The 128th IPU Assembly in Quito, Ecuador from 22 to 27 March 2013 was attended by more than 1350 participants from over 118 parliaments. The UK delegation was prominent and active throughout the Assembly, including as a member of the Emergency Item Drafting Committee, as moderators of panel discussions, in detailed Committee work and in a range of targeted bilateral exchanges.
A delegation from IPU’s Committee on Middle East Questions says there is an urgent need for regular and inclusive dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian legislators to begin now. It would help ensure progress on peace negotiations by capitalizing on political developments in the region. The statement follows a recently concluded visit to the West Bank and Israel as the second part of a mission to the Middle East
Members of IPU’s Committee on Middle East Questions were in Gaza on 28 January in the first of a two-part mission to the region. The mission’s aim is to assess the socio-economic and political impact of the conflict and its repercussions on the workings of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
‘A road less travelled: parliamentary approaches to conflict prevention, reconciliation and peace building’; By focusing on the role that Parliamentarians and Parliaments can play in conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction, the Conference dealt with an element of peacebuilding that receives too little attention in the normal course of events.
The President of Tunisia, HE Dr Moncef Marzouki, visited Parliament on Monday 26 November to meet with UK Parliamentarians for a BGIPU-hosted discussion entitled “Perspectives on Tunisia’s Democratic transition”. With the President providing a brief opening statement but preferring to respond directly to questions from the floor, the event was highly interactive and provided a unique opportunity to engage with a pivotal figure in the evolution of political transition following the events of the Arab Spring in Tunisia and the wider region.
The 127th IPU Assembly in Quebec City from 21 to 26 October 2012 was attended by more than 1300 participants from over 120 parliaments including over 40 Speakers a strong UK representation to the 127 IPU Assembly in Quebec 21 – 26 October was led by Robert Walter MP, Chairman of the British Group. The 5 day conference included discussions on the use of social media to enhance citizen engagement and democracy, Parliaments’ role in safeguarding civilian lives and innovative finance for sustainable development.
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This was the first BGIPU delegation to Colombia since 2003, and the timing could hardly have been more opportune, with the peace process between the Government and the FARC rebels starting on 5th October. Apart from the peace process, the delegation’s primary interests were in boosting bilateral trade and investment, learning more about joint efforts to combat drugs, Colombia’s efforts to preserve its unique environment, human rights in the country and deepening our inter-parliamentary ties.
The BGIPU in conjunction with ActionAid’s Parliamentary Network on Women’s Rights in Afghanistan, held a panel discussion on Tuesday 3 July discuss practical steps towards addressing key challenges on Women, Peace and Security. The Lord Speaker, Baroness D’Souza CMG, opened the discussions with John Spellar MP, Margot James MP and Lucia Fry, ActionAid Head of Policy formed the Panel, which was chaired by Anushka Asthana of The Times.
Mr Zayar Thaw MP, National League for Democracy (NLD) member of the Burmese Parliament and Mr Nay Chi Win, a Communications Adviser with the NLD, were welcomed to the Parliament on 25 June 2012 by the British Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (BGIPU).
On 22 May the BGIPU hosted a meeting with Foreign Office Minister, Jeremy Browne MP, to discuss the Foreign Office Emerging Powers Initiative (EPI). The Initiative was established in May 2010 to co-ordinate a cross-government strategy aimed at creating much deeper relationships with the emerging powers, in pursuit of UK security and prosperity objectives.
