Parliament, Monday 24 May 2021 – National Assembly (NA) Speaker Ms Thandi Modise is leading a multiparty parliamentary delegation to the 142nd Assembly and Related Meetings of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
The delegation includes Deputy National Council of Provinces Chairperson Ms Sylvia Lucas; NA House Chairperson of International Relations Mr Madala Ntombela – African National Congress (ANC); Mr Darren Bergman – Democratic Alliance (DA); Mr Mergan Chetty (DA); Ms Thembi Msane – Economic Freedom Fighters; Mr Thlologelo Malatji (ANC); Mr Itumeleng Ntsube (ANC).
The 142nd IPU Assembly and Related Meetings is being held in a virtual format because of the COVID-19 pandemic. These meetings, held biannually, currently bring together delegates from 179 national Member Parliaments and 13 regional parliamentary bodies. They add a parliamentary dimension to global governance, including work of the United Nations. The South African Parliament has been a member of the IPU since our democracy and hosted the 118th IPU Assembly and Related Meetings in Cape Town in April 2008.
Ms Modise, Ms Lucas and Mr Bergman are attending Governing Council meetings today and tomorrow, featuring the following administrative and policy matters:
- Adoption of Special Rules of procedure for virtual sessions.
- The vision of IPU President Duarte Pacheco (Portugal) for the IPU and his report on his activities and those of the Executive Committee since the last Governing Council.
- The Annual IPU Impact Report by the Secretary-General on IPU activities in 2020.
- Elections to the Executive Committee and other IPU bodies.
- IPU membership.
- Future Inter-Parliamentary meetings.
- Creating an IPU Cremer-Passy Prize. Frédéric Passy and William Randal Cremer were IPU founders who became its President and Vice-President and went on to win Nobel Peace Prizes.
- rogress in implementing the agreed roadmap for revising the IPU strategy. The 143rd IPU Assembly in November is expected to adopt a new IPU Strategy (2022-2026).
- Adopting Revised Terms of Reference and modalities of the IPU Working Group on Science and Technology.
The Assembly on 26 May features a General Debate on the overall theme: “Overcoming the pandemic today and building a better tomorrow: the role of parliaments”.
Issues for the Assembly on 27 May are:
- Draft resolutions: “Parliamentary strategies to strengthen peace and security against threats and conflicts resulting from climate-related disasters and their consequences” (Standing Committee on Peace and International Security); “Mainstreaming digitalization and the circular economy to achieve the SDGs, particularly responsible consumption and production” (Standing Committee on Sustainable Development).
- Adoption of Standing Committees’ reports.
- Approval of subject items for the Standing Committee on Peace and International Security and the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development for the 143rd Assembly and appointment of Rapporteurs.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
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