Through its programme of activities, the BGIPU seeks to engage Parliamentarians in key global issues and works to expand awareness and understanding of foreign relations and the contribution to be made by the UK Parliament to consolidate parliamentary democracy worldwide.
Here you can read the reports of our activities, including our Outward Delegations, IPU conferences and events and inward visits to Westminster.
You can search for specific reports by using keywords, themes, categories or date using the fields on the right.
The BGIPU hosted a inter-parliamentary visit from the General Assembly of Uruguay from 24-27 March 2014 led by Mrs Maria Elena Laurnaga of the Chamber of Deputies. The delegation underscored that the Uruguay Parliament strongly supported efforts to deepen relations with the United Kingdom based on the long-standing and mutually beneficial ties existing between both countries and our shared values and common interests.
The 130th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly was convened in Geneva from 16 to 20 March 2014 with around 1,450 participants comprising some 726 parliamentarians from 141 parliaments, including over 50 Speakers and 223 women MPs. This was a landmark meeting of the world’s parliaments in marking the IPU’s 125th anniversary which also saw the election of new Secretary-General, Mr Martin Chungong, who will replace at the end of June 2014, Mr Anders B. Johnsson, who was widely praised for his 16 year leadership of the organisation.
“We cannot achieve a world of dignity for all until we end gender inequality in all its forms” – stated the UN Secretary General at the Opening of CSW 58, which I was privileged to be sent to by the BGIPU this March. This year CSW was of particular significance as the theme was “Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls”. Thus there was particular focus on gender equality, women’s rights and women’s empowerment, both in terms of taking stock of the MDGs effectiveness and looking ahead to the post 2015 agenda.
As a delegate from the BGIPU access was easier and broader than my past experiences of representing the UK NGO’s at CSW. Discussion not only on numbers of women involved in decision making bodies but around what they actually get to do when they are elected and equally importantly what difference, if any their presence in government may make to the lives of ordinary women in the country.
The Armenian economy is sufficiently prosperous for there to be no need for traditional international bilateral aid from the UK. After the 1988 earthquake, the UK sent support and the Embassy and UK volunteers have made a real difference at the Lord Byron school at Gyumri, opened in 1990 by Margaret Thatcher during her first visit to the then Soviet Union.
The Delegation to Armenia had the opportunity to meet with prominent figures in the Armenian government and parliament during the programme. Discussions were dominated by the Armenian decision to seek membership of the Eurasian Customs Union and what the ramifications of this might be for the relationship with the EU, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the approaching centenary commemorations of the Armenian Genocide.
The Steering Committee of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO met on 11 and 12 February 2014 on the premises of the European Parliament in Brussels. The session was co-chaired by Mr. V. Moreira, representing the European Parliament, and Mr. K. Örnfjäder (Sweden), who had been recently appointed by the IPU President as coordinator of the IPU delegation to the Steering Committee and, in this capacity, co-Chair of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO. The UK Parliament was represented by John Spellar MP.
SEMINAR OVERVIEW BGIPU welcomed to London more than 60 parliamentarians and arms control experts from across the globe from 3-5 November 2014, for an International Parliamentary Seminar on the Arms Trade Treaty. The key objective of the meeting was to highlight the role of parliamentarians at a time when the ATT’s Entry into Force is […]
The BGIPU was very pleased to host a study visit by three of the Secretaries of the IPU’s Standing Committees from the IPU Headquarters in Geneva to the Palace of Westminister from 23-24 January 2014. The key objective of the study visit was to learn about the role and functioning of parliamentary committees in the UK including to better understand the role played by our Clerks in supporting the work of UK parliamentary committee. The purpose was to gain insights into operatin so the UK parliament which may be useful in strengthening the role and functioning of IPU’s Standing Committees and it followed a similar visit to the Belgian Parliament.
Jonathan Djanogly MP attended the joint European Parliament/IPU Parliamentary Conference on the WTO in Bali, Indonesia on 2 and 5 December 2013 convened in connection with the Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference. As the UK’s representative among some 270 MPs participating, he joined counterparts in urging governments to place development at the heart of the multilateral trading system, taking into full account the special needs and interests of developing counties, particularly the least developed. The meeting helped ensure parliamentary views were registered as WTO members successfully negotiated a new multilateral trade deal which is anticipated to add around $100 billion a year to global trade, potentially creating an additional 21 million jobs.
