IPU, Alm.del - 2012-13 - Bilag 3: Referat fra mødet i IPU's 192. Governing Council i Quito, Ecuador den 21.

Page(s)1. Adoption of the agenda (CL/192/A.1, A.2 and A.3) .......................................................................2. Approval of the summary records of the 191stsession of the Governing Council(CL/191/SR.1) ...............................................................................................................................................3. Proposals for the election of the President of the 128thIPU Assembly ..................................4. Questions relating to IPU membership and observer status(a) Requests for IPU membership ...................................................................................................(b) Situation of certain Members .....................................................................................................(c) Observer status (CL/192/4(c)-P.1) .............................................................................................5. Report of the President(a) On his activities since the 191stsession of the Governing Council(CL/192/5(a)-R.1) .............................................................................................................................(b) On the activities of the Executive Committee (CL/192/5(b)-Inf) ....................................6. Annual Report by the Secretary General on the activities of the IPU for 2012 ...................7. Reports on recent IPU specialized meetings(a) Parliamentary workshop onStrengthening the role of parliamentarians in theImplementation of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Recommendations(CL/192/7(a)-R.1) .......................................................................................................................................................(b) Annual 2012 Session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO (CL/192/7(b)-R.1) .......................................................................................................................................................(c) Parliamentary Workshop onDeveloping good practice in political representationand constituency work in the Caribbean region(CL/192/7(c)-R.1) ..................................(d) Regional Seminar for East and Southern African Parliaments on preventing andresponding to violence against women and girls: from legislation to effectiveenforcement (CL/192/7(d)-R.1) ..................................................................................................(e) Joint IPU-UN Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations (CL/192/7(e)-R.1) …(f) Parliamentary Meeting on the occasion of the 57thsession of the Commission onthe Status of Women (CL/192/7(f)-R.1) ...................................................................................8. Implementation of the IPU Strategy 2012-2017(a) Strategic Objectives 4 and 5 (CL/192/8(a)-R.1) ...................................................................(b) Strategic Objective 7 (CL/192/8(b)-P.1) .................................................................................(c) Strategic Objective 8 (CL/192/8(c)-R.1) .................................................................................(d) Strategic Objectives 1 and 7 (CL/192/8(d)-P.1) ...................................................................9. Cooperation with the United Nations System (CL/192/9-R.1 and 9-P.1) ...............................10. Financial results for 2012 (CL/192/10-R.1, R.2 and R.3) .................................................................11. Action by the IPU to strengthen democracy and parliamentary institutions(CL/192/11-R.1) .............................................................................................................................................4

Page(s)12. Activities of committees and other bodies(a) Meeting of Women Parliamentarians (CL/192/12(a)-R.1) ...............................................(b) Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians(i) Election of one substitute member (CL/192/12(b)-P.2) .........................................(ii) Reports of the Committee (CL/192/12(b)-R.1 and R.2) ...........................................(c) Committee on Middle East Questions(i) Election of one titular member and one substitute member(CL/192/12(c)-P.1 and P.2) ...........................................................................................................(ii) Report of the Committee (CL/192/12(c)-R.2) .............................................................(d) Group of Facilitators for Cyprus(e) Committee to Promote Respect for International Humanitarian Law(i) Election of two titular and two substitute members (CL/192/12(e)-P.1 to P.3)(ii) Report of the Committee (CL/192/12(e)-R.1) ...............................................................(f) Gender Partnership Group (CL/192/12(f)-R.1) ......................................................................(g) Advisory Group on HIV/AIDS and Maternal, Newborn and Child Health(CL/192/12(g)-R.1) ..........................................................................................................................(h) Meeting of young parliamentarians (CL/192/12(h)-R.1) ..................................................13. 129thIPU Assembly (Geneva, 7-9 October 2013) (CL/192/13-P1) .................................................14. Future inter-parliamentary meetings (CL/192/14-P.1)(a) Statutory meetings ...........................................................................................................................(b) Specialized meetings and other events ....................................................................................15. Amendments to the Statutes and Rules (CL/192/15-P.2) ...............................................................16. Elections to the Executive Committee (CL/192/16-P.1 and P.2) ..................................................17. Other business

The Presidentsaid that most of the subjects discussed by the Executive Committee overits two full days of deliberations would be reported on under other items of the agenda.Concerning the IPU contribution to the design of the post-2015 development goals, theCommittee had requested the Secretariat to produce a communiqué setting out the keyproposals made during the General Debate of the Assembly on the “Buenvivir”theme with aview to feeding those proposals into the work of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on thePost-2015 Development Agenda established by the United Nations Secretary-General. Thecommuniqué would be presented to the Assembly for endorsement at its closing sitting, duringwhich the Committee would also communicate a report on the implementation of decisionsrelating to the new format of IPU Assemblies and Standing Committees in the light of viewspresented to it during the current Assembly.The Committee had received a progress report on implementation of the new IPUcommunications strategy and had also viewed a Skype presentation on a possible new IPU logoand tag line from the agency engaged to develop a new visual identity for the IPU. It decided todefer its decision on the matter to its next sitting in Geneva.Furthermore, the Committee had decided that the process established in the IPU Statutesand Rules for the election of the new Secretary General should be launched earlier thanoriginally planned by inviting applications shortly after the conclusion of the Quito Assembly.Given the overriding concern to select the most competent possible candidate for the post, the

Item 6 of the agendaANNUAL REPORT BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL ON THE ACTIVITIESOF THE IPU FOR 2012The Secretary General,reporting on the activities of the IPU for 2012, said that the coverof his annual report symbolized tolerance, inclusiveness and dialogue, which underpinned allIPU activities. The report outlined the role of the IPU Assemblies held in Kampala and Quebec infostering political dialogue and described the work of the IPU to enhance parliaments andstrengthen democracy as part of its new five-year Strategy. The IPU had notably supported thefledgling parliaments in Egypt, Libya and Myanmar by sharing expertise and providing adviceand capacity-building assistance. As indicated by the record statistics cited in the report, theIPU’s continuing efforts to advance gender equality in politics were also bearing fruit, as were itsefforts to develop gender-sensitive parliaments, including through support for implementationof the newPlan of Action for Gender-Sensitive Parliaments.Activities to end violence against women were also covered in the report, together withthose aimed at protecting the parliamentary “guardians” of human rights, in particular throughthe Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, which had now adopted more field-oriented and proactive working methods. Efforts were also ongoing to increase vitalparliamentary involvement in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process of reviewing, underthe auspices of the Human Rights Council, the human rights record of all UN Member States.Indeed, only two days earlier the Human Rights Council had adopted by consensus a resolutiondesigned to promote its cooperation with parliaments.Further outlined in the report were activities aimed at protecting children’s rights;connecting politics and trade through the annual Parliamentary Conference on the World TradeOrganization (WTO); working more closely with the United Nations, including by providinginput to the post-2015 development agenda; and promoting achievement of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs), with a special emphasis on those relating to HIV/AIDS andmaternal, newborn and child health.The report provided a succinct and fair description of a dynamic organization with a wideremit that essentially worked with parliaments in support of global democracy. An additionalactivity not mentioned in the report was the work of the Committee on Middle East Questions,which had recently conducted two missions to Palestine and Israel, respectively, in order toexplore options for promoting dialogue between the two sides. The Committee possessed aunique advantage and IPU Members were urged to examine and discuss its forthcoming reportand support its work going forward.The Council noted the report of the Secretary General.Item 16 of the agendaELECTIONS TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE(CL/192/16-P.1 and P.2)

The Presidentsaid that two candidatures for membership of the Executive Committeehad been submitted: that of Mr. R.M.K. Al Shariqi (United Arab Emirates) to succeed, for a fullfour-year mandate, Mr. M.A.M. Al-Ghanim (Kuwait), who was no longer a member of parliament;and that of Ms. F. Diendéré Diallo (Burkina Faso) as a replacement for Ms. A. Koala Kaboré(Burkina Faso), who was also no longer a parliamentarian, to complete her term, due to end inOctober 2015. He took it that the Council wished to elect those two proposed candidates formembership of the Committee.It was so decided.Item 7 of the agendaREPORTS ON RECENT IPU SPECIALIZED MEETINGS(a)Parliamentary Workshop onStrengthening the role of parliamentarians inthe implementation of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Recommendations(CL/192/7(a)-R.1)

The Secretary Generaldrew attention to the outcome document annexed to the reportof the two-day annual Parliamentary Conference on the WTO (CL/192/7(b)-R.1), held in Genevain November 2012 under the joint auspices of the IPU and the European Parliament. Thedocument included a call for the Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference, due to take place in Bali inDecember 2013, to recognize the benefit to the WTO of closer cooperation with parliaments inits activities. It was hoped that the WTO General Council would respond positively to a requestfor parliamentarians to receive the same accreditation to the Conference as non-governmentalorganizations, the aim being for them to contribute and provide input to the deliberations.(c)Parliamentary workshop onDeveloping good practice in political representationand constituency work in the Caribbean region(CL/192/7(c)-R.1)

The Secretary Generalsaid that, as reported in document CL/192/7(c)-R.1, a two-dayparliamentary workshop, held in November 2012 in Trinidad and Tobago, had examined thelessons learned from theGlobal Parliamentary Reportin order to identify ways in whichparliamentarians could develop closer relations with citizens, particularly in the area ofconstituency work.(d) Regional Seminar for East and Southern African Parliaments on preventing andresponding to violence against women and girls: from legislation to effectiveenforcement(CL/192/7(d)-R.1)Mr. H. Mohammed (United Republic of Tanzania),presenting the report on the two-dayregional seminar relating to violence against women (CL/192/7(d)-R.1), held in Tanzania inDecember 2012, said that further recommendations could be added to those contained in the

The Secretary General,stressing the unique opportunity offered by the annualParliamentary Hearing at the United Nations for parliamentarians to join in debating andformulating recommendations on priority items on the United Nations agenda, said that thewell-attended 2012 Parliamentary Hearing on the crucial theme of conflict prevention,reconciliation and peacebuilding had been an extremely interactive event that had left animpressionable mark. As stated at the time, the successful promotion of peace in conflict-riddencountries was ultimately dependent on strong national leadership and national commitment toreconciliation and reform, which often emanated from parliaments. Members were thereforestrongly recommended to consult the report of the proceedings, contained in documentCL/192/7(e)-R.1.(f)Parliamentary Meeting on the occasion of the 57thsession ofthe Commission on the Status of Women(CL/192/7(f)-R.1)

The Secretary Generalsaid that the report on the one-day parliamentary event organizedon the occasion of the 57thsession of the Commission on the Status of Women (CL/192/7(f)-R.1),in March 2013, captured the salient points of the debate that had taken place on the chosentheme of parliamentary strategies for combating violence against women and girls. Particularemphasis had been placed on the implementation of relevant legislation, the allocation ofresources for that purpose and the problem of political violence against women. Annexed tothe report was the statement delivered at the plenary session of the Commission by Mrs. M.Mensah-Williams, Vice-Chairperson of the National Council of Namibia.The Council took note of the reports on recent IPU specialized meetings.Before the end of the sitting, thePresidentannounced that in total, 182 Council memberswere present in the room at the first sitting and the quorum, therefore, was 92 members.The meeting rose at 10.10 a.m.

The Secretary Generaldrew attention to document CL/192/8(a)-R.1, which outlined thesteps thus far taken by the IPU in pursuit of objectives 4 and 5 of the IPU Strategy, both relatingto the IPU’s contribution to the design of the post-2015 development goals. As alreadymentioned at the previous sitting, the Quito communiqué encapsulating the General Debate ofthe Assembly on the “Buenvivir”theme would form part of that contribution. Members wereadditionally urged to participate in the My World global survey, launched by the United Nationswith partners, including the IPU, with the aim of canvassing views on the priorities for a betterworld and channelling those views into the post-2015 development process. Full details of thesurvey and how to participate were provided in the document, which further comprised anannex containing a summary of a round-table discussion conducted in Monrovia, in January2013, between parliamentarians and members of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons onthe Post-2015 Development Agenda. Linkages between democratic governance and the newsustainable development framework were also to be explored at an open workshop on the finalday of the Assembly with a view to providing inputs to the global consultations concerning thatframework.(b)Strategic Objective 7(CL/192/8(b)-P.1)

The Secretary Generalhighlighted a set of proposals, spelt out in documentCL/192/8(b)-P.1, which related to objective 7 of the IPU Strategy, specifically the componentaimed at improving IPU structures and working methods. The first proposal was to hold twofour-day Assemblies annually, each with a similar work programme, in accordance with thedraft general timetable contained in annex 1 of the document. Annex II contained proposalsdesigned to enhance functioning by broadening the responsibilities and functions of theStanding Committees and restructuring the role, decision-making methods and composition oftheir Bureaux. Also proposed were new methods for selecting items for the agendas of StandingCommittees, for appointing co-Rapporteurs and preparing draft resolutions. A further proposalwas to establish the current Committee on United Nations Affairs as the Fourth StandingCommittee subject to the same rules and regulations as the other Standing Committees. Lastly,the document included suggestions for better harnessing information and communicationtechnology tools in order to strengthen the overall impact of IPU Assemblies and widen theengagement of parliamentarians.

If the proposals were approved by the Council, subsequent proposals for the necessaryamendments to the IPU Statutes and Rules would be presented to it for consideration at thenext Assembly in October 2013. If adopted at that time, the amendments would take effect on 1January 2014.Mr. R.M.K. Al Shariqi (United Arab Emirates),supported byMr. J. Fakhro (Bahrain)andMr. R.H. Al-Meadadi (Qatar),said that the proposal to allocate Standing Committee Bureauseats in proportion to the size of the geopolitical groups was inequitable and would create anundesirable imbalance. Nor would it go towards resolving the problems associated with thecurrent system of titular and substitute members, which would be appropriately addressed bythe appointment of two titular members for each geopolitical group.Mr. F.-X. de Donnea (Belgium)expressed unreserved support for the proposals but notedtheir failure to reflect the consensus agreement, reached at the recent meeting of the Standing

Committee Bureaux, that the Committee on United Nations Affairs should be empowered topropose subject items for future resolutions. Concerning the preparation of preliminary draftresolutions, he said that application of the standard parliamentary procedure might be worthconsidering.Mr. J.P. Winkler (Germany)endorsed the proposal for altering the composition of theBureaux, which was unsatisfactory in the sense that substitute members, notwithstanding theircontribution to the work of the Standing Committees, were presently entitled to vote only inthe absence of the titular member. He pointed out that the Arab Group would acquire anadditional vote under the proposed proportional representation arrangement, adding that suchan arrangement had been in place for some time in the Executive Committee and that it moreclosely mirrored the reality of the IPU membership.The Secretary Generalconfirmed that, in accordance with the proposals relating to theStanding Committees, the Committee on United Nations Affairs would be in a position topropose subject items in its new capacity as a Standing Committee. In fact, all StandingCommittees would have that prerogative. As to the preparation of preliminary draft resolutions,adoption of the standard parliamentary procedure whereby draft resolutions were presented inconjunction with an explanatory statement was indeed envisaged. The relevant paragraph ofthe document would therefore be fine-tuned in order to better clarify that fact.Concerning the composition of the Bureaux, the Executive Committee had agreed topropose a new system in order to address the dysfunctionality of the present system underwhich substitute members, except in the absence of a titular member, had no more than anobserver role to play. As a result, they were not necessarily included as members of delegationsand were therefore often unavailable to step in as and when required, which created difficultiesin establishing a quorum. With respect to the proposed allocation of Bureau seats, it was in noway intended to introduce any element of inequality to the system; on the contrary, it wasaimed at achieving a more proportionate representation of the IPU membership on the basis ofthe same Sainte-Laguë or highest-averages method adopted by the Executive Committee aftertwo years of extensively debating the matter of its own composition. The allocation of Bureauseats on that basis would furthermore provide not only a welcome margin in the event that notall members were able to attend sessions, which was more often the case than not, but also theopportunity for seats to be divided among the subregions of a geopolitical group.Mr. R.M.K. Al Shariqi (United Arab Emirates)responded that not all members of theExecutive Committee had agreed to the proposal concerning the allocation of seats; on behalfof the Arab Group, he had expressed a reservation on it at the time of its discussion. To increasethe number of representatives of a geopolitical group would defeat the purpose ofrepresentation. Moreover, how would votes be counted? Only that morning, subject items ruledout by a Standing Committee Bureau had been reopened for discussion by the StandingCommittee concerned, which was a forewarning of the type of risks that might arise fromchanging the allocation of seats.The Secretary Generalsaid that, as he understood it, the overwhelming majority ofExecutive Committee members had agreed that each geopolitical group should be representedon each Bureau by a minimum of two titular members. They held different opinions, however,concerning the matter of proportional representation.The Presidentsaid he took it that the Governing Council wished to approve the proposalsset out in document CL/192/8(b)-P.1, while taking note of the reservation expressed by thedelegate of the United Arab Emirates.It was so decided.

The Secretary Generalsaid that, in line with objective 8 of its Strategy, the IPU had beenworking to enhance its visibility through the modern communications strategy set forth indocument CL/192/8(c)-R.1, which outlined the work conducted in the past six months inconnection with the IPU’s visual identity and website, information products, and the media andsocial media, including Twitter. Implementation of the strategy was more complex than it mightappear, however; the redesign of the website alone involved a huge re-engineering exerciseand also hinged on the visual identity currently being developed with expert assistance andadvice. The Executive Committee would continue its debate on the issue in Geneva and reportto the Council on the outcome.Mr. R. Walter (United Kingdom)congratulated the IPU on the positive and reassuringprogress thus far made in implementing a modern communications strategy, as illustrated inparticular by the statistics set out in the document concerning the traffic to the new homepageof the IPU website and the number of followers of the IPU Twitter account. With respect to theIPU’s visual identity, the existing IPU logo remained fit for purpose and it was thereforeunnecessary to incur consultancy fees for the development of a new logo.The Secretary Generalsaid that the IPU logo was an issue that aroused strong opinionsand heated debate. The brief of the consultancy hired to develop the IPU’s visual identity wasnot confined to the logo, however.Mr. R. del Picchia (France)endorsed the view of the United Kingdom delegateconcerning the logo and added that more effort must be made to draw attention to the IPUwebsite. Using the right software, an e-mail reminder would be a cost-effective and potentiallyfruitful means of encouraging the many thousands of parliamentarians around the world toconsult the website more frequently. To that end, he suggested that heads of delegations couldprovide to the IPU the e-mail addresses of their country’s parliamentarians.The Secretary Generalsaid that efforts in that vein had already been attempted but thatthe constant updating of such an enormous e-mail database was a difficult and resource-consuming task. Any e-mail addresses provided would nonetheless be welcome.

Mr. K. Dijkhoff (Netherlands),Rapporteur of the Meeting Young Parliamentarians,introducing the proposal, said that participants in the informal meetings of youngparliamentarians held at each Assembly for the past two years had quadrupled in number to 60,signalling that the time was ripe to establish a formal structure for enabling youngparliamentarians to inject a vital youth perspective into the work of the IPU. It would likewiseenable them to bring their enthusiasm and skills to bear in aspiring to promote achievement ofthe IPU objectives through the measures described in the proposal.Mr. J.P. Winkler (Germany)said that, in the event that the proposal was adopted, itshould be further decided at the next Assembly who qualified as a young parliamentarian andwho was eligible to attend the meetings of the forum in an observer capacity.The Presidentsaid he took it that the Council wished to approve the proposal to establisha Forum of Young Parliamentarians.It was so decided.Item 9 of the agendaCOOPERATION WITH THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM(CL/192/9-R.1 and 9-P.1)The Secretary Generaldrew attention to document CL/192/9-R.1, which contained achecklist of activities undertaken in cooperation with the United Nations system during the pastsix months, covering, inter alia: the IPU’s contribution to the United Nations-led process toredefine the development framework; the annual joint Parliamentary Hearing at the UnitedNations; cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme, the Office of theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the World Health Organization; andthe annual Parliamentary Conference on the WTO.Mr. E. Mokolo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)expressed the hope that the newinteractive format adopted for the Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations would continueto apply in future. His delegation had positively benefited from the opportunity it had providedto engage directly with United Nations officials and exchange experiences with other conflict-affected countries.The Presidentannounced that the IPU had been invited to collaborate with the WorldFuture Council and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs in selecting the recipientof the 2013 Future Policy Award, full details of which were provided in document CL/192/9-P.1.The IPU’s involvement would require but a minimum of time and resources and he thereforetook that the Governing Council wished to approve the recommendation of the ExecutiveCommittee to accept that invitation.It was so decided.Item 10 of the agendaFINANCIAL RESULTS FOR 2012(CL/192/10-R.1, R.2 and R.3)The Secretary General,presenting the financial results for 2012, said that the auditedFinancial Statements contained in document CL/192/10-R.1 complied fully with InternationalPublic Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), representing a major new achievement for the IPUand one that lent credibility to the financial management of the Organization. The informationprovided accordingly was more transparent, comprehensive and complex than ever before and

Members were urged to familiarize themselves with the entire content of the document,including the notes and annex. Steps taken to achieve compliance had included a revaluation ofthe IPU Headquarters building and IPU investments and a restatement of pension fundliabilities, leading to changes in net assets, which had combined with unexpected voluntaryrevenue and expenditure savings to yield an operating surplus of over CHF 1 million.He expressed gratitude to the External Auditor from the Swiss Federal Audit Office for histhoroughness in auditing the Financial Statements. It was worth noting that the number ofrecommendations made by the External Auditor had diminished from 13 in 2011 to only four,which were already on the way to being implemented.Mr. K. Örnfjäder (Sweden),Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Finance,delivered in theabsence of the Internal Auditor, Mr. M. Sheetrit of Israel, his report as contained in documentCL/192/10-R.2.Mr. R. del Picchia (France)congratulated the IPU on its positive financial results and inparticular on its IPSAS compliance, which was an onerous task failed by many internationalorganizations that had attempted it. Noting that expenditures were likely to increase in thefuture, he stressed that efforts must be made nonetheless to limit or avoid increases in assessedcontributions.The Presidentsaid he took it that the Council wished to approve the financialadministration of the IPU and the financial results for 2012, as recommended by the InternalAuditor in his report.It was so decided.The Secretary General,turning to the financial situation of the IPU as at 28 February 2013,drew attention to document CL/192/10-R.3, which addressed in that context the subjects of thetransition to IPSAS, currency markets and investment yields. It also covered the subject ofnational fiscal restraint, which was relevant to the justifiable and recognized concern raised bythe delegate of France in connection with rising expenditures. Lastly, it provided a summary ofthe IPU’s cash balance, revenues, expenditures, receipts of assessed contributions and arrears ofcontributions for past years.Item 11 of the agendaACTION BY THE IPU TO STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACYAND PARLIAMENTARY INSTITUTIONS(CL/192/11-R.1)The Deputy Secretary General and Director of the IPU Programmes Division,reviewingactivities carried out under the Programme for the Promotion of Democracy, said that thereport contained in document CL/192/11-R.1 should be read in conjunction with the annualreport by the Secretary General on the activities of the IPU for 2012 and the financial results ofthe IPU for 2012 (CL/192/10-R.1), the annex to which provided detailed information on theactivities undertaken. The document focused on activities pursued since January 2013, whichincluded ongoing support to various parliaments; research and standard-setting in the areas ofdemocracy and democratic governance and the representation of indigenous peoples inparliament for input into, respectively, the post-2015 development architecture and the WorldConference on Indigenous Peoples to be held in 2014; the promotion of parliamentary action tosupport women’s rights and combat violence against women; and the protection andpromotion of the human rights of parliamentarians in particular. Highlighting the IPU’s work inthat regard in the Maldives, he welcomed that country’s recent adoption of legislation

Mr. D.H. Oliver (Canada),Rapporteur of the Gender Partnership Group,presenting theGroup’s report (CL/192/12(f)-R.1), said that the positive momentum indicated by the figures forthe composition of delegations at the current Assembly must be maintained: in an all-timerecord, women accounted for 32.6 per cent of delegates, as well as for over 30 per cent ofmembers in the majority of delegations and half of all members in 20 delegations. Women’sparticipation in the Governing Council and Executive Committee remained steady at about30 per cent, whereas a less satisfactory situation prevailed in the Standing Committees and adhoc committees, as detailed in the report. The gender guidelines governing the composition ofthe Committee on Middle East Questions served as an example of good practice that should befollowed in order to transform that situation into one that accurately reflected the spirit of theIPU. Efforts must now additionally focus on mainstreaming gender equality as a cross-cuttingissue across all IPU bodies. In conclusion, he expressed the hope that the five parliaments thathad no women members, namely Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Qatar and Vanuatu, would soongive the same cause for congratulation as Saudi Arabia, where 30 women had enteredparliament for the first time ever in January 2013.(g)Advisory Group on HIV/AIDS and Maternal, Newborn and Child Health(CL/192/12(g)-R.1)

Mr. K. Dijkhoff (Netherlands),Chairperson of the Meeting of Young Parliamentarians,introducing the report of the Meeting (CL/192/12(h)-R.1), said that participants hadunanimously adopted a proposal for the establishment of a Forum of Young Parliamentarians ofthe IPU. The Council’s earlier approval of that proposal was an encouraging sign of recognitionand young parliamentarians would continue to work through the Forum in pursuit of sharedobjectives. No country could singlehandedly resolve the challenges facing an old planet with ayoung population; environment, economy and youth unemployment were all global issues. Onthe other hand, the global rise of democracy facilitated dialogue among the peoples of theworld and communication costs had been drastically reduced with the advent of social media.Such tools must be fully utilized in seeking solutions to challenges. Young parliamentarians hadalready demonstrated their keenness at the current Assembly to offer their insights andcapabilities. Wishing for no more than to be heard and judged on their merits and competence,they were confident that they would not disappoint.

Item 15 of the agendaAMENDMENTS TO THE STATUTES AND RULES(CL/192/15-P.2)The Presidentdrew the attention of the Council to the amendments proposed by thePresident of the Chilean Group to Articles 21(l) and 24(h) of the IPU Statutes, as set forth indocument CL/192/15-P.2. Those amendments affirmed the principle of striving throughout theprocess of selecting a new Secretary General to guarantee rotation among the variousgeographical regions. At its most recent sitting, however, the majority of Executive Committeemembers had taken the view that the overriding concern in that process was to find the bestpossible candidate. The Chilean Group had now requested deferral of the matter until theCommittee’s next sitting in Geneva in order to allow time for the geopolitical groups to holdfurther consultations. He took it that the Council wished to agree to that request.It was so decided.The meeting rose at 4.40 p.m.

Ms. P. Pabón (Ecuador),Rapporteur of the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians,presentingthe report of the Meeting (CL/192/12(a)-R.1), said that participants had considered from agender perspective the subject items debated by the First and Second Standing Committees,namely:Enforcing the responsibility to protect: The role of parliament in safeguarding civilians' livesandFair trade and innovative financing mechanisms for sustainable development.The discussionhad focused on the parliamentary role and responsibility in ensuring legislative action toaddress, in the first case, the problems endured by women and children in conflict situationsand, in the second case, the issues of women’s socioeconomic empowerment and access toland ownership. All of the ensuing proposals for amendments to the draft resolution on the firstsubject item had been accepted, together with some of those to the draft resolution on thesecond subject item. The additional debates held on women in politics and violence againstwomen, in particular sexual violence, were as described in the report, which also containeddetails of information provided to the Meeting on activities relating to the Gender PartnershipProgramme and cooperation with the United Nations on gender-related issues.

adoption concerned the cases of 86 parliamentarians in 17 countries. It had also organized itsfirst-ever open session in order to raise awareness of its work among parliamentarians andmobilize them in support of their colleagues. The deep interest shown by participantsreconfirmed that the Committee’s work was hugely appreciated and that parliamentariansworldwide were ready to make a greater investment in its mission.Taking the opportunity to draw attention to the special situation and day-to-day reality ofAfghan parliamentarians, she said that they performed their duties at great risk and that it wasnot uncommon for them to be violently attacked. Two weeks previously, for example, eightpeople had been killed in a suicide attack during a sports event in northern Afghanistan.According to witnesses, the attacker had targeted the family of the Speaker of the Lower Houseof Parliament, Mr. Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi. The victims included Mr. Ibrahimi’s father, brother,nephew and cousin. The Committee stood in complete solidarity with Mr. Ibrahimi and all otherAfghan parliamentarians working in such very difficult conditions.Presented by region and in alphabetical order, the cases covered by the draft resolutionsbefore the Council were as detailed below.AFRICACAMEROONMr. Ambassa Zang, a member of the National Assembly, had been charged with themisappropriation of public funds during his time as Minister of Public Works. According to theCameroonian authorities, the charges had been prompted by complaints from thedevelopment agencies that had funded the works in question. Mr. Ambassa Zang’sparliamentary immunity had been lifted in August 2009 and the authorities had opted toinstigate penal proceedings against him. Mr. Ambassa Zang had been abroad at the time andhad since been unable to return to Cameroon. He had obtained political asylum and ferventlywished to return home and see his family, from which he had now been separated for almostfour years.The Committee’s concerns related to the fairness of the proceedings against Mr. AmbassaZang. It remained convinced that, in the present conditions, there was no guarantee that Mr.Ambassa Zang’s case would be fairly and objectively handled should he return to Cameroon. Itnoted in particular that Mr. Ambassa Zang’s prosecution must be seen in the context of the anti-corruption campaign known as “Opération Épervier” (Operation Casting Net), which reportedlyserved as a pretext to purge politicians who expressed views critical of those in power.The Committee requested the Cameroonian authorities to do everything in their powerto facilitate a satisfactory settlement of Mr. Ambassa Zang’s case.The Governing Council unanimously adopted the draft resolution relating to thecase of Mr. Dieudonné Ambassa Zang.CHADDuring the rebel attack on the Chadian capital in February 2008, Mr. Yorongar, anopposition member of parliament, and other political opposition members had been arbitrarilyarrested and subjected to ill-treatment while being held at a secret place.More than five years after those events, the Committee remained deeply concerned thatno progress had been made towards identifying the perpetrators, despite the significantavenues of investigation indicated in the report by the Commission of Inquiry established bythe authorities in 2008 to shed light on the serious human rights violations committed at thetime.The Committee had deemed it useful to send the Committee President, Mr. KassoumTapo, on a visit to Chad to assess the situation. It wished to thank the Chadian authorities for

their cooperation and sincerely hoped that the ongoing investigations would shortly yieldtangible results. It also noted that Mr. Yorongar’s refusal to cooperate with the Chadian justicesystem was an obstacle to the smooth conduct of the investigations.The Governing Council unanimously adopted the draft resolution relating to thecase of Mr. Ngarleji Yorongar.RWANDAIn the case of Mr. Léonard Hitimana, which had been before the Council for a very longtime, the regrettable fact was that Mr. Hitimana, a member of the Transitional NationalAssembly at the time of the events, had last been seen alive exactly 10 years earlier, on 7 April2003.Despite its long-standing dialogue with the Rwandan authorities and its mission toRwanda in June 2011, the Committee now had no choice but to consider that the absence of aserious investigation corroborated the long-standing charge that Mr. Hitimana had been thevictim of a forced disappearance. The Committee considered that the hypothesis put forwardby the Rwandan authorities that Mr. Hitimana had fled abroad was not valid, more than 10 yearsafter the events and given that they had had several notices for missing persons published viaInterpol.Enforced disappearances were a serious human rights violation and the forceddisappearance of a member of parliament, if not elucidated and punished, stood as a threat toparliament as such, to all its members and, in the final analysis, to the people parliamentrepresented, as it could only encourage the repetition of such acts.Consequently, the Committee urged the authorities to carry out an independent andprompt investigation examining all lines of enquiry and exploring in particular the informationprovided by the sources, according to which Mr. Hitimana had been abducted, tortured andassassinated by the Rwandan military intelligence services (DMI) in order to silence allopposition to the dissolution of his party in the run-up to the 2003 presidential and legislativeelections. The Committee remained convinced that following new lines of inquiry would soonlead to the emergence of new evidence.The Governing Council unanimously adopted the draft resolution relating to thecase of Mr. Léonard Hitimana.TOGOIn Togo, following a split in an opposition party, nine former parliamentarians had beenexcluded from the National Assembly on the grounds that they had established and joined anew political party. As that situation had further exacerbated the political tension betweenmajority and opposition parties in the run-up to the forthcoming elections, the President of theCommittee had visited Togo in order to examine the possibilities of a resumption of the politicaldialogue with a view to resolving the case. As a result of his visit, the Committee was convincedthat a resumption of the political dialogue between opposition members of parliament and theauthorities was key to a political settlement. It therefore encouraged such dialogue and fullysupported the organization of mediation facilitated by the IPU before the elections in Togo andthe adoption of appropriate legislation aimed at averting similar situations in the future.The Governing Council unanimously adopted the draft resolution relating to thecase of nine parliamentarians.ZIMBABWE

The Committee had received the Speaker of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe during thecurrent session and wished to express its special gratitude for the information he had provided onboth Mr. Chamisa’s case and recent constitutional developments in Zimbabwe. It was also pleasedto note that the Parliament of Zimbabwe continued to exercise its duty of oversight to ensure thatthe competent authorities respected and effectively upheld the rights of parliamentarians.The case covered by the draft resolution concerned Mr. Nelson Chamisa, a member ofparliament for Zimbabwe’s main opposition party and currently Minister for Information,Communication and Technology in the Government of National Unity established in 2009.Mr. Chamisa had been tortured and subjected to ill-treatment after being arbitrarily arrestedin March 2007. Shortly thereafter, on 18 March 2007, he had been brutally attacked, in the presenceof police officers, by eight security agents at Harare International Airport while travelling to Brussels.As a result of that attack, Mr. Chamisa had been admitted to hospital in critical condition. TheCommittee had expressed concern for several years at the absence of any police or judicialinquiry. It therefore invited the Council to urge the competent authorities, in the draftresolution, to do all in their power to identify and punish the culprits.The Governing Council unanimously adopted the draft resolution relating to thecase of Mr. Nelson Chamisa.

AMERICASCOLOMBIAThe Committee’s Vice-President, Senator Juan Pablo Letelier, had visited Bogotá onbehalf of the Committee just before the 128thAssembly. His mission had provided anopportunity for an exchange of views with the Colombian authorities and with the victims andtheir families on the many Colombian cases before the Committee. It had focused oninvestigations into the murders of members of Congress, the protection of threatened personsand the question of full respect for the right of parliamentarians to a fair trial.The mission had showed that the judicial authorities were truly determined to advanceinvestigations into the murders of and threats against parliamentarians. They also appeared tobe more open to the possibility of enhancing the legal protection of parliamentarians. TheCommittee considered that such protection was in the interest of democracy and crucial tostrengthening the role of Congress. Public opinion was nevertheless opposed to any move inthat direction, which it assimilated to impunity for parliamentarians. The Committee thereforehoped that the National Congress, with the support of the relevant executive, judicial andadministrative authorities, would make the public aware of the importance of such protection.The aim was to introduce an avenue of appeal in criminal proceedings against parliamentariansand to eliminate the revocation of the parliamentary mandate as a disciplinary sanction.The Governing Council unanimously adopted the five draft resolutions relating to,respectively, the case of seven parliamentarians, the case of Mr. Luis Carlos GalánSarmiento, the case of Mrs. Piedad Córdoba, the case of Mr. Álvaro Araújo Castro and thecase of five parliamentarians.ECUADORIn the long-standing case of Mr. Hurtado and Mr. Tapia, who had been shot dead inFebruary 1999, a suspect had been apprehended in Colombia and extradited to Ecuador in April2010. Shortly thereafter, however, an Ecuadorian court had ruled that the statute of limitationshad expired and that the suspect could not be tried. That decision had been appealed and thesuspect was now in custody in Ecuador. The Committee and the Ecuadorian Parliamentconsidered that there were sufficient legal grounds for the trial to take place. They sincerely

hoped that the proceedings would start soon and serve to shed light on that crime, themasterminds of which had yet to be identified.The Governing Council unanimously adopted the draft resolution relating to thecase of Mr. Jaime Ricaurte Hurtado González and Mr. Pablo Vicente Tapia Farinango.ASIACAMBODIAMr. Sam Rainsy, an opposition leader, had been sentenced to 11 years in prison, above allfor having removed temporary border posts in October 2009 along the border betweenCambodia and Viet Nam. He had been charged on a second count, of spreading falseinformation, when he had tried to show that the border posts encroached on Cambodianterritory. The Committee considered that the case was purely political in nature and shouldtherefore be resolved at the political level. It made a final appeal to the parties, both in powerand in the opposition, to reach agreement on a solution enabling Mr. Sam Rainsy to return toCambodia and take part in the national elections in July 2013.The Governing Council unanimously adopted the draft resolution relating to thecase of Mr. Sam Rainsy.IRAQAs part of his work as a parliamentarian, Mr. Al-Dainy had documented and publiclydenounced on many occasions the security forces’ use of torture in secret places of detention.Arraigned on extremely serious charges, he had been sentenced to death in January 2010. TheCommittee’s belief that those charges were pure fabrications had been borne out by theinvestigation of an ad hoc parliamentary committee of inquiry. The Committee fully supportedthe committee of inquiry’s recommendation that the case be retried. It noted with interest thatthe recommendation had been the subject of follow-up meetings with all the competentauthorities. It considered that a mission to Iraq by a delegation of the Committee would allow itto obtain direct first-hand information on the prospects for progress in the case.The Governing Council unanimously adopted the draft resolution relating to thecase of Mr. Mohammed Al-Dainy.MALDIVESA mission by a delegation of the Committee had travelled to the Maldives in November2012, prompted by concern about the case of several parliamentarians in the context of thetransfer of power on 7 February 2012. The Committee fully endorsed the conclusions on thereport on that mission (CL/192/12(b)-R.1). While deploring above all the murder ofMr. Afrasheem Ali in October 2012, it was nevertheless pleased that material progress had beenmade in the investigation of that crime.The Committee was concerned that not a single police officer had thus far been held toaccount for the ill-treatment inflicted on the parliamentarians the day after the transfer ofpower. It was also concerned by the source’s allegation that opposition parliamentarians nolonger received the official protection they required.Judicial proceedings had been launched against a number of parliamentarians from theopposition Maldives Democracy Party (MDP) for having participated in demonstrations orsimply for having exercised their right to freedom of expression. The Committee urged theauthorities to tread extremely carefully in pursuing those cases.In conclusion, the Committee was extremely concerned about the context ofconfrontation that continued to exist between parliament and the other branches of the State

and about the fact that parliament’s authority appeared to be continuously challenged. Ittherefore called on all sides to move beyond political expediency and partisanship, engage indialogue and promote consensus-building in order to facilitate free, fair and meaningfulpresidential elections in September 2013.The Governing Council unanimously adopted the draft resolution relating to thecase of 21 parliamentarians of the Maldives.MYANMARThe Committee took note of the many measures taken in the past two years by theauthorities to reinforce the rule of law and give effect to human rights. In that context, it waspleased to note that there were no more former parliamentarians in prison. It neverthelessreiterated that those persons had all been political prisoners held on the basis of unjust lawsand unfair procedures.The Committee considered that parliament had an essential role to play in reviewing and,if necessary, repealing those laws. It wished to know whether parliament had established, assuggested by the United Nations Special Rapporteur, a timeline for undertaking that task. Itcalled on parliament to ensure that the regulatory and legislative framework in place protectedmembers of parliament in their work, and suggested that the IPU’s capacity-building assistancetake account of that need.The Governing Council unanimously adopted the draft resolution relating to thecase of nine parliamentarians.PALESTINEIn 2012, 23 parliamentarians elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) on theChange and Reform list were being held in administrative detention in Israel. By the previousday, 26 March 2013, that number had been reduced to five, and the Committee had now sincebeen informed of the release of Mr. Nayef Rojoub.The Committee had received extensive information from the Israeli authorities to theeffect that criminal proceedings had been opened against three Palestinian parliamentarians.The Committee wished to understand the facts underpinning the charges. In that regard, itreiterated its previous concerns that the members of the PLC sentenced shortly after the 2006elections had not been convicted on specific criminal charges but rather on account of theirpolitical affiliation.The Committee wished to understand how, in cases of administrative detention, whichoften relied on classified evidence, the detainees could benefit from due process in practice andeffectively challenge their deprivation of liberty. It therefore appreciated the invitation to attendone or more judicial reviews relating to the cases of Palestinian parliamentarians being held inadministrative detention.The Committee remained concerned about the decision to revoke the residence permitsof three members of the PLC and about how that decision had been implemented. It trustedthat the Supreme Court would rule speedily on the petitions filed in that connection.The Governing Council unanimously adopted the draft resolution relating to thecase of 11 parliamentarians.THAILANDMr. Jatuporn Prompan, a leader of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship(UDD) and at the time a member of the House of Representatives, had played a prominent rolein the “Red Shirt” demonstrations in central Bangkok in 2010.Although Mr. Jatuporn had been re-elected in 2011, his election had been invalidated on

grounds that would appear to run directly counter to Thailand’s international human rightsobligations. The Committee sincerely hoped that the competent Thai authorities wouldreconsider the invalidation and ensure that all legal provisions were in line with internationalstandards. It remained concerned about the alleged legal basis for the charges pending againstMr. Jatuporn and planned to send an observer to his trial.The Governing Council unanimously adopted the draft resolution relating to thecase of Mr. Jatuporn Prompan.YEMENAccording to the sources, Mr. Hashed had been the target of threats and harassmentbecause of his human rights activities. On 12 February of the present year, he had been brutallyattacked and seriously wounded by five anti-riot soldiers during a peaceful demonstration. TheCommittee was particularly concerned at the allegation that the attack had been premeditatedand carried out with the complicity or at the instigation of senior State officials. A panel ofinquiry had been immediately set up, but the Committee had doubts about its independence.The Committee urged the authorities to do everything required to ensure that the attack didnot go unpunished. It called on parliament in particular to do all it could to monitor the inquiry.The Governing Council unanimously adopted the draft resolution relating to thecase of Mr. Ahmed Saif Hashed.EUROPEBELARUSMr. Victor Gonchar and a friend, Mr. Anatoly Krasovsky, had been missing for over12 years. The Committee pointed out that the decision by the United Nations Human RightsCommittee in the case of Mr. Krasovsky confirmed the absence of an effective investigation intoboth disappearances. It trusted that the authorities would fully comply with that decision,notably by thoroughly investigating the case.The Committee believed that a visit to Belarus by a Committee delegation would offer atimely opportunity to obtain first-hand information on the current state of the investigation andthe prospects for progress in the case. It hoped that the country’s authorities would agree tosuch a visit.The Governing Council unanimously adopted the draft resolution relating to thecase of Mr. Victor Gonchar.RUSSIAN FEDERATIONIn its judgement of June 2005 in the case of Ms. Galina Starovoitova, the St. PetersburgCity Court had concluded that her murder was politically motivated. Unfortunately, nearly15 years after the murder, the case had yet to be fully elucidated. The Committee wished toreceive information on the progress made in the case since its meeting with a member of theRussian delegation in Kampala in 2012. It would be particularly interested to know if the resultsobtained thus far showed whether the presumed mastermind of the crime, a formerparliamentarian and businessman involved in large-scale criminal activities, had acted on hisown or not.The Governing Council unanimously adopted the draft resolution relating to thecase of Ms. Galina Starovoitova.

TURKEYThe Committee had before it the case of nine Turkish parliamentarians being prosecutedfor having violated the constitutional order. Although all nine had been authorized to stand inthe elections and were subsequently elected, they had not been authorized by the judicialauthorities to discharge their parliamentary mandate and currently remained in pre-trialdetention, in some cases for the fifth year running. Only one of the nine had thus far beenconvicted at first instance.The sources had raised serious concerns with regard to the Turkish courts’ systematicrefusal to release the parliamentarians concerned on bail. The sources had stressed theexcessive length of the pre-trial detention in terms of the duration of the proceedings, whichappeared not to be advancing towards a rapid conclusion. Other preoccupations raised by thesources included the fairness of the judicial proceedings given the evidence produced againstthe accused. The Committee was also concerned by the fact that the nine parliamentarianswere all known for their opposition to the present Government.As stated by the President of the Committee when he had presented his report in Quebecin October 2012, the Committee was pleased that the President of the Turkish IPU Group hadagreed to a mission by the Committee to enhance understanding of the cases before it and ofthe political and historical context in which they had to be seen. The Committee duly noted thatthe Grand National Assembly of Turkey had a busy schedule owing to its critical involvement inthe ongoing process of constitutional and legal reform. It nevertheless sincerely believed that,given Turkey’s ambitious reform efforts, the Committee’s mission would be all the more timelyat the dates agreed, at the end of May 2013. The Committee therefore hoped that those dateswould be confirmed as soon as possible.The Governing Council unanimously adopted the draft resolution relating to thecase of nine parliamentarians.Concluding her presentation, Ms. Kiener Nellen recalled, on behalf of all the members ofthe Committee, that the Committee relied heavily on the cooperation of the Governing Counciland the assistance of all IPU Member Parliaments for the effective implementation of theresolutions just adopted. Emphasizing the parliamentary spirit of solidarity underpinning theCommittee’s work, which constituted theraison d’êtreof the IPU, she said that the Committeeremained convinced that, through their work, all parliamentarians could help colleagues whosefundamental rights had been violated.(c)(i)Committee on Middle East Questions

(CL/192/12(c)-R.2), said that the magnitude of the daunting task of addressing the issuesreflected in the report called for the closest possible cooperation with the Committee on theHuman Rights of Parliamentarians and for support and honest guidance from parliamentariansand the IPU Secretariat. He expressed genuine appreciation to all those without whom themission would have been impossible, including the Secretary General, staff at the IPU and theUnited Nations Works and Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the hosts of thedelegation and above all his fellow members of the delegation.The Committee would take into account in its future work the helpful observations madeby the Palestinian delegation to the Assembly in response to the report, with particularreference to the issues of the continuing harassment of Palestinians; repeated arrests anddetentions of young Palestinians especially; administrative detention; and water. TheCommittee now looked forward to receiving similar input from Israel at the earliest opportunity.His own overall impression was of the vital need for reconciliation between Fatah and Hamasand for an end to the blockade that continued to wreak such devastating socieconomic andhumanitarian consequences for Palestinians.The paradox was that, notwithstanding Israel’s grave fear of rocket attacks from Palestine,peace did not feature in the manifestos of the main players in the recent Israeli elections. Themission had ultimately been convinced that the solution for a just peace must be owned by theparties themselves and found in the process of the negotiation, with no outside management. Itwas furthermore provocative of outside leaders to refuse to recognize the outcome of thedemocracy for which they constantly advocated if that outcome was not to their liking. Timewas not on the side of finding a solution when international attention was increasingly focusedon a growing multitude of global challenges and the United States was becoming more energyself-sufficient.Highlighting the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report, heemphasized that the people of the region must be kept constantly in sight. There was no roomfor empty rhetoric or self-indulgence. In order to defeat the cynics, the IPU must demonstrate itsgenuine will of commitment to meaningful and substantial outcomes with respect to MiddleEast questions and ensure the resources needed for that purpose, failing which it would dobetter to drop those questions from its agenda altogether. It must therefore seize theopportunity of its potential to make a practical contribution to resolving the Middle Eastsituation.The Presidentsaid he took it that the Council wished to endorse the recommendationscontained in the report.It was so decided.

Mr. F.-X. de Donnea (Belgium),Rapporteur of the Committee to Promote Respect forInternational Humanitarian Law,presenting the Committee’s report (CL/192/12(e)-R.1), said thatparticipants at the meeting held by the Committee on 26 March 2013 had been briefed onrecent developments with respect to statelessness, internally displaced persons and refugeeprotection. In outlining the details of those briefings, as set out in the report, he stressed thevital role of parliaments in the effective implementation of international humanitarian law (IHL)and in driving efforts to ensure the universal ratification of such instruments as the two keyconventions dealing with the issue of statelessness. Lastly, he drew attention to the summary ofthe Committee’s open session on the themeThe IHL dimension of the responsibility to protect,which was annexed to the report.The Presidentstated that note had been taken of the request contained in paragraph 13of the report for the Secretariat to examine the practical and other issues relating to the wishexpressed by members of the Committee to conduct in the near future a field visit to Syrianrefugee camps in the region.The delegate of Iraqrequested that Iraq be acknowledged in the report as a country thatwas fulfilling its humanitarian obligation to the 160,000 Syrian refugees it was hosting on itsterritory.The Presidentresponded that note was taken of that comment.Item 14 of the agendaFUTURE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY MEETINGS(CL/192/14-P.1)(a)Statutory meetings

The President,drawing attention to the list of future inter-parliamentary meetings set outin document CL/192/14-P.1, announced that Azerbaijan had offered to host the 130thAssembly,in April 2014, in Baku. Although the requisite visa assurances were yet to be received from theGovernment of Azerbaijan, he took it that the Council wished to approve Baku as the venue forthat Assembly, as recommended by the Executive Committee.It was so decided.Mr. V. Alasgarov (Azerbaijan)expressed his gratitude to the IPU for its endorsement ofthe offer by his Government to host the 130thAssembly. Proud to be hosting that event, theAzerbaijani people and authorities would do their utmost to ensure its success and lookedforward to welcoming delegates and to sharing with them the rich culture, history andtraditions of Azerbaijan. In the coming days, his Government would formally communicate tothe IPU the assurances already provided by the Parliament of Azerbaijan to honour thecommitment to ensure access to the country for all delegates.The Presidentadded that, on the basis of the Secretary General’s positive report followinghis recent mission to Viet Nam, the Executive Committee had further recommended approval ofHanoi as the venue for the 132ndAssembly, to be held from 29 March to 1 April 2015, which didnot coincide with any religious festivities. He took it that the Council wished to agree with thatrecommendation.

The Secretary Generalsaid that, as indicated in document CL/192/14-P.1, the Council wasrequested to approve a number of specialized meetings. In some cases, the dates and venue ofthose meetings had still to be finalized but in no case were there any financial implications inthat funding was available for each meeting from either the regular budget or external sources.Concerning the regional seminar on gender-sensitive parliaments to be held in Gabon,the dates of 13 to 15 June 2013 had now been set, whereas the Parliamentary Meeting listed asdue to take place in New York in September 2013 had been postponed to a later date in orderto avoid close proximity with the 129thAssembly in Geneva. Not listed but also requiring Councilapproval was a regional meeting of Arab parliaments on the theme of the evolving relationshipbetween citizens and parliament, to be organized in conjunction with the Moroccan Parliamentand the United Nations Development Programme during the week commencing 13 May 2013.No financial implications were associated with the meeting.The Presidentsaid he took it that the Council wished to approve the list of specializedand other meetings.It was so decided.

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT ON THE SITUATION INTHE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLICThe Presidentinformed that Council that in Quito, on 27 March 2013, he had made thefollowing statement to the press concerning the situation in the Central African Republic:"I was deeply concerned to learn of the coup d’état in the Central AfricanRepublic, where an armed group has seized power, suspended the Constitutionand dissolved the elected Parliament. Once again, an elected Parliament hasbecome the main casualty of a political crisis. The IPU strongly condemns thiscoup d’état. It urges the new authorities of the country to take immediate steps toreturn to constitutional rule and to establish a parliament that is the outcome ofthe will of the people. The IPU is committed to working with the authorities alongthese lines and to continuing its support to the Parliament."The events in the Central African Republic, he added, demonstrated that democracy wasnot irreversible and that continued vigilance was required in its defence. Precious as democracywas, it remained under constant threat.After the customary exchange of courtesies, thePresidentdeclared the session of theGoverning Council closed.The meeting rose at 10.55 a.m.