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.
BGIPU convened a roundtable discussion on 13 March to discuss multilateral trade with a specific focus on the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the role of Parliaments. The meeting heard perspectives from Lord Harrison and Baroness Hooper who represented the BGIPU at the 2012 session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO in Geneva held 15-16 November 2012 which was jointly organized by the IPU and the European Parliament.
The work of the delegation reflected three connected themes. Firstly, our message of how the European Union stands to benefit from Croatia’s forthcoming membership. Secondly, how Croatia’s economy can now be improved through its 2013 European Union membership as well as through its existing Council of Europe membership. Thirdly, how in 2013 the UK can continue to help Croatia in general, and in particular advise on evolving sound working practices between its government and parliament and Brussels.
Our visit to Zagreb was timely, given Croatia’s imminent entry into the European Union as its 28th member. Our party’s interests ranged widely in the educational, cultural, community and civil stability fields. Trade, tourism, economic matters featured strongly with a natural UK bent. The sub-set of Scottish (and Yorkshire!) interests played well against complementary Croatian regional concerns.
This was an excellent visit that really benefitted from the preparatory work undertaken before the visit. The briefing meetings with the Gender and Equalities Office and the meeting with representatives from NGOs attending the conference were particularly beneficial. Both meetings helped us to focus on key issues that would be discussed at the conference and […]
A delegation from the Majils Ash-Shura of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia led by the Speaker, H.E. Dr. Abdullah Bin Muhammad Bin Ibrahim Al-Sheikh, undertook an inter-parliamentary visit to the UK Parliament from 4-6 March 2013. Accompanying the Speaker were Shura Council Members, Hamza Bin Hussein Al-Sharif, Zuhair F. J. Al-Harthy, Saud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Shammari, Dr. Said Abdulla Al-Shaikh and Dr. Omar Bin Ibrahim Rajab and two of the recently appointed 30 women members of the Council, Thuraya Bint Ahmed Obeid and Dr. Nihad Mohammed Al-Jishi and parliamentary officials.
The Chairman of the British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union (BGIPU), Mr Robert Walter MP, welcomed the arrival of a delegation from the Majils Ash-Shura, the Parliament of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia led by the Speaker, H.E. Dr. Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al ash-Sheikh.
The BGIPU hosted a delegation from Bahrain to Westminster in March. The visit was a key opportunity to engage with parliamentary counterparts from Bahrain on bilateral interest between our two countries and Bahrain’s 6 perspectives on developments in the Middle East region. The visit also provided an important opportunity to seek perspectives on ongoing human rights concerns in the country in the context of a broader discussion about governance and justice issues.
From tourism and tax reform to wealth distribution and from new global trading relationships to diversifying from agriculture, the BGIPU delegation, led by the Vice Chair of the BGIPU visited the Legislative Assemblies of Costa Rica and El Salvador to learn about both countries’ broader geopolitical priorities
Whoever one meets in politics in Costa Rica and El Salvador, the gloomy presence of the drugs trade will eventually emerge in discussion. Previously by-standers in the drugs wars, these two countries now have Mexican drug cartels who have relocated in order to avoid detection and invest their profits.
On 30 January in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, Hugh Bayley MP joined senior parliamentary colleagues from Liberia, Bangladesh and Uganda in a roundtable discussion to convey to the post-2015 High Level Panel the IPU’s perspectives on the importance of democratic governance, particularly the role to be played by parliaments, in determining any future international development goals.
