewpoint of parliamentarians, who had taken part in the annual session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO, held earlier this year in Geneva. Driven by the synergies of the IPU and the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Conference is an instrument of parliamentary oversight of multilateral trade negotiations carried out under the aegis of the WTO, and as such is its de facto parliamentary dimension. [ Full text of the message ... ] |
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Induction seminar in Burundi
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14 December 2011. During an orientation and induction seminar organized by the IPU and the Parliament of Burundi on 12 and 13 December 2011 in Bujumbura, Burundian MPs discussed measures to promote the status of women and gender equality in Burundi. They took stock of progress made, namely: equality was now enshrined in the Constitution; women were guaranteed at least 30 per cent of decision-making positions; free access to health care was provided for mothers and newborns; free education; as well as the removal of discriminatory provisions in the Criminal Code. In spite of those advances, however, discrimination persists, particularly with regard to laws governing family and nationality. Most notably, there are legal loopholes in the areas of violence against women and inheritance, which parliamentarians are urged to address. The participants focused on the empowerment of rural women and hope to influence public opinion so as to create a more favourable environment for women in Burundi by sensitizing both men and women to the need to share family responsibilities and better informing women about their rights. At the end of their discussions, the MPs drew up a plan of action, which they intend to implement with IPU support as part of its project of assistance to the Parliament of Burundi. |
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Ugandan Parliament reaffirms commitment to ensuring accountability for women's and children's health
11 December 2011. On 9 and 10 December, the IPU and the Parliament of Uganda co-hosted a two-day retreat on the role of parliament in promoting the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in particular MDGs 4 and 5. Close to 100 members of parliament and parliamentary staff from various committees participated in the event. United under the slogan "No woman should die while giving life", the members of parliament adopted a declaration in which they committed themselves to focusing on selected priorities to improve women's and children's health. These include strengthening health governance (strengthening leadership and improving accountability), improving levels and conditions of health workers, enhancing health care services at the local level, and advocating for increased domestic and donor funding for women's and children's health. The Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, officiated at the opening ceremony, which was graced by Her Royal Highness, the Queen of Buganda, Nabagereka Sylvia Naginda. The retreat was followed by the signing of an agreement between the National Assembly and the IPU on collaboration and support for MDGs 4 and 5. |
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Parliamentary message delivered to the President of COP17/CMP7
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8 December 2011. As the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban (COP17/CMP7) draws to a close, Honorary IPU President, Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, met with the Conference Chairperson, Ms. Maite Nkoane-Mashabane, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation. He officially presented her with the text of the outcome document adopted by the Parliamentary Meeting on the occasion of COP17/CMP7. Dr. Gurirab underscored the paragraph which states that, pending the establishment of a comprehensive framework, parliamentarians expected all major economies to honour their pledges under the Cancún Agreement, including their obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. The Minister undertook to convey the message to all Parties directly involved in COP17/CMP7 negotiations. [ Text of the parliamentary message ... ] |
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Kenyan MPs pledge to prioritize maternal, newborn and child health
7 December 2011. Kenyan members of parliament and parliamentary staff participated in a retreat on maternal, newborn and child health on 5 and 6 December. They adopted an outcome statement in which they committed to introducing legislative reforms to improve the health of women and children, advocating for higher national budget allocations for health from the current 6 per cent to the 15 per cent agreed by the government under the Abuja Declaration, fighting corruption and ensuring accountability for results, and guaranteeing better health services delivery through enhanced monitoring, innovation and oversight of government policies and programmes. The retreat was opened by the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Farah Maalim. In attendance were resource persons from various organizations, including the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, World Vision and Professor Miriam, a member of the Independent Expert Review Group on Women's and Children's Health. The retreat marked the launch of a joint project between the IPU and the National Assembly of Kenya. |
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Parliamentarians consider climate change one of the greatest challenges of our time
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6 December 2011. "Climate change continues to present a potentially irreversible threat to humanity and the planet" states the opening paragraph of the outcome document adopted by consensus at the Parliamentary Meeting organized by the IPU and the South African Parliament in Durban, on the occasion of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP17/CMP7). Held in parallel with the UN Conference, the Parliamentary Meeting brought together 275 participants from over 40 countries and eight international organizations. Speaking at the inaugural session, Honorary IPU President, Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, said that lawmakers could not afford to sit idly by and wait for government negotiators to reach binding global agreements. He called on parliamentarians to act through legislation and by holding their respective governments to account. As uncertainty lingered on most items discussed at COP17/CMP7, delegates to the Parliamentary Meeting called on the Parties at the Durban Conference to find lasting solutions and agree an equitable, comprehensive and legally binding outcome establishing a fair and effective international framework with the participation of all major economies. [ More on the subject ... ] |
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First national seminar on parliament’s role in overseeing implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA) takes place in Cambodia.
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6 December 2011. The seminar entitled “Dissemination of the Istanbul Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries and its Translation from Plan to Action” has five main aims: dissemination of the IPoA to all parliamentarians; consideration of the involvement of key national stakeholders, namely: government ministries, international organizations, civil society organizations and development partners, in the implementation process; identification of better strategies to implement the new Programme in line with national development plans; formulation of mechanisms for information-sharing, coordination and support and a system for tracking different stakeholder’s commitments for the IPoA in Cambodia. The seminar will allow for participants to share their experience in promoting development and provide an overview of their action and commitment to achieving the remaining Cambodian MDG goals, other international development plans, and the IPoA. The Fourth United Nations Conference on LDCs adopted the Istanbul Declaration and the Istanbul Programme of Action for the decade 2011-2020 (IPoA). Taking the form of a mutually agreed compact between LDCs and their development partners, the IPoA contains eight priority areas of action, each supported by concrete deliverables and commitments. These eight development priorities include productive capacity, agriculture, food security and rural development, trade, commodities, human and social development, multiple crises and other emerging challenges, mobilizing financial resources for development and capacity- building, and governance at all levels.
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Parliamentary oversight of the security sector: disseminating best practices in ECOWAS member states
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2 December 2011. The security sector, as the guarantor of peace and social cohesion, demands of all stakeholders, in particular parliament, heightened vigilance and stronger oversight of the policies and strategies that govern it. West African parliaments, the ECOWAS Parliament and the Parliament of Namibia gathered in Bamako, Mali, for a regional parliamentary workshop organized jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Democratic Centre for the Control of Armed Forces, and the African Security Sector Network, in collaboration with the National Assembly of Mali, on 28 and 29 November 2011. The seminar was an extension of the discussions held at the Regional Seminar in Dakar on Parliamentary oversight in the area of security in West Africa on 21 and 22 September 2010. The Bamako workshop represents the culmination of a thought process initiated over a year ago aimed at identifying ways and means of implementing the general principles and mechanisms of parliamentary oversight of the security sector. At the end of two days of debates on key issues, strategic directions for parliamentary action were draw up. [ More on the subject ... ]
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Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations
1 December 2011. “Whether it’s in Tahrir Square and the broader Arab region, or just a few blocks away on Wall Street, people around the world are telling us, loud and clear, that they are not satisfied. People want governments and institutions that are transparent and accountable for their decisions.” This is how Hon. Alonso Diaz-Caneja, Vice-President of the IPU Executive Committee opened this year’s Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations. He was joined by H.E. Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, President of the UN General Assembly and H.E. Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, who addressed the audience during the opening session. Over the course of two days, members of about 50 parliaments from every region of the world debated the long-standing and timely issue of political accountability for a more peaceful and prosperous world. The issue was discussed from the angles of more effective youth and civil society participation, budget transparency, and the role of the United Nations General Assembly in strengthening global political accountability. The Summary Report of the Parliamentary Hearing, convened as a joint UN-IPU event, will be issued next month and distributed to national parliaments, and circulated as an official document of the UN General Assembly. [ Speeches and documents of the Hearing ... ]
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World AIDS Day is 1st December
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1 December 2011. For more than 20 years World AIDS Day has reminded us that HIV and AIDS are still with us and that much remains to be done to curb the epidemic. Reaching the goal of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths requires far greater access to prevention services and HIV treatment, care and support than is currently available. It also requires measures to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by all, including people living with HIV and communities most vulnerable to the infection. Political leadership is of central importance in this process, and the parliamentary commitment to the struggle is growing, as it must. On this World AIDS Day, the IPU and UNAIDS have sent a special message to parliaments. [ Text of the message... ]
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Parliamentary Forum at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF-4)
29 November 2011. Members of parliament and staff who attended the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF-4) in Busan gathered for a Parliamentary Forum organized by the IPU, AWEPA and the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. The main purpose of the Forum was to formulate a clear parliamentary message to HFL-4. One of the most salient points related to the basic requirement that parliament be recognized as a key State institution, and not merely a “stakeholder” as was previously suggested. In addition to the acquisition of due recognition and respect, the participants agreed that parliament should play a leading role in development, particularly given their unique mandate to examine, scrutinize and oversee executive action. The parliamentarians present in Busan felt strongly that the time had come for them to be included in any post-Busan central coordination structure, and recommended that discussions be pursued on how to better involve parliamentarians in the future Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation. The report of the Parliamentary Forum was conveyed to the HLF-4 plenary during the closing session. [ More on the subject ... ] |
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The priorities of the new IPU President, Mr. Abdelwahed Radi
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19 October 2011. The IPU elected its new President, Mr. Abdelwahed Radi, Speaker of the Moroccan House of Representatives since 2010, to replace outgoing President Theo-Ben Gurirab of Namibia. Mr. Radi is no newcomer to the speakership, having held this post previously from 1997 to 2007, after which he was appointed Minister of Justice by King Mohamed VI until 4 January 2010. Since March 2011, Mr. Radi has presided over the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean. The new IPU President explains his priorities in an interview given immediately after his election. [ Watch the interview ... ] |
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Bertrand Piccard, inventor of Solar Impulse: "Clean technologies can spur economic growth"
16 October 2011. Swiss aeronaut and inventor of the plane Solar Impulse, Bertrand Piccard addressed MPs of 130 countries at the 125th IPU Assembly in Bern. Parliamentarians have an extremely important role to play in the development of new technologies and the gradual replacement of fossil fuels by renewable energies. If we wait for the situation to change on its own, nothing will happen. Clients are ready to purchase new technologies, but they are not on the market. Manufacturers are willing to produce them but they need clear direction for their investments and a sound legal framework. Who will change the world? It is legislators who will be making laws and establishing the legal framework for saving fossil fuels and developing renewable energies. When we speak to MPs, we speak to people who can make a change in the world", he said in an interview. [ Read the interview ... ] |
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Interview with the Swiss President, Mrs. Micheline Calmy-Rey
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16 October 2011. Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey inaugurated the 125th IPU Assembly in Bern, together with UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, IPU President Theo-Ben Gurirab and the Speakers of the two Houses of the Swiss Parliament, Jean-René Germanier (Lower House) and Hansheiri Inderkum (Upper House). The Mayor of Bern, Alexander Tschäppät, and IPU Secretary General Anders B. Johnsson were also present. "In this globalized world, parliaments enjoy a special kind of legitimacy", said the Swiss President in an interview before the inaugural ceremony. [ Read the interview ... ] |
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Work proceeds on anti-violence against women and girls bill in Togo
6 October 2011. The committee entrusted with drafting a bill on violence against women and girls held its first meeting from 26 to 30 September 2011 with IPU support. For a week, this committee - composed of members of parliament and civil society representatives - drafted the text that will be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and adoption. The bill seeks to provide a comprehensive response to violence against women and girls by including provisions not only on cracking down on perpetrators but also on prevention, protection and assistance to victims. This initiative was prompted by the conclusions of a public consultation on violence against women and girls, organized in May by the Togolese National Assembly and the IPU, during which loopholes in the current legislative framework were identified. [ More on the subject ... ] |
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