A
communications strategy is a carefully thought-out, fu
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
We, the representatives of the national parliaments meeting in Kampala at the 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union:
lly integrated system to
use communications to advance your mission. With such a communications strategy is a carefully thought-out, fully integrated system to
use communications to advance your mission. With such a plan, even small
organizations can have influence and reputations that are larger than life.
Without one, the same organization may struggle to recruit participants, engage
donors and achieve its basic mission. Developing a comm
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
We, the representatives of the national parliaments meeting in Kampala at the 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union:
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
We, the representatives of the national parliaments meeting in Kampala at the 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union:
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Resolution adopted by consensus* by the 126th IPU Assembly
(Kampala, 5 April 2012) |
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REDISTRIBUTION
OF POWER, NOT JUST WEALTH: OWNERSHIP OF THE INTERNATIONAL AGENDAS
Resolution adopted unanimously by the 126th IPU Assembly
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
Convinced that the governance structures of international
institutions must be democratized so as to ensure that representative voices of
the entire world’s people are heard,
Mindful that it is extremely urgent to respond effectively to acute
and increasing global challenges transcending national borders, all of which
threaten the future of humanityandinclude climate change, the sustainability
and security of natural resources, the food crisis, lack of respect for human
rights, the failure of financial systems and international trade arrangements,
international terrorism and organized crime,
Aware that the priorities of existing multilateral institutions
and forums are too often dominated by the interests of certain powerful States
and their economies, and that the preoccupations of these States frequently
marginalize the needs of those nations and peoples most exposed to the
consequences of the economic, social, cultural and political crises with which
the multilateral institutions endeavour to grapple,
Considering that the great powers
disproportionately generate the very challenges that preoccupy them and affect
the world as a whole,
Recognizing that lasting stability and security
depend on the representative, transparent, accountable and effective nature of
political systems and their institutions, and that this holds true at the
neighborhood, local, provincial, national and international levels,
Concerned that there remains a high degree of underrepresentation of
women in positions of power, not only in parliaments and government, but also
in international institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank,
and that gender mainstreaming is greatly needed to enable women to participate
in and contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
Mindful that the effective participation of women in all spheres of
decision-making and at all levels is crucial for relevant, successful and
effective policies, and that the ownership of the agendas of global political
institutions must therefore belong to all their constituent members and reflect
their different perspectives,
Considering that speedy reform is essential at
all levels to provide for inclusive and democratic decision-making and
problem-solving and to combat alienation and instability,
Recalling that the preamble and Article 1 of the Charter of the
United Nations spell out the objectives: "to reaffirm faith in fundamental
human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights
of men and women and of nations large and small, … to develop friendly
relations among nations based on respect for the principles of equal rights and
self-determination of peoples, … to achieve international cooperation in
solving international problems of an economic, social cultural and humanitarian
character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for
fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or
religion",
1. Expresses
its conviction that it is imperative for international institutions,
including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade
Organization, to take immediate steps to ensure that their structures and
arrangements for governance - including the preparation of agendas, voting
arrangements, decision-making processes, records of proceedings and methods of
appointing Chief Executives - are made transparent and genuinely democratic and
that all staff appointments are based on merit while seeking to achieve
geographical, ethnic and gender balance;
2. Calls for the
establishment alongside the G20 of an inclusive and fully representative global
economic council, whose mission would be to coordinate the action of the United
Nations and its Member States in the economic and social spheres, and notes
that such a global economic council could result from reforms to the current UN
Economic and Social Council;
3. Strongly
recommends that the appointment of the United Nations
Secretary-General be an open and transparent process aimed at finding the most
competent and qualified person for the task;
4. Demands reform of
the membership of the UN Security Council in the near future, particularly
regarding its permanent members, that is adapted to the new power balances in
the world and gives the Security Council the credibility and effectiveness that
it needs in the 21st century to promote peace and international security, as distinct
from the post‑1945 era;
5. Appeals
for
all appointments within the United Nations system to be made transparently and
on the basis of merit while striving to ensure geographical, ethnic and gender
balance;
6. Calls for
mandatory registers of lobbyists or accredited observers and bodies to be
introduced at the national and international levels of policy- and
decision-making wherever applicable and in accordance with the law in order to
ensure that their actions are more transparent and citizens are better informed
about them;
7. Believes that,
notwithstanding the current financial and economic concerns, climate change, by
far the greatest challenge facing humanity, should be consistently and
effectively addressed through a fair, transparent and equitable process, fully
engaging all sections of civil society and respecting the principles of the
Framework Convention on Climate Change, in particular equity and common but
differentiated responsibilities;
8. Calls for
sustainable development to be given the highest political priority and welcomes
the proposal of the Global Sustainability Panel in the context of Rio+20 to
create a global sustainable development council;
9. Strongly
encourages compliance with the requirements of equity and renewal of
political commitment to sustainable development based on the Rio principles,
both of which should be key objectives of Rio+20 and vital components of
legitimate global governance;
10.
Calls upon parliamentarians to advocate
strongly these priorities and work for immediate action by their governments to
ensure their rapid implementation;
11.
Also calls upon parliamentarians to advocate
special measures and incentives to facilitate the inclusion of women from all
walks of life in decision-making and agenda-setting processes at the local,
national, regional and international levels;
12.
Further calls upon parliamentarians to encourage
international institutions to revitalize the women’s agenda globally and to
mainstream gender in their objectives, structures and work;
13.
Appeals to parliamentarians to strive to generate widespread public
understanding of why these priorities are essential and why any delay in
implementing them can no longer be tolerated;
14.
Resolves to ensure that the IPU undertake an annual review of
progress worldwide in the areas of integrity, accountability, inclusiveness and
fully representative democracy at all levels of power.
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PROMOTING
AND PRACTISING GOOD GOVERNANCE AS A MEANS OF ADVANCING PEACE AND SECURITY:
DRAWING LESSONS FROM RECENT EVENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
Resolution
adopted by consensus* by the 126th IPU Assembly
(Kampala, 5 April 2012) The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
Considering that there is compelling evidence to support the positive
correlation between good governance and the level of peace and security in
society and the world,
Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United
Nations and international law, which are the indispensable foundations of a
more peaceful, prosperous and just world, and reiterating our
determination to foster strict respect for them (paragraph 2, 2005 World
Summit Outcome, A/RES/60/1),
Supporting all efforts to uphold the sovereign equality of all
States and respect their territorial integrity and political independence;
refrain in international relations from threatening or using force in any
manner inconsistent with the purposes and principles of the United Nations;
settle disputes by peaceful means and in conformity with the principles of
justice and international law; respect the right to self-determination of
peoples remaining under colonial domination and foreign occupation; uphold
non-interference in the internal affairs of States; ensure respect for human
rights and fundamental freedoms; guarantee respect for the equal rights of
all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion; seek
international cooperation when solving international problems of an economic,
social, cultural or humanitarian character; and meet in good faith the
obligations assumed in accordance with the Charter (paragraph 5, 2005 World
Summit Outcome, A/RES/60/1),
Recognizing that good governance is the manner of governing that aims
to achieve sustainable economic, social and institutional development, while
promoting a healthy balance between the State, civil society and the market
economy, and that there is no way of exercising it other than by serving the
interests of the people,
Mindful that the role of public authorities in creating an
environment for entrepreneurs to function and in determining the distribution
of benefits as well as the nature of the relationship between governments and
citizens is pivotal in promoting and practising good governance at the
national and international levels,
Noting that good governance leads to efficient and accountable
institutions, i.e. political, judicial, administrative, economic and
corporate rules that promote development and the rule of law, protect human
rights and ensure that people are free to participate and be heard in
decisions that affect their lives,
Also noting that the catalysts for the uprisings in the Middle East
and North Africa were several and included the concentration of wealth in the
hands of autocrats in power for decades, a lack of transparency in the
redistribution of that wealth, corruption and, in particular, young people’s
refusal to accept the status quo, while spiralling food prices and famine
were also determining factors,
Acknowledging that the disconnect between the demands of civil society
and the response of governments, as well as a lack of government reform,
might well have contributed to the protests,
Expressing its sorrow for the victims of the political processes in
the Middle East and North Africa, and its solidarity with the families of
those who died in their quest for freedom and justice,
Noting the undeniably positive influence of education and
exposure to issues of good governance;
Recalling the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 1976
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the 1979 Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the 1981
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which, inter alia, provide that
every citizen, regardless of gender, religion or race, has a right to take
part in the conduct of public affairs directly or through freely chosen
representatives, and that the will of the people should be expressed through
free and fair elections based on universal and equal suffrage and secret
ballots, in the full exercise of the sovereignty of the people, so as to
constitute the basis for the legitimate and credible authority of government,
Also recalling the resolution on Providing a sound legislative
framework aimed at preventing electoral violence, improving election
monitoring and ensuring the smooth transition of power, adopted by the
124th IPU Assembly (Panama City, 2011), which calls upon parliaments, where
necessary, "to undertake constitutional and legislative reform, building
on international obligations and commitments and taking into account local
realities, so as to provide a sound legal framework for free and fair
elections that includes the adoption of electoral systems that provide for
representative and inclusive outcomes, and for the smooth transfer of
power"
Further recalling the above-mentioned IPU resolution, which urges
parliaments "to conduct such electoral reform through a comprehensive,
inclusive and open debate that fosters the broadest possible involvement of
all stakeholders, authorities, political parties, media and civil society
organizations in the electoral process",
Noting that the recent events in the Middle East and North
Africa have provided all countries with important lessons on democracy and
freedom,
Also noting that those events have shown that people everywhere need
democratic and legitimate governments based on the will of the people,
expressed regularly through free and fair elections,
Further noting that it is always the people who have the right to
determine their own political future based on the cultural and historical
characteristics of their nation,
Reaffirming that democracy is a universal value based on the freely
expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social
and cultural systems and their full participation in all aspects of their
lives and that, while democracies share common features, there is no single
model of democracy and it does not belong to any country or region;
Also reaffirming the need for due respect for sovereignty and the right of
self-determination (paragraph 135, 2005 World Summit Outcome,
A/RES/60/1),
Mindful that people will not view democracy in a positive light
if their livelihood is at stake and that democracy and development are
inextricably linked,
Acknowledging that the experiences of other regions and of the past
year tend to show that the process of democratization in the Middle East and
North Africa will take a significant amount of time, given that it is often a
lengthy, unpredictable and complex process, which involves changing power
relations in society,
Convinced that the attainment of democracy requires extensive
changes that are rooted in constitutions, electoral systems, laws and
regulations related to political parties, the media, the justice system, an
enabling environment for civil society and, not least, a change in attitudes,
including a paradigm shift regarding the place of women in political life,
Also convinced that commitment to the principles of good governance in
the management of public affairs will guarantee freedoms and the rule of law,
reduce corruption, ensure fair elections, help establish systems and
institutions that strive to provide the best services to all sectors of
society, and be the best guarantor of political stability,
1. Invites
all States and parliaments to consider the major lessons drawn from the
Middle East, North Africa, Europe and the United States, as well as elsewhere
in the world, on the need for democratic reform and for governments to
provide their people with basic employment and economic opportunities, meet
their citizens’ demands and guarantee equal opportunities for all;
2. Recommends
sustained investment in political reform where necessary, possibly to include
the creation of independent government watchdogs, the amendment of
constitutions, electoral systems, the judicial system, laws, regulations and
processes related to political parties and the taking of measures to ensure
the functioning of the media, the achievement of gender equality and the
involvement of civil society;
3. Also recommends
that particular attention be paid to security sector reform so that the
police, intelligence services and armed forces act within the rule of law,
fully respect the fundamental rights of citizens and are held to account for
their acts to a democratically elected authority;
4. Expresses its wish,
with a view to building inclusive societies, that transitional justice and
the need to address the past are adequately taken into account in the transition
process, in particular through the promotion of the truth, the sentencing of
perpetrators, the compensation of victims and the establishment of safeguards
to avoid repeating mistakes of the past;
5. Calls upon
all Member Parliaments that have not done so to ratify and ensure full
implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
and see to it that freedom of thought, expression and association, as well as
other civil and political rights, are guaranteed;
6. Also calls upon
parliaments to ensure the establishment of governance systems that will lead
to the improvement of people’s livelihoods so as to help restore faith in
democratic institutions and democracy;
7. Recommends
that leaders in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as elsewhere in the
world, strive to implement policies that will help reduce economic inequality
and tackle everyday problems, such as corruption, poverty and the lack of
access to health services;
8. Encourages
IPU Member Parliaments to advocate for increased civic education, with a
focus on the fundamental principles of democratic governance, while
reflecting the diversity of histories and cultures;
9. Urges the
international community to stand ready to help countries at their request and
to support the transition process while complying with the principle of
sovereignty as enshrined in the UN Charter, in order to avoid undue influence
on the situation in States and the outcome of elections;
10.
Calls upon the international community to promote comprehensive
reform of the United Nations in order to achieve world peace, security and
development through respect for the principles enshrined in its Charter as
well as the fair representation of nations;
11.
Encourages States to comply with the Millennium Declaration, which
calls for the promotion of peace, security and human rights and the
elimination of hunger and poverty, and stipulates the importance of and right
to education in the context of sustainable growth;
12.
Invites political parties, national parliaments and governments
to implement policies and mechanisms aimed at ensuring the participation of
women and youth in public political and economic life;
13.
Calls upon all parliaments to enact legislation and take specific
action to enhance their transparency, design information and communication
technology tools to facilitate citizens’ access to relevant information on
parliamentary processes, exercise their oversight function over the other
branches of the State and establish mechanisms enabling them regularly and
vigorously to reach out to civil society and be answerable to it;
14.
Urges the IPU to lend support to the democratization process
under way in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly in areas relating
to the process of constitutional reform and the drafting of new electoral
laws, as well as the sharing of good practices for open and inclusive
electoral processes that are conducive to the establishment of representative
and effective parliaments;
15.
Also urges the IPU to design and implement a programme of technical
assistance and capacity-building that supports the newly elected parliaments
in the Middle East and North Africa;
16.
Further
urges donor countries and the
multilateral financial institutions to honour their aid pledges to the Arab
Spring countries in order to rescue their economies, protect them from
recession and reduce their levels of unemployment;
17.
Appeals to the parliaments of the countries where stolen assets
have been transferred to urge their governments and banks to recover such
assets;
18.
Calls for an international parliamentary conference on the role of
youth in politics in the contemporary world and current technological
developments to be held under the auspices of the IPU.
* The delegation of Venezuela expressed its opposition
to the resolution because of the approach it took on good governance.
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ACCESS
TO HEALTH AS A BASIC RIGHT: THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENTS IN ADDRESSING KEY
CHALLENGES TO SECURING THE HEALTH OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN
Resolution
adopted unanimously by the 126th IPU Assembly
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
Recognizing the United Nations Millennium Declaration (2000), which
established eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),
Underscoring that a human-rights approach is fundamental to achieving
these MDGs,
Noting that MDG 4 aims to reduce the under-five child mortality
rate by two thirds between 1990 and 2015 and that MDG 5 aims to reduce the
maternal mortality ratio by three quarters between 1990 and 2015,
Concerned that the funding gap to
ensure universal access to reproductive health remains unacceptably high and
that donor and developing countries need to step up their commitments to
achieve the MDGs, in particular MDG 5,
Drawing attention to the fact that improvements in maternal and child health
require progress related to poverty and hunger (MDG 1), access to education
(MDG 2), gender equality and the empowerment of women (MDG 3), and the
prevalence of HIV/AIDS and malaria (MDG 6),
Underscoring that the international community has committed to achieving
the MDGs by 2015,
Concerned that in 2008 an estimated 358,000 women worldwide died from
complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, and underscoring that
99 per cent of these deaths occurred in developing countries,
Also concerned that in 2010 an estimated 7.6 million children died before
reaching their fifth birthday, with 41 per cent dying in their first month, and
that over 170 million children under five worldwide are affected by stunting,
Deeply concerned that maternal and child mortality rates remain unacceptably
high globally and that many countries are not on track to achieve MDGs 4 and 5,
Recognizing that less than half of all pregnant women in sub-Saharan
Africa and only half of all pregnant women in Southern Asia are attended to by
skilled health professionals, including midwives, during labour and delivery,
which is one of the major factors contributing to maternal and newborn deaths;
that midwives are in short supply in many developing countries; and that there
is an urgent need, particularly in countries with high maternal mortality
rates, to provide assistance in the recruitment, training and support of
professional midwives,
Also recognizing that lack of access to quality sexual and reproductive
health services and supplies, in particular family planning services, which
include contraceptives, is a major contributing factor to maternal mortality,
Noting that ineffective and poorly-resourced health systems,
particularly the lack of human resources for health and inaccessible health
care facilities, are key impediments to improved health outcomes,
Also noting that the burden on health professionals in many developing
countries could be lightened by improvements in health governance, including
measures to expand and improve access to skilled birth attendant services,
Reiterating that universal access to reproductive health is one of the
targets of MDG 5b,
Concerned that contraceptive prevalence rates are low and the need
for family planning and level of unwanted pregnancies are high in many
countries with worrisome maternal mortality rates, particularly among
adolescents, and that international assistance for family planning has
diminished significantly since the year 2000,
Considering that unwanted pregnancies are disproportionately high among
young unmarried girls, who also run the highest risk of pregnancy-related
morbidity and mortality,
Noting that unsafe abortions account for 13 per cent of maternal
deaths,
Also noting that although maternal mortality is the leading cause of
death among adolescent girls in most developing countries, adolescent girls are
most likely to give birth without skilled birth attendants,
Further noting that young people remain disproportionately affected by
HIV/AIDS, accounting for 41 per cent of all new infections among 15 to 49
year-olds, and that young women between the ages of 15 and 19 are particularly
vulnerable because of gender inequalities, sexual violence, early marriage,
intergenerational relationships and more limited access to education,
Aware of the importance of providing information, education and
services that are appropriate to people’s age and needs throughout the life
cycle,
Affirming that comprehensive sex education that is age-appropriate,
gender-sensitive and evidence-based is crucial if young people are to be
provided with the knowledge and skills they need to make informed decisions
about their sexuality and given the means to protect themselves from unwanted
pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and AIDS,
Aware that a critical window to improve children’s health and
secure their prospects for life-long development through adequate nutrition
exists between pregnancy and a child’s second birthday, so as to guarantee them
an appropriate role in the country’s long-term development with the capacity to
assimilate what they learn through the education system,
Affirming the commitment to uphold the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Convention on the Rights of the Child
and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
Considering the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted at
the Fourth World Conference on Women (1995),
Recalling the political declaration adopted by the UN General
Assembly in June 2011, which committed to working towards the elimination
of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS by 2015 and to substantially
reducing AIDS-related maternal deaths,
Also recalling Resolution 11/8 on Preventable maternal mortality and
morbidity and human rights adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 17
June 2009,
Welcoming the resolution on Eliminating maternal mortality and
morbidity through the empowerment of women, adopted by consensus at the
54th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women,
Appreciating the commitment made at the G8 Summit held in Canada in
June 2010 to allocate US$ 7.3 billion to carry out initiatives in the
least developed countries (LDCs), to contribute to implementing the Global
Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health launched by the UN
Secretary-General, and the commitment made at the 15th African Union Heads of
State Summit (Uganda 2010) to fulfil the pledges taken at the Abuja Summit by
allocating 15 per cent of the overall State budget to health,
Mindfulof the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the
2008 Accra Agenda for Action, as well as the 2011 Busan Partnership for
Effective Development Co‑operation,
Considering previous IPU resolutions, in particular those pertaining to
the MDGs, women’s and children’s health, and gender equality and human rights,
and the outcome document of the Sixth Annual Meeting of Women Speakers of
Parliament held in 2010,
Affirming that enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of
physical and mental health is an internationally recognized human right,
Aware that gender is a key determinant of health and that the
causes of many of the differences and inequalities between women’s and men’s
health status are social, economic and cultural,
Underscoring that the enhancement of women’s and children’s health is
much more than a policy goal and that States have an obligation to respect,
promote, protect and fulfil women’s, children’s and adolescents’ right to
health on a non-discriminatory basis,
Committed to realizing the goals of the Global Strategy for Women’s
and Children’s Health, and the recommendations of the Commission on Information
and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health, and underscoring the
centrality of parliamentary action therein,
Encouraged by the increasing parliamentary attention in the national,
regional and international spheres, and resources being devoted to
reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health,
Noting, however, that progress in reducing maternal and child
mortality has been uneven across regions and within countries, and that this
must be addressed as a matter of urgency,
Stressing that special attention must be given to the health needs and
rights of women, newborns, children and adolescents who belong to one or
multiple vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, including those in the poorest
households, living in rural and remote areas, and affected by HIV/AIDS,
adolescent girls, indigenous women and children, migrant women and children,
refugee and internally displaced women and children as well as those in
humanitarian, conflict and post-conflict situations, sex workers, and women and
children with disabilities, and recognizing the importance of
introducing measures to reduce inequalities and of commitment to equality of
access and outcome for these disadvantaged groups,
Underscoring that equal access to quality education and sexual and
reproductive education for all women, children and adolescents is a key
intervention that can reduce health inequities and improve health in cases of
communicable and non-communicable diseases,
Also underscoring that efforts need to be focused on young people as young men
and women, married or unmarried, need access to sexual and reproductive health
information and services,
Further underscoring, in keeping with the International Conference on Population
and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action and key actions for its further
implementation, the importance of universal access to post-abortion care and
access to safe abortions where they are legal,
Underlining that most maternal and child deaths are preventable and
that many are the result of conditions that may be avoided through immunization
or treated by well-known and cost-effective interventions,
Convinced that the rationale for prioritizing women’s, newborn,
children’s and adolescent health in development strategies is compelling and
that the need to do so is indisputable,
Emphasizing the need for parliamentarians and governments to tackle the
problems of ill-health caused by the smoking of tobacco and tobacco products,
to coordinate efforts to protect adults and children from the harmful effects
of second-hand smoke, to deplore the activities of the tobacco companies in
targeting markets in LDCs and developing countries, and the need for all
countries to adopt the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on
Tobacco Control,
1. Calls upon
all parliamentarians, both men and women, and the IPU, to take all possible
measures to generate and sustain the political will as well as the appropriate
resources needed to achieve the MDGs by 2015, and to put in place the policies
and commitments needed for the post-2015 period;
2. Encourages
parliamentarians to collaborate and build partnerships with relevant
stakeholders to achieve the health-related MDGs, working closely with
governments, civil society, local communities, health care professionals,
academics and research institutions, multilateral organizations, global funds
and foundations, the media and the private sector;
3. Recommends
that national parliaments, regional parliamentary assemblies and the IPU hold
regular debates on progress towards the realization of MDGs 3, 4, 5 and 6
and target 1.C;
4. Calls upon
the parliaments of States that have not yet done so to support ratification of
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, as well as the relevant
Optional Protocols, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
and to commit to the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health;
5. Urges
parliamentarians to closely monitor the domestic implementation of
international, regional and national human rights instruments so as to ensure
that all health-related obligations and recommendations, including those under
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, CEDAW, the CRC and the Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, are fully implemented and respected by
all levels of government, and calls upon parliaments to participate in
the deliberations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women and the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and to seek the
support of the IPU Coordinating Committee of Women Parliamentarians;
6. Recommends
that parliaments request annual updates on the steps taken by their governments
to implement international human rights instruments and programmes related to
health and gender equality;
7. Encourages
parliaments to include gender impact assessments with the introduction of all
health-related legislation, and also encourages the IPU to facilitate
exchanges among its Member Parliaments so as to build capacity in this area;
8. Invites parliaments
to see to it that national health policies and strategies incorporate a gender
perspective, and that education of health care workers and research take full
account of the existing gender differences in health;
9. Urges parliaments
to introduce or amend legislation to guarantee equal access to health services
for all women and children without discrimination, and to provide free
essential health services for all pregnant women and children;
10.
Also urges parliaments to establish specialized parliamentary
committees on women and children, to monitor progress on the implementation and
ratification of resolutions and declarations on women and children, and to
address women’s and children’s health issues more comprehensively;
11.
Further urges parliaments to pass laws explicitly criminalizing all forms
of violence against women and girls, including domestic and sexual violence and
in situations of armed conflict, and other forms of violence such as forced
sterilization, forced and early marriage and female genital mutilation, and calls
upon parliamentsto enactlaws to prevent violence and provide support and
reparation to survivors;
12.
Calls upon parliaments to use the oversight and accountability tools
at their disposal throughout the budgetary process, as well as innovative
financing approaches, to ensure that adequate domestic financial resources are
allocated for sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, and for
achieving MDGs 4, 5 and 6 at the national level;
13.
Requests parliaments to ensure that the domestic funds and aid
allocated to women’s and children’s health are released and used for the relevant
programmes;
14.
Calls upon parliamentarians to use the oversight and accountability
tools at their disposal to work to ensure that all commitments made to the
Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health are fulfilled, and that all
the recommendations of the subsequent Commission on Information and
Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health are implemented;
15.
Requests the agencies of the United Nations system, in particular
the WHO, the United Nations Population Fund and UNICEF, to provide countries
with more of the multifaceted support they need to implement policies and
programmes aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality;
16.
Calls upon parliaments to further enhance support for education in
order to improve long-term health outcomes in general and to promote
individuals’ contribution to society;
17.
Encourages parliaments to advocate for lines in the health budget to be
earmarked for the provision of essential sexual, reproductive, maternal,
newborn and child health services to vulnerable women and children, including
those in the poorest households, those living in rural areas, those who are
members of indigenous communities or minority groups, those with disabilities,
those living with HIV/AIDS, and adolescent girls;
18.
Also
encourages parliaments to support
gender-sensitive budgeting as a tool for addressing women’s health needs;
19.
Further
encourages parliamentarians to advocate for
increasing the number of midwives, assistance with the recruitment, training
and support of professional midwives, and the provision of accommodation for
mothers, near or in the hospital if necessary, before their delivery, in order
to gain access to professional and monitored delivery;
20.
Urges parliaments to ensure that parliamentary committees
entrusted with monitoring issues pertaining to health and gender equality are
adequately resourced and operational;
21.
Also urges parliamentarians in African States to establish a
broadly-agreed timetable for their governments to honour their commitments
under the 2001 Abuja Declaration;
22.
Invites the African States that have not yet done so to implement
the Maputo Plan of Action for Africa, adopted by the African Union (AU) Summit
in 2006, which provides inter alia for the adoption of national roadmaps to
reduce maternal, newborn and infant mortality in accordance with the AU
roadmap, and calls for the Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal
Mortality in Africa (CARMMA), initiated and launched by the AU in 2009, to be
introduced in all countries;
23.
Calls upon Member Parliaments, in particular those of the G8
countries, to use the oversight and accountability mechanisms at their disposal
to monitor the fulfilment of financial commitments made towards health
initiatives in the LDCs;
24.
Urges parliaments and their members to take all necessary measures
to enhance women’s effective participation and leadership at all levels of
health governance;
25.
Calls upon parliamentarians in countries providing official
development assistance (ODA) to work towards increasing their country’s ODA for
health and to hold their governments to account for honouring their commitments
and for reporting – on the basis of common international indicators – on the
proportion of ODA being channelled towards reproductive, women’s, children’s
and adolescent health and the promotion of gender equality, and to ensure that
these funds are audited in terms of their efficiency and effectiveness;
26.
Also calls
upon parliamentarians in countries that
provide ODA to evaluate this spending, including through parliamentary field
visits and deliberations in committees on development assistance, to ensure
that it prioritizes the recipient countries, sectors, communities and
programmes with the greatest demonstrated needs and vulnerabilities, and that
these resources are distributed in a more equitable manner;
27.
Encourages parliamentarians in countries that provide ODA to examine
the degree to which their government’s ODA is being coordinated with other
donors and harmonized and aligned with the health systems, plans and priorities
of recipient countries;
28.
Also
encourages parliamentarians in countries that
provide ODA to verify that the aid programmes are implemented, in particular in
the field of maternal and child health, that they are managed against
results-based objectives, and are based on the principle of shared
responsibility;
29.
Calls upon parliamentarians to scrutinize all government health
interventions to ensure they are, as far as possible, evidence-based, conform
to international human rights standards, and are responsive to regular and
transparent performance reviews;
30.
Also calls
upon parliamentarians to promote
integrated health services, and to advocate for balanced resources to meet the
needs of women and children in the pre-pregnancy, pre-natal, birth, post-natal,
infancy and early childhood stages, particularly through the decentralization
of health services;
31.
Encourages parliamentarians to ensure a coordinated approach to all
matters pertaining to maternal and child health, such as sanitation, access to
safe drinking water, the fight against malnutrition, and gender equality;
32.
Calls upon parliamentarians to ensure free access to vaccines and
medicines to protect women and children from disease;
33.
Urges parliaments to support the training of health professionals,
including midwives and birth attendants, as well as universal access to
reproductive health information, services and supplies, including
contraceptives;
34.
Appeals to parliamentarians to promote the establishment and/or
enhancement, before 2015, of accurate civil registration systems to register
all births and deaths and causes of death, particularly in relation to women,
children and adolescents;
35.
Urges parliaments to encourage the development of national
information systems that include a gender perspective and data from all health
facilities and administrative sources and surveys, which should subsequently be
used to inform parliamentary debates;
36.
Encourages parliaments to take into consideration, including as part of
development cooperation, the WHO recommendations on maternal, newborn, child
and adolescent health, such as the Guidelines for preventing early pregnancy
and poor reproductive outcomes among adolescents in developing countries, and
to support the implementation of the WHO Global Code of Practice on the
International Recruitment of Health Personnel;
37.
Also
encourages parliaments to explore innovative
approaches to health service design and delivery, including the use of
information and communications technologies such as tele-medicine and mobile
phones, in order to reach women, children and adolescents in remote areas, to
facilitate emergency responses to births, and to collect and disseminate health
information as widely as possible and in accessible formats to women with
disabilities, and to ensure sex education;
38.
Calls upon parliaments to work with governments to consider the
establishment of transparent domestic accountability mechanisms for maternal
and child health, one form of which could be a multi-stakeholder national
commission that reports to parliament;
39.
Requests the IPU to facilitate collaboration and exchanges among its
Member Parliaments so as to build the capacity of parliamentarians to monitor
all policy and programme areas, as well as the above-mentioned budgetary and
legislative activities;
40.
Encourages the IPU to enhance cooperation with the specialized UN
agencies and parliamentary networks engaged in the promotion of women’s and
children’s health and rights;
41.
Requests the IPU to develop an accountability mechanism - based on
the 2011 report of the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s
and Children’s Health, Keeping Promises, Measuring Results - to monitor
the progress of Member Parliaments in implementing this resolution between the
date of its adoption and 2015, and to publish the results of that review
annually;
42.
Urges parliamentarians to work for age‑appropriate,
gender-sensitive and evidence-based sex education for all young people;
43.
Also urges parliamentarians, in keeping with the ICPD Programme of
Action, to ensure universal access to post-abortion care and to make sure that
abortions are safe where they are legal as a means of saving the lives of
girls, adolescents and women.
INTER-PARLIAMENTARY
UNION INITIATIVE FOR AN IMMEDIATE HALT TO THE BLOODSHED AND HUMAN RIGHTS
VIOLATIONS IN SYRIA, AND THE NEED TO ENSURE ACCESS TO HUMANITARIAN AID FOR ALL
PERSONS IN NEED AND TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION OF ALL RELEVANT ARAB LEAGUE AND
UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTIONS AND PEACE EFFORTS
Resolution
adopted by consensus* by the 126th IPU Assembly
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
Recalling the resolution on "Strengthening democratic reform in
emerging democracies, including in North Africa and the Middle East",
adopted unanimously by the 124th IPU Assembly (Panama City, 2011), which urged
all parties to refrain from violence and to ensure in particular that human
rights are respected; called on all governments to respect the right to
peaceful self-determination of peoples; and expressed concern for the
humanitarian impact of the political changes in the region on vulnerable
groups, particularly women and children,
Also recalling the resolution entitled "Furthering parliamentary
democracy in order to protect human rights and encourage reconciliation among
peoples and partnership among nations", adopted by the 110th IPU Assembly
(Mexico City, 2004), in which the Assembly "underlines that the holding of
truly free and fair elections based on secret balloting and universal suffrage,
monitored by independent election authorities, is always of paramount
importance in the establishment of parliaments reflecting national diversity
and, particularly in countries emerging from violent conflict, is essential in
consolidating and advancing the reconciliation process" and "calls on
parliaments to respect the political rights of opposition parties and freedom
of the press",
Expressing its solidarity and sympathy for the Syrian people, whose
democratic freedoms and human rights are being systematically and brutally
undermined by their own government,
Noting that sustained and unjustified violence continues to be
perpetrated against the Syrian people, including the killing and persecution of
protestors, human rights defenders and journalists, denial of access to medical
treatment, and the torture of and violence against men, women and children,
Cognizant of the serious humanitarian crisis and dismayed by
the mounting loss of life and injury being caused by this violence, largely due
to armed attacks perpetrated by the Syrian Government against its own
population,
Alarmed by these authorities’ use of heavy military equipment,
including artillery and combat tanks, against towns and other population
centres and their resorting to mass murder, arbitrary detentions, forced
disappearances, torture and ill-treatment of detained persons, in particular
children,
Noting the need to hold to account the perpetrators of human
rights violations, including those that may amount to crimes against humanity,
Also noting the League of Arab States plan of 2 November 2011 and their
decisions of 22 January and 12 February 2012 respectively, agreed to by the
Syrian Government, which called in particular for an immediate end to violence
against protestors, the release of political prisoners, the removal of all
tanks and armoured vehicles from the streets and the convening of a meeting in
Cairo for dialogue with the opposition,
Further noting the declaration of the League of Arab States of 29 March
2012,
Considering the repeated demands by the United Nations and the League of
Arab States for the Syrian Government to honour its commitment to the Arab
League plan and to permit the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the
evacuation of wounded persons,
Recalling the decisions of the 31st International Conference of the
Red Cross and Red Crescent, held in Geneva from 28 November to 1 December 2011,
on strengthening international humanitarian law and domestic legislation for
disaster-risk reduction, addressing regulatory barriers to providing emergency
and transitional shelter in a rapid and equitable manner after natural
disasters, and humanitarian access and assistance,
Noting the United Nations General Assembly resolution of 16
February 2012, which strongly condemned "the continued widespread and
systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Syrian
authorities, such as the use of force against civilians, arbitrary executions,
the killing and persecution of protestors, human rights defenders and
journalists, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, interference with
access to medical treatment, torture, sexual violence, and ill-treatment,
including against children",
Recalling the statement issued by the President of the UN Security
Council on 21 March 2012, in which the Security Council expresses its full
support for the efforts of Kofi Annan, the Special Joint Envoy of the United
Nations and the League of Arab States, and his six-point proposal to commit to
appoint an empowered interlocutor to address the aspirations of the Syrian
people; a cessation of violence; the provision of humanitarian assistance in
affected areas; the release of arbitrarily detained persons; freedom of
movement for journalists; and freedom of association and the right to
demonstrate peacefully,
Also recalling United Nations Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000),
1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010) on women and peace and
security,
Further recalling the resolutions of 29 April 2011, 23 August 2011,
2 December 2011 and 1 and 23 March 2012 of the UN Human Rights
Council on the human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, and underscoring
that in its resolutions of 2 December 2011 and 1 and 23 March 2012,
the Council strongly condemns the systematic and widespread violations of human
rights and fundamental freedoms that the Syrian authorities continue to commit,
Underscoring its respect for the sovereignty, independence, unity and
territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic, and rejecting any
external military intervention,
Noting that the Syrian Government held discussions with the Joint
Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, and that it
agreed on 27 March 2012, but has not yet implemented, his six-point
proposal, which envisages a UN‑supervised ceasefire and the establishment of
political dialogue between government and opposition groups,
Concerned by the grave risk to regional stability and security posed
by the Syrian Government’s use of violence rather than dialogue to address
calls for reform,
Frustrated by the continued failure of the Syrian Government to
respond to or implement the decisions and resolutions of international and
regional bodies,
1. Calls for an
immediate cessation of the violence and human rights violations and abuses in
Syria and also calls for full compliance by all parties with
international human rights and international humanitarian law obligations;
2. Supports the
efforts of international and regional organizations to bring about a peaceful
end to the crisis in Syria;
3. Urges the United
Nations and the League of Arab States to redouble their efforts to assist in
bringing about an end to armed violence in Syria and to address the current
humanitarian crisis;
4. Supports the
unprecedented leadership and efforts of the Joint Special Envoy of the United
Nations and the League of Arab States and his six-point proposal for resolving
the situation in Syria;
5. Calls upon the
Syrian Government to honour its commitment to this proposal and its earlier
commitment to the Arab League Plan, including withdrawing military personnel
from cities, ending the use of heavy weapons, releasing political prisoners and
cooperating fully and immediately with the United Nations and humanitarian organizations
to facilitate the unhindered and safe provision of humanitarian assistance and
to allow the evacuation of the wounded from affected areas;
6. Urges the
commencement of an inclusive political process in Syria to address the
legitimate democratic aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people;
7. Underscores that
this political process must be conducted in an environment free of violence,
torture, fear, intimidation, discrimination and extremism;
8. Expresses the
hope that this process can lead to an all-inclusive democratic political
system, in which all citizens are equal;
9. Underscores the
pivotal role the IPU can play in coming to the assistance of emerging
democracies, fostering political reconciliation and the peaceful settlement of
conflicts, and in upholding and protecting the principles of representative
democracy, human rights and gender equality;
10.
Requests the IPU to dispatch an international parliamentary
fact-finding mission to the Syrian territories to examine the reality of the
situation arising from the violence and the deliberate hampering of the
activities of international and Arab relief organizations, and to issue an
urgent report to the IPU membership with a view to taking the necessary
measures;
11.
Urges parliaments to provide all necessary humanitarian assistance
to all persons in Syria affected by the violence and to participate in making
immediate preparations for extending such assistance, including in neighbouring
countries;
12.
Supports the continuation of diplomatic and economic sanctions on the
Syrian Government until such a time as the situation improves significantly;
13.
Requests the IPU President to report on the implementation of this
resolution at the 127th IPU Assembly and at the United Nations.
* The
delegations from Chile, Cuba, South Africa, Uganda and Viet Nam expressed a
reservation on operative paragraph 12, while the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea, Iran (the Islamic Republic of), the Syrian Arab Republic and
Venezuela rejected the entire resolution, which, in their view, was unbalanced.
We, the representatives of the national parliaments meeting in Kampala at the 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union:
Are profoundly concerned at the
military coup d’état that took place in Mali on 22 March 2012 and
overthrew the legitimate authorities,
Support the negotiations undertaken
by the Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
and of the African Union with the military junta with a view to an immediate
restoration of the Republic’s institutions,
Demand that the military junta make
a commitment to honour its solemn declaration of 1 April 2012 aimed
at effectively restoring the Republic’s institutions, and to relinquish power,
Urge all the parties to safeguard
the country’s cultural heritage,
Ask the IPU to lend its full support
to the President of the Republic, the Parliament and people of Mali in their
ordeal and in view of the worsening humanitarian crisis,
Call upon the international
community to back the decisions made by the Heads of State of ECOWAS aimed at
restoring peace, rule of law and democracy in Mali and the integrity of its
territory.
|
REDISTRIBUTION
OF POWER, NOT JUST WEALTH: OWNERSHIP OF THE INTERNATIONAL AGENDAS
Resolution adopted unanimously by the 126th IPU Assembly
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
Convinced that the governance structures of international
institutions must be democratized so as to ensure that representative voices of
the entire world’s people are heard,
Mindful that it is extremely urgent to respond effectively to acute
and increasing global challenges transcending national borders, all of which
threaten the future of humanityandinclude climate change, the sustainability
and security of natural resources, the food crisis, lack of respect for human
rights, the failure of financial systems and international trade arrangements,
international terrorism and organized crime,
Aware that the priorities of existing multilateral institutions
and forums are too often dominated by the interests of certain powerful States
and their economies, and that the preoccupations of these States frequently
marginalize the needs of those nations and peoples most exposed to the
consequences of the economic, social, cultural and political crises with which
the multilateral institutions endeavour to grapple,
Considering that the great powers
disproportionately generate the very challenges that preoccupy them and affect
the world as a whole,
Recognizing that lasting stability and security
depend on the representative, transparent, accountable and effective nature of
political systems and their institutions, and that this holds true at the
neighborhood, local, provincial, national and international levels,
Concerned that there remains a high degree of underrepresentation of
women in positions of power, not only in parliaments and government, but also
in international institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank,
and that gender mainstreaming is greatly needed to enable women to participate
in and contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
Mindful that the effective participation of women in all spheres of
decision-making and at all levels is crucial for relevant, successful and
effective policies, and that the ownership of the agendas of global political
institutions must therefore belong to all their constituent members and reflect
their different perspectives,
Considering that speedy reform is essential at
all levels to provide for inclusive and democratic decision-making and
problem-solving and to combat alienation and instability,
Recalling that the preamble and Article 1 of the Charter of the
United Nations spell out the objectives: "to reaffirm faith in fundamental
human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights
of men and women and of nations large and small, … to develop friendly
relations among nations based on respect for the principles of equal rights and
self-determination of peoples, … to achieve international cooperation in
solving international problems of an economic, social cultural and humanitarian
character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for
fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or
religion",
1. Expresses
its conviction that it is imperative for international institutions,
including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade
Organization, to take immediate steps to ensure that their structures and
arrangements for governance - including the preparation of agendas, voting
arrangements, decision-making processes, records of proceedings and methods of
appointing Chief Executives - are made transparent and genuinely democratic and
that all staff appointments are based on merit while seeking to achieve
geographical, ethnic and gender balance;
2. Calls for the
establishment alongside the G20 of an inclusive and fully representative global
economic council, whose mission would be to coordinate the action of the United
Nations and its Member States in the economic and social spheres, and notes
that such a global economic council could result from reforms to the current UN
Economic and Social Council;
3. Strongly
recommends that the appointment of the United Nations
Secretary-General be an open and transparent process aimed at finding the most
competent and qualified person for the task;
4. Demands reform of
the membership of the UN Security Council in the near future, particularly
regarding its permanent members, that is adapted to the new power balances in
the world and gives the Security Council the credibility and effectiveness that
it needs in the 21st century to promote peace and international security, as distinct
from the post‑1945 era;
5. Appeals
for
all appointments within the United Nations system to be made transparently and
on the basis of merit while striving to ensure geographical, ethnic and gender
balance;
6. Calls for
mandatory registers of lobbyists or accredited observers and bodies to be
introduced at the national and international levels of policy- and
decision-making wherever applicable and in accordance with the law in order to
ensure that their actions are more transparent and citizens are better informed
about them;
7. Believes that,
notwithstanding the current financial and economic concerns, climate change, by
far the greatest challenge facing humanity, should be consistently and
effectively addressed through a fair, transparent and equitable process, fully
engaging all sections of civil society and respecting the principles of the
Framework Convention on Climate Change, in particular equity and common but
differentiated responsibilities;
8. Calls for
sustainable development to be given the highest political priority and welcomes
the proposal of the Global Sustainability Panel in the context of Rio+20 to
create a global sustainable development council;
9. Strongly
encourages compliance with the requirements of equity and renewal of
political commitment to sustainable development based on the Rio principles,
both of which should be key objectives of Rio+20 and vital components of
legitimate global governance;
10.
Calls upon parliamentarians to advocate
strongly these priorities and work for immediate action by their governments to
ensure their rapid implementation;
11.
Also calls upon parliamentarians to advocate
special measures and incentives to facilitate the inclusion of women from all
walks of life in decision-making and agenda-setting processes at the local,
national, regional and international levels;
12.
Further calls upon parliamentarians to encourage
international institutions to revitalize the women’s agenda globally and to
mainstream gender in their objectives, structures and work;
13.
Appeals to parliamentarians to strive to generate widespread public
understanding of why these priorities are essential and why any delay in
implementing them can no longer be tolerated;
14.
Resolves to ensure that the IPU undertake an annual review of
progress worldwide in the areas of integrity, accountability, inclusiveness and
fully representative democracy at all levels of power.
PROMOTING
AND PRACTISING GOOD GOVERNANCE AS A MEANS OF ADVANCING PEACE AND SECURITY:
DRAWING LESSONS FROM RECENT EVENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
Resolution
adopted by consensus* by the 126th IPU Assembly
(Kampala, 5 April 2012) The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
Considering that there is compelling evidence to support the positive
correlation between good governance and the level of peace and security in
society and the world,
Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United
Nations and international law, which are the indispensable foundations of a
more peaceful, prosperous and just world, and reiterating our
determination to foster strict respect for them (paragraph 2, 2005 World
Summit Outcome, A/RES/60/1),
Supporting all efforts to uphold the sovereign equality of all
States and respect their territorial integrity and political independence;
refrain in international relations from threatening or using force in any
manner inconsistent with the purposes and principles of the United Nations;
settle disputes by peaceful means and in conformity with the principles of
justice and international law; respect the right to self-determination of
peoples remaining under colonial domination and foreign occupation; uphold
non-interference in the internal affairs of States; ensure respect for human
rights and fundamental freedoms; guarantee respect for the equal rights of
all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion; seek
international cooperation when solving international problems of an economic,
social, cultural or humanitarian character; and meet in good faith the
obligations assumed in accordance with the Charter (paragraph 5, 2005 World
Summit Outcome, A/RES/60/1),
Recognizing that good governance is the manner of governing that aims
to achieve sustainable economic, social and institutional development, while
promoting a healthy balance between the State, civil society and the market
economy, and that there is no way of exercising it other than by serving the
interests of the people,
Mindful that the role of public authorities in creating an
environment for entrepreneurs to function and in determining the distribution
of benefits as well as the nature of the relationship between governments and
citizens is pivotal in promoting and practising good governance at the
national and international levels,
Noting that good governance leads to efficient and accountable
institutions, i.e. political, judicial, administrative, economic and
corporate rules that promote development and the rule of law, protect human
rights and ensure that people are free to participate and be heard in
decisions that affect their lives,
Also noting that the catalysts for the uprisings in the Middle East
and North Africa were several and included the concentration of wealth in the
hands of autocrats in power for decades, a lack of transparency in the
redistribution of that wealth, corruption and, in particular, young people’s
refusal to accept the status quo, while spiralling food prices and famine
were also determining factors,
Acknowledging that the disconnect between the demands of civil society
and the response of governments, as well as a lack of government reform,
might well have contributed to the protests,
Expressing its sorrow for the victims of the political processes in
the Middle East and North Africa, and its solidarity with the families of
those who died in their quest for freedom and justice,
Noting the undeniably positive influence of education and
exposure to issues of good governance;
Recalling the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 1976
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the 1979 Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the 1981
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which, inter alia, provide that
every citizen, regardless of gender, religion or race, has a right to take
part in the conduct of public affairs directly or through freely chosen
representatives, and that the will of the people should be expressed through
free and fair elections based on universal and equal suffrage and secret
ballots, in the full exercise of the sovereignty of the people, so as to
constitute the basis for the legitimate and credible authority of government,
Also recalling the resolution on Providing a sound legislative
framework aimed at preventing electoral violence, improving election
monitoring and ensuring the smooth transition of power, adopted by the
124th IPU Assembly (Panama City, 2011), which calls upon parliaments, where
necessary, "to undertake constitutional and legislative reform, building
on international obligations and commitments and taking into account local
realities, so as to provide a sound legal framework for free and fair
elections that includes the adoption of electoral systems that provide for
representative and inclusive outcomes, and for the smooth transfer of
power"
Further recalling the above-mentioned IPU resolution, which urges
parliaments "to conduct such electoral reform through a comprehensive,
inclusive and open debate that fosters the broadest possible involvement of
all stakeholders, authorities, political parties, media and civil society
organizations in the electoral process",
Noting that the recent events in the Middle East and North
Africa have provided all countries with important lessons on democracy and
freedom,
Also noting that those events have shown that people everywhere need
democratic and legitimate governments based on the will of the people,
expressed regularly through free and fair elections,
Further noting that it is always the people who have the right to
determine their own political future based on the cultural and historical
characteristics of their nation,
Reaffirming that democracy is a universal value based on the freely
expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social
and cultural systems and their full participation in all aspects of their
lives and that, while democracies share common features, there is no single
model of democracy and it does not belong to any country or region;
Also reaffirming the need for due respect for sovereignty and the right of
self-determination (paragraph 135, 2005 World Summit Outcome,
A/RES/60/1),
Mindful that people will not view democracy in a positive light
if their livelihood is at stake and that democracy and development are
inextricably linked,
Acknowledging that the experiences of other regions and of the past
year tend to show that the process of democratization in the Middle East and
North Africa will take a significant amount of time, given that it is often a
lengthy, unpredictable and complex process, which involves changing power
relations in society,
Convinced that the attainment of democracy requires extensive
changes that are rooted in constitutions, electoral systems, laws and
regulations related to political parties, the media, the justice system, an
enabling environment for civil society and, not least, a change in attitudes,
including a paradigm shift regarding the place of women in political life,
Also convinced that commitment to the principles of good governance in
the management of public affairs will guarantee freedoms and the rule of law,
reduce corruption, ensure fair elections, help establish systems and
institutions that strive to provide the best services to all sectors of
society, and be the best guarantor of political stability,
1. Invites
all States and parliaments to consider the major lessons drawn from the
Middle East, North Africa, Europe and the United States, as well as elsewhere
in the world, on the need for democratic reform and for governments to
provide their people with basic employment and economic opportunities, meet
their citizens’ demands and guarantee equal opportunities for all;
2. Recommends
sustained investment in political reform where necessary, possibly to include
the creation of independent government watchdogs, the amendment of
constitutions, electoral systems, the judicial system, laws, regulations and
processes related to political parties and the taking of measures to ensure
the functioning of the media, the achievement of gender equality and the
involvement of civil society;
3. Also recommends
that particular attention be paid to security sector reform so that the
police, intelligence services and armed forces act within the rule of law,
fully respect the fundamental rights of citizens and are held to account for
their acts to a democratically elected authority;
4. Expresses its wish,
with a view to building inclusive societies, that transitional justice and
the need to address the past are adequately taken into account in the transition
process, in particular through the promotion of the truth, the sentencing of
perpetrators, the compensation of victims and the establishment of safeguards
to avoid repeating mistakes of the past;
5. Calls upon
all Member Parliaments that have not done so to ratify and ensure full
implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
and see to it that freedom of thought, expression and association, as well as
other civil and political rights, are guaranteed;
6. Also calls upon
parliaments to ensure the establishment of governance systems that will lead
to the improvement of people’s livelihoods so as to help restore faith in
democratic institutions and democracy;
7. Recommends
that leaders in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as elsewhere in the
world, strive to implement policies that will help reduce economic inequality
and tackle everyday problems, such as corruption, poverty and the lack of
access to health services;
8. Encourages
IPU Member Parliaments to advocate for increased civic education, with a
focus on the fundamental principles of democratic governance, while
reflecting the diversity of histories and cultures;
9. Urges the
international community to stand ready to help countries at their request and
to support the transition process while complying with the principle of
sovereignty as enshrined in the UN Charter, in order to avoid undue influence
on the situation in States and the outcome of elections;
10.
Calls upon the international community to promote comprehensive
reform of the United Nations in order to achieve world peace, security and
development through respect for the principles enshrined in its Charter as
well as the fair representation of nations;
11.
Encourages States to comply with the Millennium Declaration, which
calls for the promotion of peace, security and human rights and the
elimination of hunger and poverty, and stipulates the importance of and right
to education in the context of sustainable growth;
12.
Invites political parties, national parliaments and governments
to implement policies and mechanisms aimed at ensuring the participation of
women and youth in public political and economic life;
13.
Calls upon all parliaments to enact legislation and take specific
action to enhance their transparency, design information and communication
technology tools to facilitate citizens’ access to relevant information on
parliamentary processes, exercise their oversight function over the other
branches of the State and establish mechanisms enabling them regularly and
vigorously to reach out to civil society and be answerable to it;
14.
Urges the IPU to lend support to the democratization process
under way in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly in areas relating
to the process of constitutional reform and the drafting of new electoral
laws, as well as the sharing of good practices for open and inclusive
electoral processes that are conducive to the establishment of representative
and effective parliaments;
15.
Also urges the IPU to design and implement a programme of technical
assistance and capacity-building that supports the newly elected parliaments
in the Middle East and North Africa;
16.
Further
urges donor countries and the
multilateral financial institutions to honour their aid pledges to the Arab
Spring countries in order to rescue their economies, protect them from
recession and reduce their levels of unemployment;
17.
Appeals to the parliaments of the countries where stolen assets
have been transferred to urge their governments and banks to recover such
assets;
18.
Calls for an international parliamentary conference on the role of
youth in politics in the contemporary world and current technological
developments to be held under the auspices of the IPU.
* The delegation of Venezuela expressed its opposition
to the resolution because of the approach it took on good governance.
|
ACCESS
TO HEALTH AS A BASIC RIGHT: THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENTS IN ADDRESSING KEY
CHALLENGES TO SECURING THE HEALTH OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN
Resolution
adopted unanimously by the 126th IPU Assembly
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
Recognizing the United Nations Millennium Declaration (2000), which
established eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),
Underscoring that a human-rights approach is fundamental to achieving
these MDGs,
Noting that MDG 4 aims to reduce the under-five child mortality
rate by two thirds between 1990 and 2015 and that MDG 5 aims to reduce the
maternal mortality ratio by three quarters between 1990 and 2015,
Concerned that the funding gap to
ensure universal access to reproductive health remains unacceptably high and
that donor and developing countries need to step up their commitments to
achieve the MDGs, in particular MDG 5,
Drawing attention to the fact that improvements in maternal and child health
require progress related to poverty and hunger (MDG 1), access to education
(MDG 2), gender equality and the empowerment of women (MDG 3), and the
prevalence of HIV/AIDS and malaria (MDG 6),
Underscoring that the international community has committed to achieving
the MDGs by 2015,
Concerned that in 2008 an estimated 358,000 women worldwide died from
complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, and underscoring that
99 per cent of these deaths occurred in developing countries,
Also concerned that in 2010 an estimated 7.6 million children died before
reaching their fifth birthday, with 41 per cent dying in their first month, and
that over 170 million children under five worldwide are affected by stunting,
Deeply concerned that maternal and child mortality rates remain unacceptably
high globally and that many countries are not on track to achieve MDGs 4 and 5,
Recognizing that less than half of all pregnant women in sub-Saharan
Africa and only half of all pregnant women in Southern Asia are attended to by
skilled health professionals, including midwives, during labour and delivery,
which is one of the major factors contributing to maternal and newborn deaths;
that midwives are in short supply in many developing countries; and that there
is an urgent need, particularly in countries with high maternal mortality
rates, to provide assistance in the recruitment, training and support of
professional midwives,
Also recognizing that lack of access to quality sexual and reproductive
health services and supplies, in particular family planning services, which
include contraceptives, is a major contributing factor to maternal mortality,
Noting that ineffective and poorly-resourced health systems,
particularly the lack of human resources for health and inaccessible health
care facilities, are key impediments to improved health outcomes,
Also noting that the burden on health professionals in many developing
countries could be lightened by improvements in health governance, including
measures to expand and improve access to skilled birth attendant services,
Reiterating that universal access to reproductive health is one of the
targets of MDG 5b,
Concerned that contraceptive prevalence rates are low and the need
for family planning and level of unwanted pregnancies are high in many
countries with worrisome maternal mortality rates, particularly among
adolescents, and that international assistance for family planning has
diminished significantly since the year 2000,
Considering that unwanted pregnancies are disproportionately high among
young unmarried girls, who also run the highest risk of pregnancy-related
morbidity and mortality,
Noting that unsafe abortions account for 13 per cent of maternal
deaths,
Also noting that although maternal mortality is the leading cause of
death among adolescent girls in most developing countries, adolescent girls are
most likely to give birth without skilled birth attendants,
Further noting that young people remain disproportionately affected by
HIV/AIDS, accounting for 41 per cent of all new infections among 15 to 49
year-olds, and that young women between the ages of 15 and 19 are particularly
vulnerable because of gender inequalities, sexual violence, early marriage,
intergenerational relationships and more limited access to education,
Aware of the importance of providing information, education and
services that are appropriate to people’s age and needs throughout the life
cycle,
Affirming that comprehensive sex education that is age-appropriate,
gender-sensitive and evidence-based is crucial if young people are to be
provided with the knowledge and skills they need to make informed decisions
about their sexuality and given the means to protect themselves from unwanted
pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and AIDS,
Aware that a critical window to improve children’s health and
secure their prospects for life-long development through adequate nutrition
exists between pregnancy and a child’s second birthday, so as to guarantee them
an appropriate role in the country’s long-term development with the capacity to
assimilate what they learn through the education system,
Affirming the commitment to uphold the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Convention on the Rights of the Child
and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
Considering the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted at
the Fourth World Conference on Women (1995),
Recalling the political declaration adopted by the UN General
Assembly in June 2011, which committed to working towards the elimination
of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS by 2015 and to substantially
reducing AIDS-related maternal deaths,
Also recalling Resolution 11/8 on Preventable maternal mortality and
morbidity and human rights adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 17
June 2009,
Welcoming the resolution on Eliminating maternal mortality and
morbidity through the empowerment of women, adopted by consensus at the
54th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women,
Appreciating the commitment made at the G8 Summit held in Canada in
June 2010 to allocate US$ 7.3 billion to carry out initiatives in the
least developed countries (LDCs), to contribute to implementing the Global
Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health launched by the UN
Secretary-General, and the commitment made at the 15th African Union Heads of
State Summit (Uganda 2010) to fulfil the pledges taken at the Abuja Summit by
allocating 15 per cent of the overall State budget to health,
Mindfulof the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the
2008 Accra Agenda for Action, as well as the 2011 Busan Partnership for
Effective Development Co‑operation,
Considering previous IPU resolutions, in particular those pertaining to
the MDGs, women’s and children’s health, and gender equality and human rights,
and the outcome document of the Sixth Annual Meeting of Women Speakers of
Parliament held in 2010,
Affirming that enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of
physical and mental health is an internationally recognized human right,
Aware that gender is a key determinant of health and that the
causes of many of the differences and inequalities between women’s and men’s
health status are social, economic and cultural,
Underscoring that the enhancement of women’s and children’s health is
much more than a policy goal and that States have an obligation to respect,
promote, protect and fulfil women’s, children’s and adolescents’ right to
health on a non-discriminatory basis,
Committed to realizing the goals of the Global Strategy for Women’s
and Children’s Health, and the recommendations of the Commission on Information
and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health, and underscoring the
centrality of parliamentary action therein,
Encouraged by the increasing parliamentary attention in the national,
regional and international spheres, and resources being devoted to
reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health,
Noting, however, that progress in reducing maternal and child
mortality has been uneven across regions and within countries, and that this
must be addressed as a matter of urgency,
Stressing that special attention must be given to the health needs and
rights of women, newborns, children and adolescents who belong to one or
multiple vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, including those in the poorest
households, living in rural and remote areas, and affected by HIV/AIDS,
adolescent girls, indigenous women and children, migrant women and children,
refugee and internally displaced women and children as well as those in
humanitarian, conflict and post-conflict situations, sex workers, and women and
children with disabilities, and recognizing the importance of
introducing measures to reduce inequalities and of commitment to equality of
access and outcome for these disadvantaged groups,
Underscoring that equal access to quality education and sexual and
reproductive education for all women, children and adolescents is a key
intervention that can reduce health inequities and improve health in cases of
communicable and non-communicable diseases,
Also underscoring that efforts need to be focused on young people as young men
and women, married or unmarried, need access to sexual and reproductive health
information and services,
Further underscoring, in keeping with the International Conference on Population
and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action and key actions for its further
implementation, the importance of universal access to post-abortion care and
access to safe abortions where they are legal,
Underlining that most maternal and child deaths are preventable and
that many are the result of conditions that may be avoided through immunization
or treated by well-known and cost-effective interventions,
Convinced that the rationale for prioritizing women’s, newborn,
children’s and adolescent health in development strategies is compelling and
that the need to do so is indisputable,
Emphasizing the need for parliamentarians and governments to tackle the
problems of ill-health caused by the smoking of tobacco and tobacco products,
to coordinate efforts to protect adults and children from the harmful effects
of second-hand smoke, to deplore the activities of the tobacco companies in
targeting markets in LDCs and developing countries, and the need for all
countries to adopt the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on
Tobacco Control,
1. Calls upon
all parliamentarians, both men and women, and the IPU, to take all possible
measures to generate and sustain the political will as well as the appropriate
resources needed to achieve the MDGs by 2015, and to put in place the policies
and commitments needed for the post-2015 period;
2. Encourages
parliamentarians to collaborate and build partnerships with relevant
stakeholders to achieve the health-related MDGs, working closely with
governments, civil society, local communities, health care professionals,
academics and research institutions, multilateral organizations, global funds
and foundations, the media and the private sector;
3. Recommends
that national parliaments, regional parliamentary assemblies and the IPU hold
regular debates on progress towards the realization of MDGs 3, 4, 5 and 6
and target 1.C;
4. Calls upon
the parliaments of States that have not yet done so to support ratification of
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, as well as the relevant
Optional Protocols, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
and to commit to the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health;
5. Urges
parliamentarians to closely monitor the domestic implementation of
international, regional and national human rights instruments so as to ensure
that all health-related obligations and recommendations, including those under
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, CEDAW, the CRC and the Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, are fully implemented and respected by
all levels of government, and calls upon parliaments to participate in
the deliberations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women and the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and to seek the
support of the IPU Coordinating Committee of Women Parliamentarians;
6. Recommends
that parliaments request annual updates on the steps taken by their governments
to implement international human rights instruments and programmes related to
health and gender equality;
7. Encourages
parliaments to include gender impact assessments with the introduction of all
health-related legislation, and also encourages the IPU to facilitate
exchanges among its Member Parliaments so as to build capacity in this area;
8. Invites parliaments
to see to it that national health policies and strategies incorporate a gender
perspective, and that education of health care workers and research take full
account of the existing gender differences in health;
9. Urges parliaments
to introduce or amend legislation to guarantee equal access to health services
for all women and children without discrimination, and to provide free
essential health services for all pregnant women and children;
10.
Also urges parliaments to establish specialized parliamentary
committees on women and children, to monitor progress on the implementation and
ratification of resolutions and declarations on women and children, and to
address women’s and children’s health issues more comprehensively;
11.
Further urges parliaments to pass laws explicitly criminalizing all forms
of violence against women and girls, including domestic and sexual violence and
in situations of armed conflict, and other forms of violence such as forced
sterilization, forced and early marriage and female genital mutilation, and calls
upon parliamentsto enactlaws to prevent violence and provide support and
reparation to survivors;
12.
Calls upon parliaments to use the oversight and accountability tools
at their disposal throughout the budgetary process, as well as innovative
financing approaches, to ensure that adequate domestic financial resources are
allocated for sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, and for
achieving MDGs 4, 5 and 6 at the national level;
13.
Requests parliaments to ensure that the domestic funds and aid
allocated to women’s and children’s health are released and used for the relevant
programmes;
14.
Calls upon parliamentarians to use the oversight and accountability
tools at their disposal to work to ensure that all commitments made to the
Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health are fulfilled, and that all
the recommendations of the subsequent Commission on Information and
Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health are implemented;
15.
Requests the agencies of the United Nations system, in particular
the WHO, the United Nations Population Fund and UNICEF, to provide countries
with more of the multifaceted support they need to implement policies and
programmes aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality;
16.
Calls upon parliaments to further enhance support for education in
order to improve long-term health outcomes in general and to promote
individuals’ contribution to society;
17.
Encourages parliaments to advocate for lines in the health budget to be
earmarked for the provision of essential sexual, reproductive, maternal,
newborn and child health services to vulnerable women and children, including
those in the poorest households, those living in rural areas, those who are
members of indigenous communities or minority groups, those with disabilities,
those living with HIV/AIDS, and adolescent girls;
18.
Also
encourages parliaments to support
gender-sensitive budgeting as a tool for addressing women’s health needs;
19.
Further
encourages parliamentarians to advocate for
increasing the number of midwives, assistance with the recruitment, training
and support of professional midwives, and the provision of accommodation for
mothers, near or in the hospital if necessary, before their delivery, in order
to gain access to professional and monitored delivery;
20.
Urges parliaments to ensure that parliamentary committees
entrusted with monitoring issues pertaining to health and gender equality are
adequately resourced and operational;
21.
Also urges parliamentarians in African States to establish a
broadly-agreed timetable for their governments to honour their commitments
under the 2001 Abuja Declaration;
22.
Invites the African States that have not yet done so to implement
the Maputo Plan of Action for Africa, adopted by the African Union (AU) Summit
in 2006, which provides inter alia for the adoption of national roadmaps to
reduce maternal, newborn and infant mortality in accordance with the AU
roadmap, and calls for the Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal
Mortality in Africa (CARMMA), initiated and launched by the AU in 2009, to be
introduced in all countries;
23.
Calls upon Member Parliaments, in particular those of the G8
countries, to use the oversight and accountability mechanisms at their disposal
to monitor the fulfilment of financial commitments made towards health
initiatives in the LDCs;
24.
Urges parliaments and their members to take all necessary measures
to enhance women’s effective participation and leadership at all levels of
health governance;
25.
Calls upon parliamentarians in countries providing official
development assistance (ODA) to work towards increasing their country’s ODA for
health and to hold their governments to account for honouring their commitments
and for reporting – on the basis of common international indicators – on the
proportion of ODA being channelled towards reproductive, women’s, children’s
and adolescent health and the promotion of gender equality, and to ensure that
these funds are audited in terms of their efficiency and effectiveness;
26.
Also calls
upon parliamentarians in countries that
provide ODA to evaluate this spending, including through parliamentary field
visits and deliberations in committees on development assistance, to ensure
that it prioritizes the recipient countries, sectors, communities and
programmes with the greatest demonstrated needs and vulnerabilities, and that
these resources are distributed in a more equitable manner;
27.
Encourages parliamentarians in countries that provide ODA to examine
the degree to which their government’s ODA is being coordinated with other
donors and harmonized and aligned with the health systems, plans and priorities
of recipient countries;
28.
Also
encourages parliamentarians in countries that
provide ODA to verify that the aid programmes are implemented, in particular in
the field of maternal and child health, that they are managed against
results-based objectives, and are based on the principle of shared
responsibility;
29.
Calls upon parliamentarians to scrutinize all government health
interventions to ensure they are, as far as possible, evidence-based, conform
to international human rights standards, and are responsive to regular and
transparent performance reviews;
30.
Also calls
upon parliamentarians to promote
integrated health services, and to advocate for balanced resources to meet the
needs of women and children in the pre-pregnancy, pre-natal, birth, post-natal,
infancy and early childhood stages, particularly through the decentralization
of health services;
31.
Encourages parliamentarians to ensure a coordinated approach to all
matters pertaining to maternal and child health, such as sanitation, access to
safe drinking water, the fight against malnutrition, and gender equality;
32.
Calls upon parliamentarians to ensure free access to vaccines and
medicines to protect women and children from disease;
33.
Urges parliaments to support the training of health professionals,
including midwives and birth attendants, as well as universal access to
reproductive health information, services and supplies, including
contraceptives;
34.
Appeals to parliamentarians to promote the establishment and/or
enhancement, before 2015, of accurate civil registration systems to register
all births and deaths and causes of death, particularly in relation to women,
children and adolescents;
35.
Urges parliaments to encourage the development of national
information systems that include a gender perspective and data from all health
facilities and administrative sources and surveys, which should subsequently be
used to inform parliamentary debates;
36.
Encourages parliaments to take into consideration, including as part of
development cooperation, the WHO recommendations on maternal, newborn, child
and adolescent health, such as the Guidelines for preventing early pregnancy
and poor reproductive outcomes among adolescents in developing countries, and
to support the implementation of the WHO Global Code of Practice on the
International Recruitment of Health Personnel;
37.
Also
encourages parliaments to explore innovative
approaches to health service design and delivery, including the use of
information and communications technologies such as tele-medicine and mobile
phones, in order to reach women, children and adolescents in remote areas, to
facilitate emergency responses to births, and to collect and disseminate health
information as widely as possible and in accessible formats to women with
disabilities, and to ensure sex education;
38.
Calls upon parliaments to work with governments to consider the
establishment of transparent domestic accountability mechanisms for maternal
and child health, one form of which could be a multi-stakeholder national
commission that reports to parliament;
39.
Requests the IPU to facilitate collaboration and exchanges among its
Member Parliaments so as to build the capacity of parliamentarians to monitor
all policy and programme areas, as well as the above-mentioned budgetary and
legislative activities;
40.
Encourages the IPU to enhance cooperation with the specialized UN
agencies and parliamentary networks engaged in the promotion of women’s and
children’s health and rights;
41.
Requests the IPU to develop an accountability mechanism - based on
the 2011 report of the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s
and Children’s Health, Keeping Promises, Measuring Results - to monitor
the progress of Member Parliaments in implementing this resolution between the
date of its adoption and 2015, and to publish the results of that review
annually;
42.
Urges parliamentarians to work for age‑appropriate,
gender-sensitive and evidence-based sex education for all young people;
43.
Also urges parliamentarians, in keeping with the ICPD Programme of
Action, to ensure universal access to post-abortion care and to make sure that
abortions are safe where they are legal as a means of saving the lives of
girls, adolescents and women.
INTER-PARLIAMENTARY
UNION INITIATIVE FOR AN IMMEDIATE HALT TO THE BLOODSHED AND HUMAN RIGHTS
VIOLATIONS IN SYRIA, AND THE NEED TO ENSURE ACCESS TO HUMANITARIAN AID FOR ALL
PERSONS IN NEED AND TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION OF ALL RELEVANT ARAB LEAGUE AND
UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTIONS AND PEACE EFFORTS
Resolution
adopted by consensus* by the 126th IPU Assembly
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
Recalling the resolution on "Strengthening democratic reform in
emerging democracies, including in North Africa and the Middle East",
adopted unanimously by the 124th IPU Assembly (Panama City, 2011), which urged
all parties to refrain from violence and to ensure in particular that human
rights are respected; called on all governments to respect the right to
peaceful self-determination of peoples; and expressed concern for the
humanitarian impact of the political changes in the region on vulnerable
groups, particularly women and children,
Also recalling the resolution entitled "Furthering parliamentary
democracy in order to protect human rights and encourage reconciliation among
peoples and partnership among nations", adopted by the 110th IPU Assembly
(Mexico City, 2004), in which the Assembly "underlines that the holding of
truly free and fair elections based on secret balloting and universal suffrage,
monitored by independent election authorities, is always of paramount
importance in the establishment of parliaments reflecting national diversity
and, particularly in countries emerging from violent conflict, is essential in
consolidating and advancing the reconciliation process" and "calls on
parliaments to respect the political rights of opposition parties and freedom
of the press",
Expressing its solidarity and sympathy for the Syrian people, whose
democratic freedoms and human rights are being systematically and brutally
undermined by their own government,
Noting that sustained and unjustified violence continues to be
perpetrated against the Syrian people, including the killing and persecution of
protestors, human rights defenders and journalists, denial of access to medical
treatment, and the torture of and violence against men, women and children,
Cognizant of the serious humanitarian crisis and dismayed by
the mounting loss of life and injury being caused by this violence, largely due
to armed attacks perpetrated by the Syrian Government against its own
population,
Alarmed by these authorities’ use of heavy military equipment,
including artillery and combat tanks, against towns and other population
centres and their resorting to mass murder, arbitrary detentions, forced
disappearances, torture and ill-treatment of detained persons, in particular
children,
Noting the need to hold to account the perpetrators of human
rights violations, including those that may amount to crimes against humanity,
Also noting the League of Arab States plan of 2 November 2011 and their
decisions of 22 January and 12 February 2012 respectively, agreed to by the
Syrian Government, which called in particular for an immediate end to violence
against protestors, the release of political prisoners, the removal of all
tanks and armoured vehicles from the streets and the convening of a meeting in
Cairo for dialogue with the opposition,
Further noting the declaration of the League of Arab States of 29 March
2012,
Considering the repeated demands by the United Nations and the League of
Arab States for the Syrian Government to honour its commitment to the Arab
League plan and to permit the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the
evacuation of wounded persons,
Recalling the decisions of the 31st International Conference of the
Red Cross and Red Crescent, held in Geneva from 28 November to 1 December 2011,
on strengthening international humanitarian law and domestic legislation for
disaster-risk reduction, addressing regulatory barriers to providing emergency
and transitional shelter in a rapid and equitable manner after natural
disasters, and humanitarian access and assistance,
Noting the United Nations General Assembly resolution of 16
February 2012, which strongly condemned "the continued widespread and
systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Syrian
authorities, such as the use of force against civilians, arbitrary executions,
the killing and persecution of protestors, human rights defenders and
journalists, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, interference with
access to medical treatment, torture, sexual violence, and ill-treatment,
including against children",
Recalling the statement issued by the President of the UN Security
Council on 21 March 2012, in which the Security Council expresses its full
support for the efforts of Kofi Annan, the Special Joint Envoy of the United
Nations and the League of Arab States, and his six-point proposal to commit to
appoint an empowered interlocutor to address the aspirations of the Syrian
people; a cessation of violence; the provision of humanitarian assistance in
affected areas; the release of arbitrarily detained persons; freedom of
movement for journalists; and freedom of association and the right to
demonstrate peacefully,
Also recalling United Nations Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000),
1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010) on women and peace and
security,
Further recalling the resolutions of 29 April 2011, 23 August 2011,
2 December 2011 and 1 and 23 March 2012 of the UN Human Rights
Council on the human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, and underscoring
that in its resolutions of 2 December 2011 and 1 and 23 March 2012,
the Council strongly condemns the systematic and widespread violations of human
rights and fundamental freedoms that the Syrian authorities continue to commit,
Underscoring its respect for the sovereignty, independence, unity and
territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic, and rejecting any
external military intervention,
Noting that the Syrian Government held discussions with the Joint
Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, and that it
agreed on 27 March 2012, but has not yet implemented, his six-point
proposal, which envisages a UN‑supervised ceasefire and the establishment of
political dialogue between government and opposition groups,
Concerned by the grave risk to regional stability and security posed
by the Syrian Government’s use of violence rather than dialogue to address
calls for reform,
Frustrated by the continued failure of the Syrian Government to
respond to or implement the decisions and resolutions of international and
regional bodies,
1. Calls for an
immediate cessation of the violence and human rights violations and abuses in
Syria and also calls for full compliance by all parties with
international human rights and international humanitarian law obligations;
2. Supports the
efforts of international and regional organizations to bring about a peaceful
end to the crisis in Syria;
3. Urges the United
Nations and the League of Arab States to redouble their efforts to assist in
bringing about an end to armed violence in Syria and to address the current
humanitarian crisis;
4. Supports the
unprecedented leadership and efforts of the Joint Special Envoy of the United
Nations and the League of Arab States and his six-point proposal for resolving
the situation in Syria;
5. Calls upon the
Syrian Government to honour its commitment to this proposal and its earlier
commitment to the Arab League Plan, including withdrawing military personnel
from cities, ending the use of heavy weapons, releasing political prisoners and
cooperating fully and immediately with the United Nations and humanitarian organizations
to facilitate the unhindered and safe provision of humanitarian assistance and
to allow the evacuation of the wounded from affected areas;
6. Urges the
commencement of an inclusive political process in Syria to address the
legitimate democratic aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people;
7. Underscores that
this political process must be conducted in an environment free of violence,
torture, fear, intimidation, discrimination and extremism;
8. Expresses the
hope that this process can lead to an all-inclusive democratic political
system, in which all citizens are equal;
9. Underscores the
pivotal role the IPU can play in coming to the assistance of emerging
democracies, fostering political reconciliation and the peaceful settlement of
conflicts, and in upholding and protecting the principles of representative
democracy, human rights and gender equality;
10.
Requests the IPU to dispatch an international parliamentary
fact-finding mission to the Syrian territories to examine the reality of the
situation arising from the violence and the deliberate hampering of the
activities of international and Arab relief organizations, and to issue an
urgent report to the IPU membership with a view to taking the necessary
measures;
11.
Urges parliaments to provide all necessary humanitarian assistance
to all persons in Syria affected by the violence and to participate in making
immediate preparations for extending such assistance, including in neighbouring
countries;
12.
Supports the continuation of diplomatic and economic sanctions on the
Syrian Government until such a time as the situation improves significantly;
13.
Requests the IPU President to report on the implementation of this
resolution at the 127th IPU Assembly and at the United Nations.
* The
delegations from Chile, Cuba, South Africa, Uganda and Viet Nam expressed a
reservation on operative paragraph 12, while the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea, Iran (the Islamic Republic of), the Syrian Arab Republic and
Venezuela rejected the entire resolution, which, in their view, was unbalanced.
PRESIDENTIAL
STATEMENT ON MALI
Endorsed
by the 126th IPU Assembly
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
We, the representatives of the national parliaments meeting in Kampala at the 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union:
Are profoundly concerned at the
military coup d’état that took place in Mali on 22 March 2012 and
overthrew the legitimate authorities,
Support the negotiations undertaken
by the Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
and of the African Union with the military junta with a view to an immediate
restoration of the Republic’s institutions,
Demand that the military junta make
a commitment to honour its solemn declaration of 1 April 2012 aimed
at effectively restoring the Republic’s institutions, and to relinquish power,
Urge all the parties to safeguard
the country’s cultural heritage,
Ask the IPU to lend its full support
to the President of the Republic, the Parliament and people of Mali in their
ordeal and in view of the worsening humanitarian crisis,
Call upon the international
community to back the decisions made by the Heads of State of ECOWAS aimed at
restoring peace, rule of law and democracy in Mali and the integrity of its
territory.
|
Resolution adopted by consensus* by the 126th IPU Assembly
(Kampala, 5 April 2012) |
REDISTRIBUTION
OF POWER, NOT JUST WEALTH: OWNERSHIP OF THE INTERNATIONAL AGENDAS
Resolution adopted unanimously by the 126th IPU Assembly
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
Convinced that the governance structures of international
institutions must be democratized so as to ensure that representative voices of
the entire world’s people are heard,
Mindful that it is extremely urgent to respond effectively to acute
and increasing global challenges transcending national borders, all of which
threaten the future of humanityandinclude climate change, the sustainability
and security of natural resources, the food crisis, lack of respect for human
rights, the failure of financial systems and international trade arrangements,
international terrorism and organized crime,
Aware that the priorities of existing multilateral institutions
and forums are too often dominated by the interests of certain powerful States
and their economies, and that the preoccupations of these States frequently
marginalize the needs of those nations and peoples most exposed to the
consequences of the economic, social, cultural and political crises with which
the multilateral institutions endeavour to grapple,
Considering that the great powers
disproportionately generate the very challenges that preoccupy them and affect
the world as a whole,
Recognizing that lasting stability and security
depend on the representative, transparent, accountable and effective nature of
political systems and their institutions, and that this holds true at the
neighborhood, local, provincial, national and international levels,
Concerned that there remains a high degree of underrepresentation of
women in positions of power, not only in parliaments and government, but also
in international institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank,
and that gender mainstreaming is greatly needed to enable women to participate
in and contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
Mindful that the effective participation of women in all spheres of
decision-making and at all levels is crucial for relevant, successful and
effective policies, and that the ownership of the agendas of global political
institutions must therefore belong to all their constituent members and reflect
their different perspectives,
Considering that speedy reform is essential at
all levels to provide for inclusive and democratic decision-making and
problem-solving and to combat alienation and instability,
Recalling that the preamble and Article 1 of the Charter of the
United Nations spell out the objectives: "to reaffirm faith in fundamental
human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights
of men and women and of nations large and small, … to develop friendly
relations among nations based on respect for the principles of equal rights and
self-determination of peoples, … to achieve international cooperation in
solving international problems of an economic, social cultural and humanitarian
character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for
fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or
religion",
1. Expresses
its conviction that it is imperative for international institutions,
including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade
Organization, to take immediate steps to ensure that their structures and
arrangements for governance - including the preparation of agendas, voting
arrangements, decision-making processes, records of proceedings and methods of
appointing Chief Executives - are made transparent and genuinely democratic and
that all staff appointments are based on merit while seeking to achieve
geographical, ethnic and gender balance;
2. Calls for the
establishment alongside the G20 of an inclusive and fully representative global
economic council, whose mission would be to coordinate the action of the United
Nations and its Member States in the economic and social spheres, and notes
that such a global economic council could result from reforms to the current UN
Economic and Social Council;
3. Strongly
recommends that the appointment of the United Nations
Secretary-General be an open and transparent process aimed at finding the most
competent and qualified person for the task;
4. Demands reform of
the membership of the UN Security Council in the near future, particularly
regarding its permanent members, that is adapted to the new power balances in
the world and gives the Security Council the credibility and effectiveness that
it needs in the 21st century to promote peace and international security, as distinct
from the post‑1945 era;
5. Appeals
for
all appointments within the United Nations system to be made transparently and
on the basis of merit while striving to ensure geographical, ethnic and gender
balance;
6. Calls for
mandatory registers of lobbyists or accredited observers and bodies to be
introduced at the national and international levels of policy- and
decision-making wherever applicable and in accordance with the law in order to
ensure that their actions are more transparent and citizens are better informed
about them;
7. Believes that,
notwithstanding the current financial and economic concerns, climate change, by
far the greatest challenge facing humanity, should be consistently and
effectively addressed through a fair, transparent and equitable process, fully
engaging all sections of civil society and respecting the principles of the
Framework Convention on Climate Change, in particular equity and common but
differentiated responsibilities;
8. Calls for
sustainable development to be given the highest political priority and welcomes
the proposal of the Global Sustainability Panel in the context of Rio+20 to
create a global sustainable development council;
9. Strongly
encourages compliance with the requirements of equity and renewal of
political commitment to sustainable development based on the Rio principles,
both of which should be key objectives of Rio+20 and vital components of
legitimate global governance;
10.
Calls upon parliamentarians to advocate
strongly these priorities and work for immediate action by their governments to
ensure their rapid implementation;
11.
Also calls upon parliamentarians to advocate
special measures and incentives to facilitate the inclusion of women from all
walks of life in decision-making and agenda-setting processes at the local,
national, regional and international levels;
12.
Further calls upon parliamentarians to encourage
international institutions to revitalize the women’s agenda globally and to
mainstream gender in their objectives, structures and work;
13.
Appeals to parliamentarians to strive to generate widespread public
understanding of why these priorities are essential and why any delay in
implementing them can no longer be tolerated;
14.
Resolves to ensure that the IPU undertake an annual review of
progress worldwide in the areas of integrity, accountability, inclusiveness and
fully representative democracy at all levels of power.
PROMOTING
AND PRACTISING GOOD GOVERNANCE AS A MEANS OF ADVANCING PEACE AND SECURITY:
DRAWING LESSONS FROM RECENT EVENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
Resolution
adopted by consensus* by the 126th IPU Assembly
(Kampala, 5 April 2012) The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
Considering that there is compelling evidence to support the positive
correlation between good governance and the level of peace and security in
society and the world,
Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United
Nations and international law, which are the indispensable foundations of a
more peaceful, prosperous and just world, and reiterating our
determination to foster strict respect for them (paragraph 2, 2005 World
Summit Outcome, A/RES/60/1),
Supporting all efforts to uphold the sovereign equality of all
States and respect their territorial integrity and political independence;
refrain in international relations from threatening or using force in any
manner inconsistent with the purposes and principles of the United Nations;
settle disputes by peaceful means and in conformity with the principles of
justice and international law; respect the right to self-determination of
peoples remaining under colonial domination and foreign occupation; uphold
non-interference in the internal affairs of States; ensure respect for human
rights and fundamental freedoms; guarantee respect for the equal rights of
all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion; seek
international cooperation when solving international problems of an economic,
social, cultural or humanitarian character; and meet in good faith the
obligations assumed in accordance with the Charter (paragraph 5, 2005 World
Summit Outcome, A/RES/60/1),
Recognizing that good governance is the manner of governing that aims
to achieve sustainable economic, social and institutional development, while
promoting a healthy balance between the State, civil society and the market
economy, and that there is no way of exercising it other than by serving the
interests of the people,
Mindful that the role of public authorities in creating an
environment for entrepreneurs to function and in determining the distribution
of benefits as well as the nature of the relationship between governments and
citizens is pivotal in promoting and practising good governance at the
national and international levels,
Noting that good governance leads to efficient and accountable
institutions, i.e. political, judicial, administrative, economic and
corporate rules that promote development and the rule of law, protect human
rights and ensure that people are free to participate and be heard in
decisions that affect their lives,
Also noting that the catalysts for the uprisings in the Middle East
and North Africa were several and included the concentration of wealth in the
hands of autocrats in power for decades, a lack of transparency in the
redistribution of that wealth, corruption and, in particular, young people’s
refusal to accept the status quo, while spiralling food prices and famine
were also determining factors,
Acknowledging that the disconnect between the demands of civil society
and the response of governments, as well as a lack of government reform,
might well have contributed to the protests,
Expressing its sorrow for the victims of the political processes in
the Middle East and North Africa, and its solidarity with the families of
those who died in their quest for freedom and justice,
Noting the undeniably positive influence of education and
exposure to issues of good governance;
Recalling the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 1976
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the 1979 Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the 1981
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which, inter alia, provide that
every citizen, regardless of gender, religion or race, has a right to take
part in the conduct of public affairs directly or through freely chosen
representatives, and that the will of the people should be expressed through
free and fair elections based on universal and equal suffrage and secret
ballots, in the full exercise of the sovereignty of the people, so as to
constitute the basis for the legitimate and credible authority of government,
Also recalling the resolution on Providing a sound legislative
framework aimed at preventing electoral violence, improving election
monitoring and ensuring the smooth transition of power, adopted by the
124th IPU Assembly (Panama City, 2011), which calls upon parliaments, where
necessary, "to undertake constitutional and legislative reform, building
on international obligations and commitments and taking into account local
realities, so as to provide a sound legal framework for free and fair
elections that includes the adoption of electoral systems that provide for
representative and inclusive outcomes, and for the smooth transfer of
power"
Further recalling the above-mentioned IPU resolution, which urges
parliaments "to conduct such electoral reform through a comprehensive,
inclusive and open debate that fosters the broadest possible involvement of
all stakeholders, authorities, political parties, media and civil society
organizations in the electoral process",
Noting that the recent events in the Middle East and North
Africa have provided all countries with important lessons on democracy and
freedom,
Also noting that those events have shown that people everywhere need
democratic and legitimate governments based on the will of the people,
expressed regularly through free and fair elections,
Further noting that it is always the people who have the right to
determine their own political future based on the cultural and historical
characteristics of their nation,
Reaffirming that democracy is a universal value based on the freely
expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social
and cultural systems and their full participation in all aspects of their
lives and that, while democracies share common features, there is no single
model of democracy and it does not belong to any country or region;
Also reaffirming the need for due respect for sovereignty and the right of
self-determination (paragraph 135, 2005 World Summit Outcome,
A/RES/60/1),
Mindful that people will not view democracy in a positive light
if their livelihood is at stake and that democracy and development are
inextricably linked,
Acknowledging that the experiences of other regions and of the past
year tend to show that the process of democratization in the Middle East and
North Africa will take a significant amount of time, given that it is often a
lengthy, unpredictable and complex process, which involves changing power
relations in society,
Convinced that the attainment of democracy requires extensive
changes that are rooted in constitutions, electoral systems, laws and
regulations related to political parties, the media, the justice system, an
enabling environment for civil society and, not least, a change in attitudes,
including a paradigm shift regarding the place of women in political life,
Also convinced that commitment to the principles of good governance in
the management of public affairs will guarantee freedoms and the rule of law,
reduce corruption, ensure fair elections, help establish systems and
institutions that strive to provide the best services to all sectors of
society, and be the best guarantor of political stability,
1. Invites
all States and parliaments to consider the major lessons drawn from the
Middle East, North Africa, Europe and the United States, as well as elsewhere
in the world, on the need for democratic reform and for governments to
provide their people with basic employment and economic opportunities, meet
their citizens’ demands and guarantee equal opportunities for all;
2. Recommends
sustained investment in political reform where necessary, possibly to include
the creation of independent government watchdogs, the amendment of
constitutions, electoral systems, the judicial system, laws, regulations and
processes related to political parties and the taking of measures to ensure
the functioning of the media, the achievement of gender equality and the
involvement of civil society;
3. Also recommends
that particular attention be paid to security sector reform so that the
police, intelligence services and armed forces act within the rule of law,
fully respect the fundamental rights of citizens and are held to account for
their acts to a democratically elected authority;
4. Expresses its wish,
with a view to building inclusive societies, that transitional justice and
the need to address the past are adequately taken into account in the transition
process, in particular through the promotion of the truth, the sentencing of
perpetrators, the compensation of victims and the establishment of safeguards
to avoid repeating mistakes of the past;
5. Calls upon
all Member Parliaments that have not done so to ratify and ensure full
implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
and see to it that freedom of thought, expression and association, as well as
other civil and political rights, are guaranteed;
6. Also calls upon
parliaments to ensure the establishment of governance systems that will lead
to the improvement of people’s livelihoods so as to help restore faith in
democratic institutions and democracy;
7. Recommends
that leaders in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as elsewhere in the
world, strive to implement policies that will help reduce economic inequality
and tackle everyday problems, such as corruption, poverty and the lack of
access to health services;
8. Encourages
IPU Member Parliaments to advocate for increased civic education, with a
focus on the fundamental principles of democratic governance, while
reflecting the diversity of histories and cultures;
9. Urges the
international community to stand ready to help countries at their request and
to support the transition process while complying with the principle of
sovereignty as enshrined in the UN Charter, in order to avoid undue influence
on the situation in States and the outcome of elections;
10.
Calls upon the international community to promote comprehensive
reform of the United Nations in order to achieve world peace, security and
development through respect for the principles enshrined in its Charter as
well as the fair representation of nations;
11.
Encourages States to comply with the Millennium Declaration, which
calls for the promotion of peace, security and human rights and the
elimination of hunger and poverty, and stipulates the importance of and right
to education in the context of sustainable growth;
12.
Invites political parties, national parliaments and governments
to implement policies and mechanisms aimed at ensuring the participation of
women and youth in public political and economic life;
13.
Calls upon all parliaments to enact legislation and take specific
action to enhance their transparency, design information and communication
technology tools to facilitate citizens’ access to relevant information on
parliamentary processes, exercise their oversight function over the other
branches of the State and establish mechanisms enabling them regularly and
vigorously to reach out to civil society and be answerable to it;
14.
Urges the IPU to lend support to the democratization process
under way in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly in areas relating
to the process of constitutional reform and the drafting of new electoral
laws, as well as the sharing of good practices for open and inclusive
electoral processes that are conducive to the establishment of representative
and effective parliaments;
15.
Also urges the IPU to design and implement a programme of technical
assistance and capacity-building that supports the newly elected parliaments
in the Middle East and North Africa;
16.
Further
urges donor countries and the
multilateral financial institutions to honour their aid pledges to the Arab
Spring countries in order to rescue their economies, protect them from
recession and reduce their levels of unemployment;
17.
Appeals to the parliaments of the countries where stolen assets
have been transferred to urge their governments and banks to recover such
assets;
18.
Calls for an international parliamentary conference on the role of
youth in politics in the contemporary world and current technological
developments to be held under the auspices of the IPU.
* The delegation of Venezuela expressed its opposition
to the resolution because of the approach it took on good governance.
|
ACCESS
TO HEALTH AS A BASIC RIGHT: THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENTS IN ADDRESSING KEY
CHALLENGES TO SECURING THE HEALTH OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN
Resolution
adopted unanimously by the 126th IPU Assembly
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
Recognizing the United Nations Millennium Declaration (2000), which
established eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),
Underscoring that a human-rights approach is fundamental to achieving
these MDGs,
Noting that MDG 4 aims to reduce the under-five child mortality
rate by two thirds between 1990 and 2015 and that MDG 5 aims to reduce the
maternal mortality ratio by three quarters between 1990 and 2015,
Concerned that the funding gap to
ensure universal access to reproductive health remains unacceptably high and
that donor and developing countries need to step up their commitments to
achieve the MDGs, in particular MDG 5,
Drawing attention to the fact that improvements in maternal and child health
require progress related to poverty and hunger (MDG 1), access to education
(MDG 2), gender equality and the empowerment of women (MDG 3), and the
prevalence of HIV/AIDS and malaria (MDG 6),
Underscoring that the international community has committed to achieving
the MDGs by 2015,
Concerned that in 2008 an estimated 358,000 women worldwide died from
complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, and underscoring that
99 per cent of these deaths occurred in developing countries,
Also concerned that in 2010 an estimated 7.6 million children died before
reaching their fifth birthday, with 41 per cent dying in their first month, and
that over 170 million children under five worldwide are affected by stunting,
Deeply concerned that maternal and child mortality rates remain unacceptably
high globally and that many countries are not on track to achieve MDGs 4 and 5,
Recognizing that less than half of all pregnant women in sub-Saharan
Africa and only half of all pregnant women in Southern Asia are attended to by
skilled health professionals, including midwives, during labour and delivery,
which is one of the major factors contributing to maternal and newborn deaths;
that midwives are in short supply in many developing countries; and that there
is an urgent need, particularly in countries with high maternal mortality
rates, to provide assistance in the recruitment, training and support of
professional midwives,
Also recognizing that lack of access to quality sexual and reproductive
health services and supplies, in particular family planning services, which
include contraceptives, is a major contributing factor to maternal mortality,
Noting that ineffective and poorly-resourced health systems,
particularly the lack of human resources for health and inaccessible health
care facilities, are key impediments to improved health outcomes,
Also noting that the burden on health professionals in many developing
countries could be lightened by improvements in health governance, including
measures to expand and improve access to skilled birth attendant services,
Reiterating that universal access to reproductive health is one of the
targets of MDG 5b,
Concerned that contraceptive prevalence rates are low and the need
for family planning and level of unwanted pregnancies are high in many
countries with worrisome maternal mortality rates, particularly among
adolescents, and that international assistance for family planning has
diminished significantly since the year 2000,
Considering that unwanted pregnancies are disproportionately high among
young unmarried girls, who also run the highest risk of pregnancy-related
morbidity and mortality,
Noting that unsafe abortions account for 13 per cent of maternal
deaths,
Also noting that although maternal mortality is the leading cause of
death among adolescent girls in most developing countries, adolescent girls are
most likely to give birth without skilled birth attendants,
Further noting that young people remain disproportionately affected by
HIV/AIDS, accounting for 41 per cent of all new infections among 15 to 49
year-olds, and that young women between the ages of 15 and 19 are particularly
vulnerable because of gender inequalities, sexual violence, early marriage,
intergenerational relationships and more limited access to education,
Aware of the importance of providing information, education and
services that are appropriate to people’s age and needs throughout the life
cycle,
Affirming that comprehensive sex education that is age-appropriate,
gender-sensitive and evidence-based is crucial if young people are to be
provided with the knowledge and skills they need to make informed decisions
about their sexuality and given the means to protect themselves from unwanted
pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and AIDS,
Aware that a critical window to improve children’s health and
secure their prospects for life-long development through adequate nutrition
exists between pregnancy and a child’s second birthday, so as to guarantee them
an appropriate role in the country’s long-term development with the capacity to
assimilate what they learn through the education system,
Affirming the commitment to uphold the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Convention on the Rights of the Child
and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
Considering the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted at
the Fourth World Conference on Women (1995),
Recalling the political declaration adopted by the UN General
Assembly in June 2011, which committed to working towards the elimination
of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS by 2015 and to substantially
reducing AIDS-related maternal deaths,
Also recalling Resolution 11/8 on Preventable maternal mortality and
morbidity and human rights adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 17
June 2009,
Welcoming the resolution on Eliminating maternal mortality and
morbidity through the empowerment of women, adopted by consensus at the
54th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women,
Appreciating the commitment made at the G8 Summit held in Canada in
June 2010 to allocate US$ 7.3 billion to carry out initiatives in the
least developed countries (LDCs), to contribute to implementing the Global
Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health launched by the UN
Secretary-General, and the commitment made at the 15th African Union Heads of
State Summit (Uganda 2010) to fulfil the pledges taken at the Abuja Summit by
allocating 15 per cent of the overall State budget to health,
Mindfulof the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the
2008 Accra Agenda for Action, as well as the 2011 Busan Partnership for
Effective Development Co‑operation,
Considering previous IPU resolutions, in particular those pertaining to
the MDGs, women’s and children’s health, and gender equality and human rights,
and the outcome document of the Sixth Annual Meeting of Women Speakers of
Parliament held in 2010,
Affirming that enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of
physical and mental health is an internationally recognized human right,
Aware that gender is a key determinant of health and that the
causes of many of the differences and inequalities between women’s and men’s
health status are social, economic and cultural,
Underscoring that the enhancement of women’s and children’s health is
much more than a policy goal and that States have an obligation to respect,
promote, protect and fulfil women’s, children’s and adolescents’ right to
health on a non-discriminatory basis,
Committed to realizing the goals of the Global Strategy for Women’s
and Children’s Health, and the recommendations of the Commission on Information
and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health, and underscoring the
centrality of parliamentary action therein,
Encouraged by the increasing parliamentary attention in the national,
regional and international spheres, and resources being devoted to
reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health,
Noting, however, that progress in reducing maternal and child
mortality has been uneven across regions and within countries, and that this
must be addressed as a matter of urgency,
Stressing that special attention must be given to the health needs and
rights of women, newborns, children and adolescents who belong to one or
multiple vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, including those in the poorest
households, living in rural and remote areas, and affected by HIV/AIDS,
adolescent girls, indigenous women and children, migrant women and children,
refugee and internally displaced women and children as well as those in
humanitarian, conflict and post-conflict situations, sex workers, and women and
children with disabilities, and recognizing the importance of
introducing measures to reduce inequalities and of commitment to equality of
access and outcome for these disadvantaged groups,
Underscoring that equal access to quality education and sexual and
reproductive education for all women, children and adolescents is a key
intervention that can reduce health inequities and improve health in cases of
communicable and non-communicable diseases,
Also underscoring that efforts need to be focused on young people as young men
and women, married or unmarried, need access to sexual and reproductive health
information and services,
Further underscoring, in keeping with the International Conference on Population
and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action and key actions for its further
implementation, the importance of universal access to post-abortion care and
access to safe abortions where they are legal,
Underlining that most maternal and child deaths are preventable and
that many are the result of conditions that may be avoided through immunization
or treated by well-known and cost-effective interventions,
Convinced that the rationale for prioritizing women’s, newborn,
children’s and adolescent health in development strategies is compelling and
that the need to do so is indisputable,
Emphasizing the need for parliamentarians and governments to tackle the
problems of ill-health caused by the smoking of tobacco and tobacco products,
to coordinate efforts to protect adults and children from the harmful effects
of second-hand smoke, to deplore the activities of the tobacco companies in
targeting markets in LDCs and developing countries, and the need for all
countries to adopt the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on
Tobacco Control,
1. Calls upon
all parliamentarians, both men and women, and the IPU, to take all possible
measures to generate and sustain the political will as well as the appropriate
resources needed to achieve the MDGs by 2015, and to put in place the policies
and commitments needed for the post-2015 period;
2. Encourages
parliamentarians to collaborate and build partnerships with relevant
stakeholders to achieve the health-related MDGs, working closely with
governments, civil society, local communities, health care professionals,
academics and research institutions, multilateral organizations, global funds
and foundations, the media and the private sector;
3. Recommends
that national parliaments, regional parliamentary assemblies and the IPU hold
regular debates on progress towards the realization of MDGs 3, 4, 5 and 6
and target 1.C;
4. Calls upon
the parliaments of States that have not yet done so to support ratification of
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, as well as the relevant
Optional Protocols, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
and to commit to the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health;
5. Urges
parliamentarians to closely monitor the domestic implementation of
international, regional and national human rights instruments so as to ensure
that all health-related obligations and recommendations, including those under
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, CEDAW, the CRC and the Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, are fully implemented and respected by
all levels of government, and calls upon parliaments to participate in
the deliberations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women and the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and to seek the
support of the IPU Coordinating Committee of Women Parliamentarians;
6. Recommends
that parliaments request annual updates on the steps taken by their governments
to implement international human rights instruments and programmes related to
health and gender equality;
7. Encourages
parliaments to include gender impact assessments with the introduction of all
health-related legislation, and also encourages the IPU to facilitate
exchanges among its Member Parliaments so as to build capacity in this area;
8. Invites parliaments
to see to it that national health policies and strategies incorporate a gender
perspective, and that education of health care workers and research take full
account of the existing gender differences in health;
9. Urges parliaments
to introduce or amend legislation to guarantee equal access to health services
for all women and children without discrimination, and to provide free
essential health services for all pregnant women and children;
10.
Also urges parliaments to establish specialized parliamentary
committees on women and children, to monitor progress on the implementation and
ratification of resolutions and declarations on women and children, and to
address women’s and children’s health issues more comprehensively;
11.
Further urges parliaments to pass laws explicitly criminalizing all forms
of violence against women and girls, including domestic and sexual violence and
in situations of armed conflict, and other forms of violence such as forced
sterilization, forced and early marriage and female genital mutilation, and calls
upon parliamentsto enactlaws to prevent violence and provide support and
reparation to survivors;
12.
Calls upon parliaments to use the oversight and accountability tools
at their disposal throughout the budgetary process, as well as innovative
financing approaches, to ensure that adequate domestic financial resources are
allocated for sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, and for
achieving MDGs 4, 5 and 6 at the national level;
13.
Requests parliaments to ensure that the domestic funds and aid
allocated to women’s and children’s health are released and used for the relevant
programmes;
14.
Calls upon parliamentarians to use the oversight and accountability
tools at their disposal to work to ensure that all commitments made to the
Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health are fulfilled, and that all
the recommendations of the subsequent Commission on Information and
Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health are implemented;
15.
Requests the agencies of the United Nations system, in particular
the WHO, the United Nations Population Fund and UNICEF, to provide countries
with more of the multifaceted support they need to implement policies and
programmes aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality;
16.
Calls upon parliaments to further enhance support for education in
order to improve long-term health outcomes in general and to promote
individuals’ contribution to society;
17.
Encourages parliaments to advocate for lines in the health budget to be
earmarked for the provision of essential sexual, reproductive, maternal,
newborn and child health services to vulnerable women and children, including
those in the poorest households, those living in rural areas, those who are
members of indigenous communities or minority groups, those with disabilities,
those living with HIV/AIDS, and adolescent girls;
18.
Also
encourages parliaments to support
gender-sensitive budgeting as a tool for addressing women’s health needs;
19.
Further
encourages parliamentarians to advocate for
increasing the number of midwives, assistance with the recruitment, training
and support of professional midwives, and the provision of accommodation for
mothers, near or in the hospital if necessary, before their delivery, in order
to gain access to professional and monitored delivery;
20.
Urges parliaments to ensure that parliamentary committees
entrusted with monitoring issues pertaining to health and gender equality are
adequately resourced and operational;
21.
Also urges parliamentarians in African States to establish a
broadly-agreed timetable for their governments to honour their commitments
under the 2001 Abuja Declaration;
22.
Invites the African States that have not yet done so to implement
the Maputo Plan of Action for Africa, adopted by the African Union (AU) Summit
in 2006, which provides inter alia for the adoption of national roadmaps to
reduce maternal, newborn and infant mortality in accordance with the AU
roadmap, and calls for the Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal
Mortality in Africa (CARMMA), initiated and launched by the AU in 2009, to be
introduced in all countries;
23.
Calls upon Member Parliaments, in particular those of the G8
countries, to use the oversight and accountability mechanisms at their disposal
to monitor the fulfilment of financial commitments made towards health
initiatives in the LDCs;
24.
Urges parliaments and their members to take all necessary measures
to enhance women’s effective participation and leadership at all levels of
health governance;
25.
Calls upon parliamentarians in countries providing official
development assistance (ODA) to work towards increasing their country’s ODA for
health and to hold their governments to account for honouring their commitments
and for reporting – on the basis of common international indicators – on the
proportion of ODA being channelled towards reproductive, women’s, children’s
and adolescent health and the promotion of gender equality, and to ensure that
these funds are audited in terms of their efficiency and effectiveness;
26.
Also calls
upon parliamentarians in countries that
provide ODA to evaluate this spending, including through parliamentary field
visits and deliberations in committees on development assistance, to ensure
that it prioritizes the recipient countries, sectors, communities and
programmes with the greatest demonstrated needs and vulnerabilities, and that
these resources are distributed in a more equitable manner;
27.
Encourages parliamentarians in countries that provide ODA to examine
the degree to which their government’s ODA is being coordinated with other
donors and harmonized and aligned with the health systems, plans and priorities
of recipient countries;
28.
Also
encourages parliamentarians in countries that
provide ODA to verify that the aid programmes are implemented, in particular in
the field of maternal and child health, that they are managed against
results-based objectives, and are based on the principle of shared
responsibility;
29.
Calls upon parliamentarians to scrutinize all government health
interventions to ensure they are, as far as possible, evidence-based, conform
to international human rights standards, and are responsive to regular and
transparent performance reviews;
30.
Also calls
upon parliamentarians to promote
integrated health services, and to advocate for balanced resources to meet the
needs of women and children in the pre-pregnancy, pre-natal, birth, post-natal,
infancy and early childhood stages, particularly through the decentralization
of health services;
31.
Encourages parliamentarians to ensure a coordinated approach to all
matters pertaining to maternal and child health, such as sanitation, access to
safe drinking water, the fight against malnutrition, and gender equality;
32.
Calls upon parliamentarians to ensure free access to vaccines and
medicines to protect women and children from disease;
33.
Urges parliaments to support the training of health professionals,
including midwives and birth attendants, as well as universal access to
reproductive health information, services and supplies, including
contraceptives;
34.
Appeals to parliamentarians to promote the establishment and/or
enhancement, before 2015, of accurate civil registration systems to register
all births and deaths and causes of death, particularly in relation to women,
children and adolescents;
35.
Urges parliaments to encourage the development of national
information systems that include a gender perspective and data from all health
facilities and administrative sources and surveys, which should subsequently be
used to inform parliamentary debates;
36.
Encourages parliaments to take into consideration, including as part of
development cooperation, the WHO recommendations on maternal, newborn, child
and adolescent health, such as the Guidelines for preventing early pregnancy
and poor reproductive outcomes among adolescents in developing countries, and
to support the implementation of the WHO Global Code of Practice on the
International Recruitment of Health Personnel;
37.
Also
encourages parliaments to explore innovative
approaches to health service design and delivery, including the use of
information and communications technologies such as tele-medicine and mobile
phones, in order to reach women, children and adolescents in remote areas, to
facilitate emergency responses to births, and to collect and disseminate health
information as widely as possible and in accessible formats to women with
disabilities, and to ensure sex education;
38.
Calls upon parliaments to work with governments to consider the
establishment of transparent domestic accountability mechanisms for maternal
and child health, one form of which could be a multi-stakeholder national
commission that reports to parliament;
39.
Requests the IPU to facilitate collaboration and exchanges among its
Member Parliaments so as to build the capacity of parliamentarians to monitor
all policy and programme areas, as well as the above-mentioned budgetary and
legislative activities;
40.
Encourages the IPU to enhance cooperation with the specialized UN
agencies and parliamentary networks engaged in the promotion of women’s and
children’s health and rights;
41.
Requests the IPU to develop an accountability mechanism - based on
the 2011 report of the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s
and Children’s Health, Keeping Promises, Measuring Results - to monitor
the progress of Member Parliaments in implementing this resolution between the
date of its adoption and 2015, and to publish the results of that review
annually;
42.
Urges parliamentarians to work for age‑appropriate,
gender-sensitive and evidence-based sex education for all young people;
43.
Also urges parliamentarians, in keeping with the ICPD Programme of
Action, to ensure universal access to post-abortion care and to make sure that
abortions are safe where they are legal as a means of saving the lives of
girls, adolescents and women.
INTER-PARLIAMENTARY
UNION INITIATIVE FOR AN IMMEDIATE HALT TO THE BLOODSHED AND HUMAN RIGHTS
VIOLATIONS IN SYRIA, AND THE NEED TO ENSURE ACCESS TO HUMANITARIAN AID FOR ALL
PERSONS IN NEED AND TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION OF ALL RELEVANT ARAB LEAGUE AND
UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTIONS AND PEACE EFFORTS
Resolution
adopted by consensus* by the 126th IPU Assembly
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
The 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,
Recalling the resolution on "Strengthening democratic reform in
emerging democracies, including in North Africa and the Middle East",
adopted unanimously by the 124th IPU Assembly (Panama City, 2011), which urged
all parties to refrain from violence and to ensure in particular that human
rights are respected; called on all governments to respect the right to
peaceful self-determination of peoples; and expressed concern for the
humanitarian impact of the political changes in the region on vulnerable
groups, particularly women and children,
Also recalling the resolution entitled "Furthering parliamentary
democracy in order to protect human rights and encourage reconciliation among
peoples and partnership among nations", adopted by the 110th IPU Assembly
(Mexico City, 2004), in which the Assembly "underlines that the holding of
truly free and fair elections based on secret balloting and universal suffrage,
monitored by independent election authorities, is always of paramount
importance in the establishment of parliaments reflecting national diversity
and, particularly in countries emerging from violent conflict, is essential in
consolidating and advancing the reconciliation process" and "calls on
parliaments to respect the political rights of opposition parties and freedom
of the press",
Expressing its solidarity and sympathy for the Syrian people, whose
democratic freedoms and human rights are being systematically and brutally
undermined by their own government,
Noting that sustained and unjustified violence continues to be
perpetrated against the Syrian people, including the killing and persecution of
protestors, human rights defenders and journalists, denial of access to medical
treatment, and the torture of and violence against men, women and children,
Cognizant of the serious humanitarian crisis and dismayed by
the mounting loss of life and injury being caused by this violence, largely due
to armed attacks perpetrated by the Syrian Government against its own
population,
Alarmed by these authorities’ use of heavy military equipment,
including artillery and combat tanks, against towns and other population
centres and their resorting to mass murder, arbitrary detentions, forced
disappearances, torture and ill-treatment of detained persons, in particular
children,
Noting the need to hold to account the perpetrators of human
rights violations, including those that may amount to crimes against humanity,
Also noting the League of Arab States plan of 2 November 2011 and their
decisions of 22 January and 12 February 2012 respectively, agreed to by the
Syrian Government, which called in particular for an immediate end to violence
against protestors, the release of political prisoners, the removal of all
tanks and armoured vehicles from the streets and the convening of a meeting in
Cairo for dialogue with the opposition,
Further noting the declaration of the League of Arab States of 29 March
2012,
Considering the repeated demands by the United Nations and the League of
Arab States for the Syrian Government to honour its commitment to the Arab
League plan and to permit the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the
evacuation of wounded persons,
Recalling the decisions of the 31st International Conference of the
Red Cross and Red Crescent, held in Geneva from 28 November to 1 December 2011,
on strengthening international humanitarian law and domestic legislation for
disaster-risk reduction, addressing regulatory barriers to providing emergency
and transitional shelter in a rapid and equitable manner after natural
disasters, and humanitarian access and assistance,
Noting the United Nations General Assembly resolution of 16
February 2012, which strongly condemned "the continued widespread and
systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Syrian
authorities, such as the use of force against civilians, arbitrary executions,
the killing and persecution of protestors, human rights defenders and
journalists, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, interference with
access to medical treatment, torture, sexual violence, and ill-treatment,
including against children",
Recalling the statement issued by the President of the UN Security
Council on 21 March 2012, in which the Security Council expresses its full
support for the efforts of Kofi Annan, the Special Joint Envoy of the United
Nations and the League of Arab States, and his six-point proposal to commit to
appoint an empowered interlocutor to address the aspirations of the Syrian
people; a cessation of violence; the provision of humanitarian assistance in
affected areas; the release of arbitrarily detained persons; freedom of
movement for journalists; and freedom of association and the right to
demonstrate peacefully,
Also recalling United Nations Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000),
1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009) and 1960 (2010) on women and peace and
security,
Further recalling the resolutions of 29 April 2011, 23 August 2011,
2 December 2011 and 1 and 23 March 2012 of the UN Human Rights
Council on the human rights situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, and underscoring
that in its resolutions of 2 December 2011 and 1 and 23 March 2012,
the Council strongly condemns the systematic and widespread violations of human
rights and fundamental freedoms that the Syrian authorities continue to commit,
Underscoring its respect for the sovereignty, independence, unity and
territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic, and rejecting any
external military intervention,
Noting that the Syrian Government held discussions with the Joint
Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, and that it
agreed on 27 March 2012, but has not yet implemented, his six-point
proposal, which envisages a UN‑supervised ceasefire and the establishment of
political dialogue between government and opposition groups,
Concerned by the grave risk to regional stability and security posed
by the Syrian Government’s use of violence rather than dialogue to address
calls for reform,
Frustrated by the continued failure of the Syrian Government to
respond to or implement the decisions and resolutions of international and
regional bodies,
1. Calls for an
immediate cessation of the violence and human rights violations and abuses in
Syria and also calls for full compliance by all parties with
international human rights and international humanitarian law obligations;
2. Supports the
efforts of international and regional organizations to bring about a peaceful
end to the crisis in Syria;
3. Urges the United
Nations and the League of Arab States to redouble their efforts to assist in
bringing about an end to armed violence in Syria and to address the current
humanitarian crisis;
4. Supports the
unprecedented leadership and efforts of the Joint Special Envoy of the United
Nations and the League of Arab States and his six-point proposal for resolving
the situation in Syria;
5. Calls upon the
Syrian Government to honour its commitment to this proposal and its earlier
commitment to the Arab League Plan, including withdrawing military personnel
from cities, ending the use of heavy weapons, releasing political prisoners and
cooperating fully and immediately with the United Nations and humanitarian organizations
to facilitate the unhindered and safe provision of humanitarian assistance and
to allow the evacuation of the wounded from affected areas;
6. Urges the
commencement of an inclusive political process in Syria to address the
legitimate democratic aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people;
7. Underscores that
this political process must be conducted in an environment free of violence,
torture, fear, intimidation, discrimination and extremism;
8. Expresses the
hope that this process can lead to an all-inclusive democratic political
system, in which all citizens are equal;
9. Underscores the
pivotal role the IPU can play in coming to the assistance of emerging
democracies, fostering political reconciliation and the peaceful settlement of
conflicts, and in upholding and protecting the principles of representative
democracy, human rights and gender equality;
10.
Requests the IPU to dispatch an international parliamentary
fact-finding mission to the Syrian territories to examine the reality of the
situation arising from the violence and the deliberate hampering of the
activities of international and Arab relief organizations, and to issue an
urgent report to the IPU membership with a view to taking the necessary
measures;
11.
Urges parliaments to provide all necessary humanitarian assistance
to all persons in Syria affected by the violence and to participate in making
immediate preparations for extending such assistance, including in neighbouring
countries;
12.
Supports the continuation of diplomatic and economic sanctions on the
Syrian Government until such a time as the situation improves significantly;
13.
Requests the IPU President to report on the implementation of this
resolution at the 127th IPU Assembly and at the United Nations.
* The
delegations from Chile, Cuba, South Africa, Uganda and Viet Nam expressed a
reservation on operative paragraph 12, while the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea, Iran (the Islamic Republic of), the Syrian Arab Republic and
Venezuela rejected the entire resolution, which, in their view, was unbalanced.
PRESIDENTIAL
STATEMENT ON MALI
Endorsed
by the 126th IPU Assembly
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
(Kampala, 5 April 2012)
We, the representatives of the national parliaments meeting in Kampala at the 126th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union:
Are profoundly concerned at the
military coup d’état that took place in Mali on 22 March 2012 and
overthrew the legitimate authorities,
Support the negotiations undertaken
by the Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
and of the African Union with the military junta with a view to an immediate
restoration of the Republic’s institutions,
Demand that the military junta make
a commitment to honour its solemn declaration of 1 April 2012 aimed
at effectively restoring the Republic’s institutions, and to relinquish power,
Urge all the parties to safeguard
the country’s cultural heritage,
Ask the IPU to lend its full support
to the President of the Republic, the Parliament and people of Mali in their
ordeal and in view of the worsening humanitarian crisis,
Call upon the international
community to back the decisions made by the Heads of State of ECOWAS aimed at
restoring peace, rule of law and democracy in Mali and the integrity of its
territory.
unications strategy
should be part of every organization's planning process. n, even small
organizations can have influence and reputations that are larger than life.
Without one, the same organization may struggle to recruit participants, engage
donors and achieve its basic mission. Developing a communications strategy
should be part of every organization's planning process.
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