IPU Geneva Assembly concludes today, delivers effective decisions

MUSCAT: The delegation representing the Sultanate participated in the meeting of 740 parliamentarians including 75 speakers of parliaments and 216 women parliamentarians from over 137 countries at the 138th Assembly of the IPU held in Geneva, Switzerland, from March 24-28, which concludes today following the approval of several decisions.

On the last day of the session, the delegation’s programme included participation in the meeting of the IPU’S Women’s Parliament at the Council meeting.

The overall participation included meeting of the Assembly of Secretaries General, in addition to the joint meeting of the Governing Council and the General Assembly of the Inter-parliamentary Union, during which a number of topics related to the work of the Union and its activities were discussed.

The delegation also participated in meetings on Tuesday including the meeting of the Standing Committee on United Nations Affairs, the meeting of the Standing Committee on International Peace and Security, the meeting of the General Assembly to follow up the general discussion and the adoption of the emergency item, Sustainable Finance and Trade and the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights.

The delegation members from the State Council, led by Mohammed bin Abu Bakr al Ghassani, Deputy Chairman of Majlis Ash’shura, includes Dr Khaled bin Salem al Saidi, Secretary-general, Rayya al Mantheri, member of the Executive Committee of the International Federation of Young Parliamentarians Forum of IPU and Naashiah al Kharousi, Vice-president of the Coordinating Committee of Women Parliamentarians for Women of IPU.

The delegation members from Majlis Ash’shura includes Ahmed bin Said al Hadrami, Jamal bin Ahmed al Abri and Sulaiman bin Amir al Rajhi.

The IPU Governing Council approved the decisions of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians on Cambodia, Maldives, Mongolia, Niger, Philippines, Turkey, Venezuela and Zambia. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), a core subject and delegates adopted a resolution on sustaining peace as a vehicle for achieving sustainable development.

This resolution affirms the link between effective implementation of the SDGS, conflict prevention, and sustaining peace and by building strong and effective institutions, such as parliaments.

A second resolution was adopted on engaging the private sector in implementing the SDGS, especially on renewable energy.

This resolution is expected to call upon parliaments to facilitate private investment in sustainable development, especially renewable energy, by setting up public-private finance mechanisms, fostering a business climate conducive to research and development investment and creating legal incentives to attract private-sector investors.

A range of key issues covered during the five-day meeting included strengthening the parliamentary contribution to the global compact for migration, sustaining peace as a vehicle for achieving sustainable development, tackling women’s under representation in politics, engaging the private sector in the development of renewable energy and building sustainable and resilient societies.