IPU, Alm.del - 2011-12 - Bilag 4: Formandens tale ved IPUs session i Kampala

Madame President, fellow parliamentarians, Ladies and GentlemenIt is a great honour and pleasure for me to address you today.The pleasure is caused by the many revolts against suppressingregimes we have witnessed during the last year. The Arab Spring,which dimensions and level of public support took us all by surprise,is an encouraging evidence that in the long run people revoltagainst dictatorship and suppression.It all started in Tunisia, which had its first free and fair parliamentaryelection for many years in October 2011. And soon The Arab Springspread to Egypt, Morocco and Libya.Especially Muammar Kaddafi’s regime in Libya was one of the moregrotesque and suppressive, we have seen. A state ruled by oneperson’s despotic powers. A person, who did not refrain fromslaughtering his own people when they at last had enough, anddemanded freedom and democracy.In this most critical situation the international community proved thatthe principles of “Responsibility to Protect” had the intended value.On the initiative of the Arab League, the UN Security Councildecided to establish a “no-fly zone” and to take all necessarymeasures to prevent genocide and crimes against humanity,committed by the Libyan leader.I am proud of the prompt response by NATO, the European Unionand the national parliaments to these Security Council resolutions. Iam also proud of the active contribution by the Danish combatplanes to protect Libyan civilians. The decision to deploy F16fighters was adopted unanimously by the Danish Parliament.

But one thing is to get rid of an evil dictator. Another thing is toestablish a real democracy and real parliamentarism. That takestime – a long time. I have the privilege to live in an old democracy,but even in Denmark we are constantly aware that democracy is notself-evident. It must be protected and fought for every day so wekeep focus on bridging the gap between the people and the politicalpower.It is my sincere hope and expectation that the promising ArabSpring will lead to further dissemination of freedom andparliamentarism to other parts of the world, and to other countries.Single instances of steps backwards are inevitable. The transactionfrom dictatorship to real democracy is a complicated process whichrequires constant focus and a strong determination.The risk is of course that the sudden loosening of a dictator’s firmgrip on a population will lead to instability and even armed conflicts.Even if the democracy and the democratic institutions must bedecided, constructed and organized by the population itself, theinternational community – including the IPU - has a responsibility toassist - on request - with the experience it has gained throughdecades concerning the institutional and political state building.Instability and conflicts must be avoided.The encouragement and hope, the Arab Spring brought to us all, dounfortunately not cover Syria. On the contrary. The situation in Syriaand the massacres committed by the regime on the urbanpopulation, including women and children, are terrifying andcompletely unacceptable. We must urge the Syrian regime to put animmediate end to its suppression and killing of people of a differentopinion.The United Nations have made an impressive effort to focus on thesituation. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has been clear in hiscondemnations of the bomb attacks and in his call for an immediatestop of violence.

Also the former Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, now JointSpecial Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab Statesfor Syria, has made a valuable effort. The IPU must express its fullsupport for the effort of UN and Kofi Annan to bring an immediateend to all violence and human right violation in Syria. Furthermore apolitical transaction to a democratic system in Syria must befacilitated by all relevant international organisations.But what is the point of all that when there are still some stateswhich are giving the Syrian regime their backing? I hope that thosestates realise that they have a huge responsibility for what is goingon in Syria at the moment.Madame PresidentOn this background it is of extreme importance that all IPU memberstates strengthen the fight for real freedom, real parliamentarism,free and fair elections, the rule of law, and protection of humanrights.As we all know, a very important element in the protection of humanrights is the protection of minorities, whatever minorities it might be:national minorities, religious minorities, ethnic minorities, sexualminorities – including of course also the obligation of states toprotect homosexuals.Let me conclude by stating that we parliamentarians have a vitalrole to bridge the gap between the people and the political power.Every day we must fight for freedom, real democracy, peace andprotection of the human rights. Let us promise each other that wewill do our outmost to promote and protect these fundamentalvalues!Thank you very much for your attention.