Second World of Speakers of - Inter-Parliamentary...

Second World Conferenceof Speakers ofParliaments

New York, 7-9 September 2005

Second World Conferenceof Speakers ofParliaments

New York, 7-9 September 2005

About the IPU

Established in 1889, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)is the international organization that brings together theparliaments of sovereign States. In December 2005, theparliaments of 143 countries were represented in the IPU.

The IPU works to consolidate democracies. To that end,it provides support to members of parliaments and runsprogrammes to reinforce parliaments. In particular, itdefends the human rights of members of parliament,considering complaints relating to abuse of such rights,assists women parliamentarians, particularly those whoare new to politics, and works to bolster the practicalfunctioning of parliaments. It is particularly active incountries emerging from conflicts seeking to rebuild their

institutions. The IPU work to help parliamentarians bringtheir influence to bear on multilateral negotiations is alsocrucial to its mandate.

The organisation holds bi-annual assemblies which serveto foster contacts and exchanges of experience amongparliaments and parliamentarians of all countries andconsider questions of international interest.

The IPU shares the objectives of the United Nations andworks closely with UN agencies. It also works withregional inter-parliamentary organizations and withinternational, intergovernmental and non-governmentalorganizations that are motivated by the same ideals.

SECOND WORLD CONFERENCE OF SPEAKERS OF PARLIAMENTS 1

INTRODUCTION

REFORM OF THE UNITED NATIONS

TERRORISM AND HUMAN RIGHTS

DEVELOPMENT

PARLIAMENTARY INVOLVEMENT IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

PARLIAMENT AND DEMOCRACY IN THE 21ST CENTURY

PARLIAMENTS AND THE UNITED NATIONS

MEETING OF WOMEN SPEAKERS OF PARLIAMENTS

RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARLIAMENTS IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

PARLIAMENTS’ CONTRIBUTION TO DEMOCRACY

FINAL DECLARATION OF THE CONFERENCE

Over the last decade, spurred on by globalization,we have developed the instruments ofparliamentary diplomacy. Now, if we want toprovide an effective response to the challenges of

the modern world, we must take a leap forward.

Our fellow-citizens' needs extend beyond national borders.Nowadays, any day-to-day occurrence has globalconsequences. International politics therefore represents thenew frontier of parliamentarianism. We must make sure weare equipped to tackle it.

Forty thousand parliamentarians - the total number of MPssitting in the legislative assemblies belonging to the Inter-Parliamentary Union - represent an army devoted to the promotion of peace, solidarity and development.We who are gathered here today are the direct representatives of that peaceful and active force. As such,it is our duty to mobilize and disseminate its vitality and resources.

Pier Ferdinando Casini, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

TABLE OF CONTENTS2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

The Second World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments took place in New York at the UnitedNations Headquarters in September 2005, under the chairmanship of the then President ofthe IPU, Mr. Sergio Paéz Verdugo. Over 150 leaders of parliaments gathered in New York for

three days of debate. Their purpose was to see how parliaments could help to bridge the democracygap in international relations.

I hope that this brief publication will afford some insights into the events as they played out over thecourse of the Conference.

The Speakers of Parliaments adopted a declaration in which they set out their vision of how the forceof parliamentary legitimacy could be brought to bear on the United Nations. The task that lies aheadis a daunting one, and nobody claims that it can be accomplished overnight. Much will have tochange, both in the way the legislative branch of State reaches ever further and deeper into themultilateral arena, and in the way the executive branch, gathered under the wing of its worldorganisation, comes to accept parliaments and their members as their ally in the fight to realize theirambitions, particularly as they are set down in the Millennium Development Goals. At a time whenthe United Nations is in the throes of reform and change, I believe the declaration could not havecome at a more appropriate time. ■

Anders B. Johnsson, Secretary General, Inter-Parliamentary Union

INTRODUCTION

2 SECOND WORLD CONFERENCE OF SPEAKERS OF PARLIAMENTS

The voice of the people must be heard at the United Nations. And few render that voice more authentically than elected parliamentarians.

Kofi Annan, Secretary-General, United Nations

INTRODUCTION

The IPU has an extremely important role to play to support the activitiesof the United Nations and strengthen democracy.

Chikage Oogi, President of the Japanese House of Councillors


We cannot realistically hope to pursue a genuine global development andsecurity agenda without a strong, reformed United Nations providing theleadership, let alone promote a culture of democracy and human rights ifwe cannot democratise the United Nations itself.

Patrick K. Balopi, Speaker of the Parliament of Botswana

Reform of the United NationsReform of the United Nations

The question of reformheaded the UnitedNations agenda at the

time of the Speakers'Conference. Enlarging theSecurity Council, overhaulingthe human rights machinery,establishing a body toadminister peace-building,reaching an agreed definition ofterrorism: these and numerousother topics were set out in theUnited Nations SecretaryGeneral's reform packageentitled "In Larger Freedom" andput before the Heads of Stateand Government who met inNew York in the week followingthe Speakers' Conference.

The Speakers of Parliamentspoke out in favour of theproposed reforms. Theirdeclaration expressed firmsupport for the changes underway at the United Nations. Itscontents were geared to the firmconviction, shared by all theworld's parliaments, that theUnited Nations must remain thecornerstone of globalcooperation. The Speakersurged all parliaments to engagewith their respectivegovernments to create themomentum for action on theclear understanding thatdemocracy, security,development and human rightswere intrinsically linked.The Speakers said that globalsecurity issues should be tackledmore vigorously at the UnitedNations. Nuclear-weapon Statesmust meet their obligations innuclear disarmament, and States

must make new efforts in allareas of non-proliferation andarms control. There should alsobe a comprehensive conventionon terrorism with aninternationally accepteddefinition of terrorism.

Development, they stated, waswithin the reach of manynations. Development mustremain high on the UnitedNations agenda. They expressedtheir determination to build thenecessary political support forchange and action. States mustlive up to commitments alreadymade to provide developmentassistance, in line with theMonterrey Consensus and theMillennium Declaration.

They also reaffirmed that thepromotion and protection ofhuman rights and fundamental

freedoms for all, in particular forwomen and children, wereessential to development, peaceand security, and emphasizedthat good governance and therule of law at the national andinternational levels were key tosustainable development andworld peace. ■

The cornerstone of global cooperation: United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. - UN Photo by Christophe Boulierac.

Our work in the months ahead should focus on

transforming the IPU into theparliamentary arm of the United

Nations, thus providing the United Nations with

a true parliamentary dimension.

Anton Tabone, Speaker, House of Representatives,

Malta.


National parliaments should develop close partnerships to prevent perniciousattempts to link violent acts of isolated individuals with any specific religion,region or culture.

Mohammedmian Soomro, Chairman, Senate of Pakistan

Terrorism and Human RightsTerrorism and Human Rights

The term "democracy"rings hollow if it does notimply the full enjoyment

of human rights. Many of theSpeakers present in New Yorkremarked on the delicatebalancing act that legislators arerequired to perform in a worldthat has become preoccupiedwith its own security.Parliamentarians are called uponto legislate effective counter-terrorism measures whileremaining vigilant in defendingthe basic tenets of human rights.

Peace, said the Chairman of theSenate of Pakistan, is not just theabsence of war but a product of

concerted efforts on multiplefronts. The strategy in dealingwith terror should address theroot causes of the problem,particularly political andeconomic injustices andregional asymmetries inweaponry. Others agreed thatthe deeper causes of terrorismhad to be tackled. Anna Benaki,President of the HellenicParliament, said that the 11September attacks andsubsequent terrorist outragessounded alarm bells forparliaments, which had to lookinto the causes of thephenomenon and try to alleviateit through democratic

procedures, withoutjeopardizing what had beenachieved in the protection ofhuman rights.

Many speakers emphasised theneed for greater parliamentarycoordination in the field. ThePresident of the Assembly of theRepublic of Macedonia calledfor greater cooperation amongparliaments in countering thedaily escalation of terrorismaround the globe. The Speakerof the House of Representativesof Malta alluded to theunprecedented rise in terroristactivity which threatened thevalues of democracy, the rule oflaw and respect for humanrights. He too called forparliaments to join forces inappealing to their governmentsto ratify and abide byinternational conventions onterrorism.

President Casini of the ItalianChamber of Deputies appealedfor unhesitating andunconditional rejection of thelogic of the clash of civilisations.Such sentiments were echoed bymany others. Instead, thereshould be an unsparing searchfor dialogue between theworld's cultures and religions.Many Speakers voiced applausefor the Spanish initiative in theUnited Nations for an allianceof nations intended to overcomemutual misunderstandings. ■

The skewed logic of terror:UN Headquarters in Baghdad, destroyed by a truck bomb in August 2003 - UN Photo.


As it stands today, the state of the world is deplorable, to say the least.While others debate stem cell research, we agonize to feed empty stomachs.

Theo-Ben Gurirab, Speaker, National Assembly of Namibia

At the time of theSpeakers' Conference,the southern shores of

the United States of Americahad just been hit by hurricaneKatrina, a tropical storm thatleft dozens of fatal casualties inits wake, inundated entirecities and caused tens ofmillions of dollars worth ofdamage. Speakers asked theUS Congressmen present toconvey their sincerestcondolences to the families ofthe victims. The question ofrecent natural disasters wasalso taken up in a broadermanner, with particularreference to their devastatingeffects on nations'development.

The Millennium DevelopmentGoals were broadly endorsedby the participants. At the startof its proceedings the meetingheard a vibrant appeal from theUNDP Administrator, Mr.Kemal Dervis, for parliamentsto debate the Goals andlegislate where appropriate.Gabriel Ascencio Mansilla,President of the ChileanChamber of Deputies, went onto propose the establishment ofa standing committee withinthe IPU, and in eachparliament, to follow up theMillennium DevelopmentGoals and monitor thegovernments' commitments toeach one. Of course, the Goals

already underpin much of thework carried out inparliaments. Many legislatureshave included the MDGs ontheir agendas and adopteddevelopment strategies andpolicies that relate to them. Inthe developing countries theparliaments have beeninvolved to varying degrees insetting national developmentstrategies and have worked tomeet some of the goals, those

relating to HIV/AIDS andgender being the mostfrequently quoted.Other aspects of developmentcame up for discussion. The subject of migration was one of these. In keepingwith recent IPU resolutions, it was emphasised that migration should be seen not as an impediment but as apositive force for development. ■

DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT

Empty stomachs: Operation Lifeline Sudan feeding centre in Ajiep - UN/DPI Photo.


We pledge to continue working to ensure that our parliaments are moreinvolved in the activities of the multilateral institutions and their decision-making on subjects such as free and fair trade and the protection of themost vulnerable groups of the world's population.

Sergio Páez Verdugo, former President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Two Key Reports1. Parliamentary Involvement

in International Affairs

Two Key Reports1. Parliamentary Involvement

in International Affairs

When Speakers of theworld's parliamentsmet for the first time

in September 2000, theyadopted a declaration thatcalled for greater involvementof parliaments in internationalaffairs. Gone were they days,they stated, when politics was apurely domestic business, ifever it had been. Whether theywanted to or not, legislatureseverywhere were undermounting pressure to debate an

increasingly transnationalagenda. Parliaments simply hadno choice but to engage inmultilateral negotiations, if onlybecause the responsibility fellsquarely on their shoulderswhen it came to enacting theresults into domestic law.

If their place in internationalaffairs was no longer open todispute, the procedureswhereby parliaments broughttheir influence to bear in the

international arena continuedto vary widely. The Inter-Parliamentary Union was keento discover whether behind theintricate strands there was asingle pattern. In 2004, theorganization put a number ofquestions to Speakers ofparliaments throughout theworld in order to find theanswer.

The report on parliamentaryinvolvement in internationalaffairs, presented by IbrahimBoubakar Keita, Speaker of theNational Assembly of Mali,showed that almost allparliaments - in developed anddeveloping countries alike -had unique experiences toshare in respect of theirinvolvement in internationalaffairs. Parliaments, he said,had reached different stages inmoulding their procedures tothe globalized agenda of thetwenty-first century. Butthroughout the world, almostall were grappling with thisquestion. The report, a treasurechest of parliamentaryinitiatives in the internationalarena, finally lays to rest anylingering suspicion thatparliaments' place isexclusively at home. ■Ibrahim Boubakar Keita, Speaker of the National Assembly of Mali, presents the report.


Parliament is widelyacknowledged as thepivotal institution of

democracy. In broad terms,everybody agrees on what thefunctions of a parliament are.Exactly how parliaments performtheir role - or should perform it -is a subject that has not been sufficientlyexplored.

In her presentation of the report,Senator Dulce María Sauri ofMexico pointed out that therehave been many attempts tomeasure the state or quality ofdemocracy. Generally, indicatorshave been set down thattranslate qualitative judgmentsinto quantitative measurements.Such measurements are typicallycarried out by outsiders passingjudgement on a country from

abroad, and they leaveconsiderable room forsubjectivity.

Parliament and Democracy inthe 21st Century has taken a newapproach: whereas democraticprinciples cannot be realisedwithout appropriate politicalinstitutions and practices, thelatter in turn can only be judgedto be democratic insofar as theyembody or serve to realise theseprinciples. When completed, theguide will do two importantthings: firstly, it will offer aframework that links a set ofspecific democratic principles tothe institutional means by whichthey are realised. Secondly, itwill provide a compilation ofpractices whereby parliamentsseek to put these principles intoeffect. ■

2. Parliament and Democracy in the 21st Century

2. Parliament and Democracy in the 21st Century

The report proposes criteriathat parliaments shouldideally meet. A parliamentshould be representative:socially and politicallyrepresentative of the diversityof the people. It should alsobe accessible, involving thepublic, including civilsociety, in its work. Beingrepresentative also meansensuring the accessibility ofmembers to theirconstituents, with differentmodes of public participationin pre-legislative scrutiny anda right of open consultationfor interested parties. Itshould be accountable,through means such aseffective electoral sanctionand monitoring processes,which allow the electorate torecall parliamentarians ornot return them to office inthe event of poorperformance. The parliamentshould be transparent: opento the nation, with priorinformation to the public onthe business beforeparliament. There should befreedom of informationlegislation which allowscitizens to seek, obtain andprovide information relevantto parliament’s business. Theparliament should also beeffective. Parliament’seffectiveness is realisedthrough mechanisms andresources to ensure itsindependence and autonomy;the availability of non-partisan professional staff;adequate and unbiasedresearch and informationfacilities for members; andcontrol of its own budget. Atthe national level thisobjective entails the properperformance of theparliament’s legislative andscrutiny functions. At theinternational level, it entailsactive monitoring of theactivities of internationalorganisations, andimplementing nationalpolicies with respect to them.

Senator Dulce María Sauri of Mexico presents the report


The distinction between the national and the international has becomeincreasingly blurred as the globalisation process has amplified. Consequentlydemocracy must become, to some extent, global. It is up to nationalparliaments to promote the democratic regulation of globalisation.

Herman De Croo, Speaker of the Belgian House of Representatives

Parliaments and the United Parliaments and the United

Democracy was thecentral theme of thethree days of debate.

As Secretary General KofiAnnan said at the opening of hisaddress to the Speakers,parliaments embody democracy.Without parliaments there is nodemocracy, and without a newinjection of democratic vigour,the United Nations will notsucceed in its reforms.

What does this signify inpractical terms? For some, itmeans that the United Nationsreforms should include theestablishment of a parliamentaryassembly for the world body.However, the vast majority ofparliamentary leaders spoke outagainst this idea, stating that itwould not be practical to buildyet more apparatus around theUnited Nations, and that theInter-Parliamentary Union isalready ideally positioned tochannel parliamentary supportto the United Nations.

They mentioned two basicrequisites. For their part,parliaments must be vigilant inmaking sure that they enlist thehighest level of expertise that isavailable in parliamentarycommittees and bring it to bearon each of the issues underdiscussion. The United Nations,meanwhile, should continue toensure that there is a steadyflow of information on its

activities being channelledtowards the world's legislaturesthough the IPU. Indeed, thepace must be stepped up, andmore such activities should beheld in the future forparliaments within the United

Nations headquarters in NewYork.

In recognition of the outcome ofthe IPU Speakers' Conference,the Heads of State andGovernment meeting in New

Group photo of Speakers of Parliaments, New York, September 2005.

York the following weekadopted a paragraph in theiroutcome document entitledCooperation between theUnited Nations and Parliaments,which called for strengthenedcooperation between the United

Nations and national andregional parliaments, inparticular through the Inter-Parliamentary Union, with aview to ensuring the effectiveimplementation of UnitedNations reform. ■


Nations Nations

The debate on this topicfocussed on the role the IPUcould be called upon to play,but it was more than a series ofconsensual statements. TheSpeaker of the Parliament ofthe Netherlands said that theIPU in its current form was notyet equipped to be the one andonly body to exercisedemocratic control of theUnited Nations. He alsoemphasised his non-politicalrole as Speaker of the House,a point echoed by the Speakerof the British House ofCommons.


At the initiative of IngridaUdre, Speaker of theParliament of Latvia, the

women Speakers of Parliamentsattending the Conference met todebate the role of womenSpeakers in achieving genderequality.

Ms. Udre alluded to theMillennium Development Goals,saying how important it was forwomen Speakers to look at waysin which the parliamentary

community can best contributeto their fulfilment bystrengthening partnerships withthe United Nations.

Louise Frechette, United NationsDeputy Secretary-General,described how gender equalityand the empowerment ofwomen were promoted throughthe United Nations, emphasizingthe central role of thatdimension in the achievement ofthe Goals. She broached thequestion of women'srepresentation in parliament,singling out some of the moresuccessful measures such asquota systems, voluntaryagreements, training programsfor women’s leadership, and therepeal of laws and practices thatrestrict women’s participation inpolitics. She commended theIPU for its work on genderequality and the empowermentof women and called for greaterUN-IPU cooperation in thefuture.

Two other United Nationsrepresentatives – CarolynHannan, Director of the UnitedNations Division for theAdvancement of Women, andMarijke Velzeboer-Salcedo,Chief of the Latin America andCaribbean Section of the UnitedNations Development Fund forWomen, explained workunderway at the United Nationsfor the promotion of gender

equality, focusing on the ten-year review and appraisal of theBeijing Declaration and Platformfor Action, the linkages with theMillennium Declaration and theMDGs, gender mainstreaming,and the broader question ofwomen’s participation inpolitics. They said that strongand outspoken leadership ongender equality would beneeded in the decade to come,and that Speakers of Parliamentshould galvanise legislatures inpromoting gender equality andempowerment of women.

A common thread in the ensuingdiscussion was the reference tothe specific mechanisms,primarily quota systems, whichhave proven useful indetermining more participationby women in politics – bothwithin political parties, and inparliament. Many of the womenSpeakers expressed the wish tocontinue meeting on a regularand systematic basis. ThePresident of the Senate ofJamaica went on to propose thata future meeting of womenSpeakers of Parliaments be heldin her country. The Caribbean isone of the most advancedregions in terms of women’splace in politics. ■

A couple cast their ballots at a polling station in Nonsanas South Korea holds parliamentary elections, 15 April2004. Photo Won Dai-Yeon for AFP.

Meeting of Women Speakers of ParliamentsMeeting of Women Speakers of Parliaments

The representation of more and more women in parliaments and politicsgenerally is a sign of the deepening of democracy. Women form more thanfifty per cent of any society. More women's involvement in politics canonly add value to and improve the delivery of services to our societies.

Baleka Mbete, Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa

When it comes to democracy, we cannot say that we have

achieved our goals unless equal opportunities for men and

women are realised.Björn Von Sydow,

Speaker, Parliament of Sweden

The Conference included apanel discussion on therole and responsibilities of

parliaments in respect of the workof the United Nations.

Panel moderator Juan Somavía,the Director-General of theInternational LabourOrganization, opened thediscussion by stating that the timehad come for more robust checksand balances in the internationalsphere. As things stood, mostgovernments were accountable totheir parliaments nationally;internationally, governments wereonly accountable to themselves.The Speaker of the SwedishRiksdag, Björn von Sydow,agreed. The IPU should act as anearly warning system to alertparliaments to what washappening on the internationalscene.

Mr. Alexander Lambsdorff, aMember of the EuropeanParliament, also saw a role for theIPU in communicating UnitedNations policies to the people.There was no doubt that thelegislative component needed amore assertive place in thebusiness of the United Nations.The European Parliament had

mooted the idea of aparliamentary assembly for theUnited Nations. To put it intoeffect, two options were open:that of transforming the IPU into aUnited Nations ParliamentaryAssembly under Article 22 of theUnited Nations Charter, or -preferably - using a reformed IPU.The Union had the necessaryexperience, and furtherbureaucracy should be avoided.

Mr. Lambsdoff and Mr. von Sydowboth insisted that whateversolution was chosen, there shouldbe an active role for theparliamentary opposition.People's interests could only bedefended in the multilateralsphere if the uncomfortablepresence of an effectiveopposition were part of thepolicy-making equation.

Turning to development issues,Ann Veneman, the ExecutiveDirector of UNICEF, spoke of thepower of lawmakers to effectcritical change. Good laws meantthe difference between thesuccess and failure ofdevelopment policy, andparliamentarians had the moralauthority to change opinions. TheSpeaker of the National Assembly

of Mali, Ibrahim Boubakar Keita,cautioned about the continuingmistrust of parliament on theAfrican continent. Increasingly,however, it was coming to beunderstood that manydevelopment objectives could notbe achieved without parliament.For the first two years, the NewPartnership for Africa'sDevelopment (NEPAD) was littlemore than a myth for the peopleof Africa. After a parliamentaryforum for NEPAD had been setup, people had become muchmore involved, especially in thefinancing aspects.

Speaking from the governmentside, Jan Eliasson of Sweden, theincoming President of the UnitedNations General Assembly,added that parliamentariansbrought the hard realities of theworld into the halls ofmultilateralism. If the UnitedNations was to set the directionfor practical internationalsolidarity, it needed to take onnew partners, and parliamentarypressure in many areas,particularly those on the socialagenda, would continue to besought in the future. ■


Legislators from the Japanese Diet inspect US helicopters before deployment to Okinawa. Photo by Matt Hevezi.

Responsibilities ofparliaments ininternational affairs

Responsibilities ofparliaments ininternational affairs

Good national governance must beaccompanied by good global

governance. We don't have it wheninternational organizations

dole out piecemeal, fragmented,parallel, and sometimes conflicting

policy advice or conditionalities today. You

parliamentarians can raise thepolitical demand for internationalorganizations to come together

within their mandates to promote quality global growth, higher job

creation and an enablingenvironment for investment and

entrepreneurship.

Juan Somavía, DirectorGeneral, International Labour

Organisation


Asecond panel met toassess how parliamentexercises or should

exercise its role as a keyinstitution of democracy. Thispanel was moderated by theSpeaker of the NationalAssembly of South Africa,Baleka Mbete. Other panelmembers included NinoBurjanadze, Speaker of theParliament of Georgia;Hajim al-Hassani, Speaker ofthe Transitional NationalAssembly of Iraq; Rodolfo NinNovoa, President of the Senate

and Vice President of Uruguay;and Oyun Sanjaasuren, Memberof the State Great Hural ofMongolia.

Participants stressed theimportant role parliament playsin bridging the gap between thepeople and government. It canonly play such a role if iteffectively holds government toaccount, passes laws that arecommensurate with the interestsand aspirations of the peopleand practices democracyinternally. Parliament'srepresentative function thus

came in for a lot of discussion.Parliamentary effectiveness anda properly functioning systemfor remaining in close contactwith the electorate would helpto improve the less thanflattering image that parliamentshave in some countries. Severalparticipants underscored theimportance of involving allsegments of society in the work

of parliament. It was noted inparticular that women and youthshould have a greater say than iscurrently the case.

The meeting also stressed theneed for parliaments tocontribute more vigorously todecision-making at theinternational level, especially inthose areas where power hasshifted beyond the individualState. In this way, they can helpto bridge the current democracydeficit in internationalcooperation.

In general, participantsrecognized democracy as anongoing process. Theynevertheless emphasized thatwhile it had taken the moreadvanced democracies severaldecades to build strongparliaments that now stood asbulwarks against dictatorship,the emerging democraciesneeded to accelerate the pace of democratic reformsdomestically ■.

Parliaments must be the exclusive law makers in the country. If this functionis given to the executive bodies in government, it will only serve to weakenthe representation of the people.

Hachim Al-Hassani, Speaker of the Transitional National Assembly of Iraq

Parliaments’ contribution to democracyParliaments’ contribution to democracy

Women vote in Minangkabau, Indonesia. Photo UNDP


The text, which is barely more than a dozen paragraphs long, is builtaround a single focussed message: our parliaments have an essential roleto play to bridge the democracy gap in international relations.

Ingrida Udre, Speaker of the Parliament of Latvia

Final Declaration of theConferenceFinal Declaration of theConferenceBridging the democracy gap in international relations:A stronger role for parliamentsDeclaration adopted by consensus

Parliament embodiesdemocracy. Parliament isthe central institution

through which the will of thepeople is expressed, laws arepassed and government is heldto account. On the eve of theHigh-Level Meeting of Heads ofState and Government, we, theSpeakers of the world'sparliaments, have met at UnitedNations Headquarters in NewYork. We have convened toexpress the views of peoples'representatives in parliament,take stock of action effected byparliaments since our firstConference in 2000, examinehow we can provide moresupport for internationalcooperation and the UnitedNations, and thus help bridgethe democracy gap ininternational relations.

As we adopt the presentDeclaration, we are mindful ofthe urgent need for the worldcommunity to work in concertin tackling the dauntingchallenges that face it. Webelieve that the world hasreached a fork in the road, andthat the global community mustnot miss this opportunity to takedrastic action. While

perceptions of the gravestthreats may differ, they will betackled effectively only if theyare addressed concurrently andwithin the United Nationssystem. We reaffirm the will ofnational parliaments to engagewholeheartedly in this effort.

International cooperationWe are convinced that theUnited Nations must remain thecornerstone of globalcooperation. The UnitedNations Secretary-Generalshould therefore be encouragedto pursue the current reformprocess vigorously. Wecommend him for hiscomprehensive package ofvaluable reform proposals setout in his report In largerfreedom: towards development,security and human rights for all(A/59/2005). We urge allparliaments to debate theseproposals and engage with theirrespective governments tocreate the momentum for actionon the clear understanding thatdemocracy, security,development and human rightsare intrinsically linked.

There is indeed an urgent needfor Member States, including

their parliaments, todemonstrate leadership andpolitical will to provide theOrganization with more

While I am relatively optimisticabout the changes we are

effecting in our own parliamenton a national level, I am less soabout the control we have over

international developments. Moreand more economic, social,environmental, defence and

countless other issues are beingdiscussed in international

organisations. This is a necessaryand irreversible development. But

it worries me that theparliamentary dimension of thisdevelopment is lagging years andyears behind the steps that are

being taken on a governmental orministerial level. For parliamentsto remain credible on a nationallevel and regain or retain the

trust of their citizens, it is crucialthat they increase their influence

on decision-making in WTO,NATO; EU or other associations.

Frans W. Weisglas, President, House of

Representatives of theNetherlands


efficient mechanisms andappropriate human and financialresources in all areas, and with asound basis for effectivemanagement reform. Equippingthe United Nations to addresseconomic and socialdevelopment problems moreadequately is one such task. Inorder to reduce poverty andensure sustainable development,countries need forums in whichthey can simultaneouslynegotiate across different sectors,including foreign aid,technology, trade, environmentalprotection, financial stability and

development policy. The report Investing inDevelopment: A Practical Planto Achieve the MillenniumDevelopment Goals argues thatdevelopment is within the reachof many nations, and givesextensive examples of actioncountries can take, individuallyand collectively, to come closerto the fulfillment of theMillennium DevelopmentGoals. Development mustremain high on the agenda. Weare determined to build thenecessary political support forchange and action. States must

live up to the commitments theyhave already made to providedevelopment assistance, in linewith the Monterrey Consensusand the MillenniumDeclaration. We welcome thediscussion on new andinnovative forms of financing fordevelopment, which we hopewill provide much neededadditional resources. Global security issues shouldalso be tackled more vigorouslyat the United Nations. Nuclear-weapon States should meet theirobligations in nucleardisarmament, and States must

Second World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments meeting in the United Nations General Assembly Hall.


make new efforts in all areas ofnon-proliferation and armscontrol. Action already takenby the United Nations and itsMember States to fightinternational terrorism isencouraging, but much morecan be done, including byconcluding a comprehensiveconvention on terrorism andagreeing upon aninternationally accepteddefinition of terrorism thatincludes any action which isintended to cause death orserious bodily harm to civiliansor non-combatants, forwhatever purpose.

We reaffirm that the promotionand protection of human rightsand fundamental freedoms forall, in particular for women andchildren, are essential todevelopment, peace and

security. We also emphasizethat good governance and therule of law at the national andinternational levels are key tosustainable development andworld peace. We call upon theUnited Nations to integratemore fully all three dimensionsinto its work, and we urgemember States to take resoluteaction to that end.

Parliaments and the UnitedNationsWe reaffirm the Declaration ofthe first Conference of Speakersof Parliaments (2000) in whichwe called on all parliamentsand their world organization –the Inter-Parliamentary Union(IPU) – to provide aparliamentary dimension tointernational cooperation. Wewelcome the progress that hasbeen made by manyparliaments to achieve thisobjective, as evidenced by theIPU Report on parliamentaryinvolvement in internationalaffairs. At the same time, werecognize that much remains tobe done.

We welcome the UnitedNations decision to grantobserver status to the IPU. Thisis a first step that openschannels for the Organization toconvey the views of theparliamentary community to theUnited Nations. The time hascome for a strategic partnershipbetween the two institutions.We would greatly welcomemore substantive interactionand coordination with the

United Nations, and call uponthe world body to resort morefrequently to the political andtechnical expertise which theIPU together with its MemberParliaments can provide,particularly in areas relating topost-conflict institutionbuilding.

We emphasize that parliamentsmust be active in internationalaffairs not only through inter-parliamentary cooperation andparliamentary diplomacy, butalso by contributing to andmonitoring internationalnegotiations, overseeing theenforcement of what is adoptedby governments, and ensuringnational compliance withinternational norms and the ruleof law. Similarly, parliamentmust be more vigilant inscrutinizing the activities ofinternational organizations andproviding input into theirdeliberations.

We therefore welcome thecurrent debate on how best toestablish more meaningful andstructured interaction betweenthe United Nations andnational parliaments. Wereaffirm the recommendationsrelating to this subject that werecontained in our Declaration ofthe year 2000, and assert thatmuch of this interaction mustbe firmly rooted in the dailywork of our nationalparliaments. At theinternational level, we proposeto work ever more closely withthe IPU, which we consider to

We should secure everybody'sunconditional agreement that

henceforth parliaments must beranked among the prime movers of

international relations. The oldidea of parliamentary diplomacy,conceived as a particular kind ofdebate in diplomatic conferences,

is outmoded. We must nowdetermine the role and specific

methods that pertain toparliamentary institutions when

they take action in theinternational sphere.

Marc Christian Kaboré,President,

National Assembly of Burkina Faso


be a unique globalparliamentary counterpart ofthe United Nations. To this end, we encourage theIPU to ensure that nationalparliaments are betterinformed on the activities ofthe United Nations. Moreover,we invite the IPU to avail itselfmore frequently of theexpertise of members ofstanding and select committeesof national parliaments indealing with specific issuesrequiring internationalcooperation. We alsoencourage the IPU to developfurther parliamentary hearingsand specialized meetings atthe United Nations, and tocooperate more closely withofficial regional parliamentaryassemblies and organizations,

with a view to enhancingcoherence and efficiency inglobal and inter-regionalparliamentary cooperation.

The IPU is the primary vehiclefor strengthening parliamentsworldwide, and thuspromoting democracy, and wepledge to further consolidate it.We welcome the IPU's reporton Parliaments' contribution todemocracy. We intend toreinforce the IPU human rightsmachinery so that the world's40,000 parliamentarians cando the job they were elected todo in greater freedom andsafety. We will also continueto support IPU efforts to seethat both genders arerepresented within the ranks ofparliamentarians in a more

equitable way, and to takeaction where necessary. In all of these ways, we willincrease the capacity of ourparliaments to bring theirinfluence to bear on the workof the United Nations,enhance the transparency andaccountability of that worldOrganization and thus providean impetus to the reformsunder way at the UnitedNations.

Follow-up and implementationWe resolve to convey thisDeclaration to our parliamentsand urge them to doeverything within their powersto ensure that it is followed upin an effective manner. Weencourage every parliament toorganize, at around the sametime each year, "anInternational Day ofParliaments" and to hold aparliamentary debate on oneof the recommendationsincluded in this Declaration.We invite the IPU to forwardthis Declaration to the UnitedNations Secretary-General andthe President of the UnitedNations General Assemblywith a request that it becirculated as an officialdocument of the UnitedNations. We also decide toconvene future meetings ofSpeakers of Parliaments toreview progress inimplementing this Declaration,and invite the IPU to make thenecessary preparations, inclose cooperation with theUnited Nations. ■

In the polling station. Photo Marie Frechon/UNDP.

ISBN 92-9142-273-8

Original version: EnglishExcept where otherwise indicated, all photo credits are attributed to the United Nations.

Printed in France by SADAG SA, Bellegarde-sur-Valserine

Copyright © INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION (2005)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or

transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,

without the prior permission of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

This publication is distributed on condition that it beneither lent nor otherwise distributed, including bycommercial means, without the prior permission of

the publishers, in any form other than the original andon condition that the next publisher meets the same

requirements.

Applications for the right to reproduce or translatethis work or parts thereof are welcomed and shouldbe sent to the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Member

Parliaments and their parliamentary institutions mayreproduce or translate this work without permission,but are requested to inform the Inter-Parliamentary

Union.

Inter-Parliamentary UnionChemin du Pommier 5

CH - 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex/GenevaTel.: +4122 919 41 50Fax: +4122 919 41 60

E-mail: [email protected] site: www.ipu.org

Office of the Permanent Observer of the Inter-Parliamentary Union to the United Nations220 East 42nd Street

Suite 3002New York, N.Y. 10017

USATel:+1 212 557 58 80Fax: +1 212 557 39 54

E-mail: [email protected]

Second World of Speakers of - Inter-Parliamentary...

Documents

Transcript of Second World of Speakers of - Inter-Parliamentary...