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UK Parliament marks 130th Anniversary of the IPU

With the generous support of the Speaker of the House of Commons, BGIPU invited members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords to attend a diplomatic reception in Speaker’s House on 25 June 2019 to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the IPU.  BGIPU Chair, Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP, joined the Speaker and the Leader of the Opposition, in paying tribute to the legacy of the IPU’s UK co-founder, Sir William Randall Cremer MP saying the IPU’s work remained as relevant today as when it was first founded on 30 June 1889. 

EuropeInter-Parliamentary CooperationBGIPU Seminars & Events
Kosovo Foreign Affairs Committee Chair and members meet Chair and members of the UK's International Development Committee.JPG

Strong links underscored by Kosovo exchange

From 22nd-23rd May BGIPU hosted a parliamentary delegation from the Republic of Kosovo, led by the Chairwoman of the Committee for Foreign Affairs, Diaspora and Strategic Investment, Professor Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, four other colleagues and officials.   This visit was a success in consolidating the already strong bilateral relationship enjoyed between the UK and Kosovo and how parliament to parliament links play a vital role in ensuring that bilateral relations continue to grow and adapt to changing circumstances.

EuropeInter-Parliamentary CooperationInward Delegations
Visiting Parliamentary Delegation from Slovakia meet with the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Tugendhat MP and member, Mike Gapes MP.JPG

MPs from Slovakia get a box seat on the Brexit process

From 11 to 13 March, a parliamentary delegation from Slovakia visited the Palace of Westminster led by the Chair of the EU Committee, Mr Lubos Blaha accompanied by 5 other members.  The visiting delegation benefited greatly from this visit at a pivotal time in the Brexit process and had access to many key players on all sides of the debate. It gave them important views of the difficult issues facing the UK Parliament and underscored that Slovakia stands ready to support the UK as a reliable friend whatever the eventual outcome. 

EuropeInter-Parliamentary CooperationInward Delegations
The delegation visited the UK Parliament to hear more about Brexit and to strengthen relations between the UK and North Macedonia.JPG

Exchange serves to strengthen links with North Macedonia

A parliamentary delegation from North Macedonia visited the UK for a three day visit from 4 to 6 March. This visit cemented the already strong links between the Parliament of North Macedonia and the UK Parliament and was a very timely visit given that the Prespa Agreement had recently been agreed and the bilateral dispute between Greece and North Macedonia was now resolved. 

EuropeInter-Parliamentary CooperationInward Delegations
The visiting delegation led by the President of the Dutch Senate enjoyed a tour of the Palace of Westminster by Lord Craigavon.JPG

Netherlands visit boosts relations in advance of Brexit

A Parliamentary delegation from the Netherlands led by the President of the Senate made a timely visit to the UK from 25 to 27 February to discuss bilateral relations against the background of the UK’s imminent departure from the European Union.  The programme ensured the delegation met with as many relevant Select Committees as possible and that they heard from many UK Parliamentarians across the full scope of views regarding Brexit.  Exchanges showed that bilateral relations remained very close and strong.

EuropeInter-Parliamentary CooperationInward Delegations
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MPs call for bolder action to fight climate change

Nearly 200 parliamentarians and climate experts have called for urgent and bold action to implement the Paris Agreement before it’s too late.  At a parliamentary meeting on 9 December in Krakow, Poland, during the United Nations Climate Change Conference known as COP24, they set out their vision of the measures needed to limit global warming.  The meeting was organized by the IPU and the Polish Sejm to discuss practical implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement.

EuropeInter-Parliamentary CooperationIPU Activities & Conferences
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AGM elects Rt Hon John Whittingdale MP as new BGIPU Chair

Chaired by the Speaker of the HoC, the BGIPU AGM took place on 27 November 2018 to adopt the 2018 Annual Report.  The AGM also saw the election of Rt Hon John Whittingdale MP as Chair for the BGIPU alongside a new Executive Committee for 2018/19.  The contribution of the outgoing Chair, Nigel Evans MP, was warmly acknowledged by all BGIPU members along with recognition of the work of the BGIPU Secretariat.   

EuropeInter-Parliamentary CooperationBGIPU Seminars & Events
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World Investment Forum 2018 and Parliamentary Workshop

In October 2018, Lord McConnell attended the World Investment Forum in Geneva and an IPU workshop on the SDGs, on behalf of BGIPU. The theme of the 2018 Forum was ‘Investing in Sustainable Development’, and the IPU event was titled ‘Financing the Sustainable Development Goals: How can Parliaments bridge the gap?’. His participation included the tripartite dialogue between Parliamentarians, policymakers and business leaders and he also met with international organisations and with the UK Mission to the UN in Geneva.

EuropeInter-Parliamentary CooperationIPU Activities & Conferences
138th IPU Assembly was held in Geneva Switzerland and attended by some 150 national parliaments.jpg

#IPU139: Placing science at the heart of parliaments, policy-making and peace

Over 1300 MPs and parliamentary staff from around the world will meet in Geneva for the 139th IPU Assembly from 14-18 October. Under the umbrella theme of science, technology and innovation, the Assembly will cover multiple subjects including fake news, sexism and harassment in parliaments, human rights, disarmament, counter-terrorism, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and migration.

EuropeHuman RightsIPU Activities & Conferences
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IPU Committee on rights of MPs gives voice to MPs silenced at home

At the 139th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, the global parliamentary community expressed serious concerns about MP human rights violations worldwide including cases in Cambodia, Venezuela, Turkey, and Uganda. However, there was also good news from Malaysia and the Maldives.  At this sitting, the committee took position on human rights violations of 295 MPs in 13 countries.

EuropeHuman RightsIPU Activities & Conferences
 

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