Theme: Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation

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Nepal determined to rebuild a positive path for the future

In a delegation visit to Nepal 6-12 May 2018 led by BGIPU Nigel Evans MP, UK MPs and Peers were impressed by the detemination of the people of Nepal after such hardship and misfortune to take positive and outward looking steps for its future. With its new political system in place and earthquake reconstruction efforts advancing, the delegation was given every expectation Nepal would be able to continue on a path to improving economic development and greater prosperity for all its people.

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Renewing old acquaintances with Liberian counterparts

From 7-11 May 2018, a parliamentary delegation from Liberia visited the UK for a five-day visit. This visit was key in re-establishing ties between the Liberian Parliament and the UK Parliament, especially given that Liberia – although not currently a Member of the IPU – was one of the original founding member parliaments of the organisation in 1889.  This visit was a notable success with the delegation expressing a keen desire to rejoin the IPU.

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Women parliamentary leaders to work for more inclusive politics

The 12th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, organized jointly by the IPU and the Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia, will bring together the most senior women parliamentary leaders to address gender issues in parliaments, and explore avenues for more inclusive political institutions where every voice counts.  The Summit will be held on 25-26 April in Cochabamba, Bolivia, one of the few countries to have achieved gender parity in Parliament and enacted specific legislation to combat violence against women in politics.

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Call for zero tolerance towards sexism, racism & violence in parliament

Female parliamentarians worldwide call for immediate reforms to stop sexism, harassment and violence against women in parliaments. This includes urging all parliaments to set concrete targets and deadlines to achieve equal representation of women and men.  Taking part in the 12th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament on 25-26 April, women MPs urged the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to lead global reform actions to end all forms of harassment in parliament.

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APPG on Somaliland delegation to Hargeisa

From 3-6 April 2018, a UK Parliamentary delegation visited Somaliland with support from BGIPU.  It concluded that over the past 27 years since declaring independence, Somalilanders have built a peaceful, stable and democratic independent state, including a multi-party political system with three presidential elections and a parliamentary election, a constitution, legislature and judiciary. Failing to recognise Somaliland is to deny it financial and economic opportunities as well as ignoring wider strategic interests for the UK in the region.

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World’s MPs to tackle global migration reforms and refugee protection

Parliamentarians from over 137 countries will seek to identify and agree upon parliamentary inputs to the UN-led reforms on the rights and protection of migrants and refugees.  Meeting at the 138th IPU Assembly in Geneva more than 740 MPs, including 65 Speakers of Parliament and 216 women parliamentarians, will look in detail at their contribution to ensuring domestic enforcement of the two related Global Compacts expected to be adopted by the UN community later this year.

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IPU condemns threats to parliamentary democracy

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) expressed serious concerns about the scale and type of alleged human rights violations of parliamentarians in Cambodia, the Maldives, Turkey and Venezuela with the effect of jeopardizing parliamentary democracy in these countries.  Meeting at the IPU 138th Assembly, the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians took positions on cases of violations against 237 MPs in 8 countries.

Nearly 750 MPs worldwide condemned the discrimination and abuse of refugees and migrants at the 138th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva. © IPU.JPG

MPs condemn hate crimes against migrants and refugees

Nearly 750 MPs worldwide condemned the discrimination and abuse of refugees and migrants at the conclusion of the 138th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva.  The Assembly Declaration emphasized the critical role of parliaments in transforming the aspirations of the two Global Compacts – one on migrants and the other on refugees – into national laws.

The BGIPU delegation joined with members of the Select Commitee on Women and Equalities to meet young British delegates also attending CSW in 2018

IPU addresses empowering rural women and girls at the CSW

Empowering rural women and girls was the priority theme for the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which took place in New York from 12 to 23 March 2018.  The IPU, in cooperation with UN Women, held a parliamentary meeting at the CSW on 13 March 2018, entitled “Parliaments deliver for rural women and girls”.  MPs discussed ways to remove systemic barriers that rural women and girls face in realizing their rights and overcome the discrimination against them in law and practice. 

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IPU President celebrates IWD and calls for action to advance gender equality

Marking International Womens’ Day 2018, the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Senator Gabriela Cuevas Barron said the IPU proudly joins the worldwide efforts to achieve gender equality. As IPU President, she called upon male and female parliamentarians and men and women of all ages to join the fight for a better society marked by justice, equality and parity.  In its work the IPU focuses on promoting gender equality and increasing the number of women parliamentarians worldwide.