The war in Ukraine dominates the IPU Assembly
Published:
The Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in the middle of October was again largely dominated by the war in Ukraine. A resolution, a joint statement, was adopted, demanding an immediate end to the Russian military occupation of Ukrainian territory following extensive discussion.
On 9–15 October, a delegation consisting of three members of the Riksdag participated in the IPU's 145th session in Rwanda.
A resolution was adopted as a matter of particular urgency demanding an immediate end to the Russian military occupation of Ukrainian sovereign territory, a restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity back to the internationally recognised borders that also stretch to its territorial waters in accordance with international law.
The negotiated text further supported the resolutions from various international bodies to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of possible war crimes that have been committed in Ukraine as well as the creation of courts of law with special jurisdiction to investigate them.
Importance of gender-equal parliaments highlighted
Mattias Karlsson (Sweden Democrats) gave Sweden's main address in the General Assembly. The theme was gender equality and gender equality awareness in parliaments as a driving force for change and a more sustainable and peaceful world. In his speech, Karlsson outlined both the long history of endeavours to promote gender equality in his home region, Småland, and gender equality efforts in the Riksdag. Karlsson further emphasised the need for Swedish MPs based on their long tradition of respect for gender equality efforts to clearly stand up for these values both nationally and internationally and to clearly condemn the oppression of women, for example when they become the victims of acts of war in Ukraine or are subject to lethal violence in Iran.
In his address to the Assembly as a young parliamentarian on the same theme, Johan Hultberg (Moderate Party) stressed the importance of parental leave in Sweden which enables young MPs to combine their duties at the Riksdag with their duties as parents. Hultberg also followed these questions in the IPU's Forum for Young Parliamentarians and participated in talks in the Regional Group for Western Europe, in which agreement was reached on a clear condemnation of Russian annexation of sovereign Ukrainian territory.
Swedish priorities in focus in the IPU Executive Committee
Eva Lindh (Social Democratic Party) followed work in the IPU Executive Committee, in which several Swedish priorities were given support by the members of the Committee. A Swedish initiative to secure long-term stable financing for the IPU was approved. The matter was pushed through when the Sub-Committee on Finance was chaired by Sweden. Furthermore, it was decided that the annual parliamentary hearing at UN headquarters in New York may continue, and that a code of conduct, protection for whistleblowers and data protection should also apply for people holding elected posts in the organisation, for example the IPU President.
A resolution on migration and human rights adopted
During the Assembly, a resolution was also adopted dealing with how problems connected with human trafficking and human smuggling are to be dealt with within the framework of international migration. Mattias Karlsson (Sweden Democrats) represented the Swedish delegation in talks in the IPU's third Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights and thus contributed to a strong impact for both Sweetish and Nordic proposed amendments, which were circulated to the IPU Secretariat prior to the Assembly.
Additional programme in Rwanda
During the Assembly in Rwanda, the Swedish delegation organised an exchange of experience with colleagues in the Rwandan Parliament, and had meetings with both the Rwandan Minister for the Environment and representatives for civil society in Rwanda. During their visit to Kigali, the members of the Riksdag also paid a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, and participated there together with representatives from the Swedish Embassy in Rwanda in a wreath-laying ceremony for the hundreds of thousands of victims of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.
Bilateral meetings
The Swedish delegation to the IPU also had a number of bilateral meetings together with the Nordic countries with other delegations from Ukraine and Hungary.
Members
The Riksdag delegation that participated in Kigali:
- Eva Lindh (Social Democratic Party), Chair of the Riksdag IPU delegation
- Johan Hultberg (Moderate Party)
- Mattias Karlsson (Sweden Democrats)
Background
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the global organisation of world parliaments, consists of 178 member states amd 12 regional parliamentary bodies from the whole world. The IPU have two major meetings every year, once in the spring and once in the autumn. Founded in 1889, the IPU was the first multilateral political organisation in the world. Its purpose is to promote cooperation and dialogue between all nations. The IPU works to develop parliamentary institutions and helps build up democratic functions, working methods and well-functioning parliaments. The Swedish Parliament has been a member of the IPU since 1894.
More information
Contact person for the media
Björn Sondén, International Adviser, International Department of the Riksdag, telephone +46 70 361 88 02, bjorn.sonden@riksdagen.se