Objective 5 2017-2021

 IPU Assemblies are central to the IPU’s role of promoting peace through dialogue. The Assemblies allow parliamentarians from around the world to come together to find solutions to the challenges of our time. They conclude with substantive outcomes for peace, democracy and sustainable development.

The second part of the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament was held in person in Vienna in September 2021. Rigorous health measures, including regular testing, social distancing and mask-wearing, protected over 700 participants, including some 90 Speakers and 40 Deputy Speakers. Remote interpretation in 12 languages, as well as live-streaming, gave the meeting a hybrid character.

The IPU’s success with modern technology has enabled its Members to continue their conversations and reinforced the IPU’s resilience and ability to adapt. Based on this, the IPU expects future meetings to continue being hybrid, keeping the inter-parliamentary discussions as broad and inclusive as possible.

“The IPU has demonstrated an impressive capacity to overcome technical and logistical challenges while facilitating virtual  and  hybrid  meetings over the past year and a half. The Canadian Group is grateful for the Secretariat’s efforts to ensure that all Member Parliaments can continue to contribute to and benefit from the important work of the IPU.”

David McGuinty

The last five years have seen a significant increase in the number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of IPU Assemblies, increasing from 160 to 220 in the pre-pandemic period. These meetings tend to be more informal and open than official government meetings and they allow parliamentarians to talk freely with their counterparts from around the world, mindful of the interests of the people they represent. Bilateral meetings help to build bridges of trust, understanding- ing and mutual respect.

The IPU moved closer to its strategic goal of universal membership during the period, as the number of Member Parliaments grew from 171 to 178. Changes to the IPU Statutes and Rules in 2018 also mean that a Parliament can keep its membership but loses some of its rights if it is more than three years in arrears of its contributions. A Member Parliament will, however, lose its membership in the event of its unconstitutional dissolution, as was the case for Sudan following the April 2019 military coup.

The IPU has also endeavoured to reach out to non-Member Parliaments by inviting them to events organized in their regions as well as paying for attendance of some of their MPs at IPU events through its Parliamentary Solidarity Fund.

The IPU’s impact depends on the extent to which Member Parliaments follow up on the decisions they take at our meetings, especially the Assemblies.

Examples of notable follow-up actions include the following:

• The National Assembly of Zambia has established regular seminars to discuss IPU resolutions and possible implementation.
• When Cyclone Idai hit Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe in April 2019, an IPU resolution called for urgent support. The delegation of the Netherlands relayed the resolution to their government, which then provided substantial financial support and technical experts.
• In 2018, the Colombian Parliament launched the “Congreso en Igualdad” initiative to implement the IPU’s 2012 Plan of Action for Gender-sensitive Parliaments.
• Egypt’s parliament amended a law on the protection of antiquities, bringing it into line with an IPU resolution. It has also adopted new legislation to combat illegal migration and trafficking.
• In 2019, Switzerland participated in international discussions on universal health coverage, focusing on patient safety, quality of health services, sustainable financing of care and the importance of universal health coverage in emergencies.
• In 2019, Switzerland participated in international discussions on universal health coverage, focusing on patient safety, quality of health services, sustainable financing of care and the importance of universal health coverage in emergencies.
• Following an IPU resolution on women’s political participation, a Presidential Resolution in the UAE raised women’s representation in the Federal National Council (FNC) to a minimum of 50 per cent.
• Thailand introduced a parliamentary Code of Ethics, prohibiting all forms of sexual harassment against women in parliament.
• In October 2017, Ecuador’s National Assembly approved a resolution on attainment of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The resolution followed the IPU’s 2015 Hanoi Declaration, which explored the role of parliaments in achieving the SDGs.
• The UK Parliament systematically writes to the Foreign Secretary, highlighting decisions by the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians and other IPU matters.
• In 2019, following an IPU resolution on the same issue, South Africa’s ministry of health introduced the National Health Insurance Bill to parliament, which seeks universal health coverage by 2030.