IPU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 23: Summary of IPU Executive Committee meetings

Dansk Interparlamentarisk Gruppes bestyrelse 2019-20
IPU Alm.del Bilag 23
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SUMMARY OF THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS

JUNE - AUGUST 2020

PREPARED BY

HON. DAVID MCGUINTY, P.C., M.P.,

IPU Executive Committee Vice-President for the Twelve Plus Group

and

President of the Canadian Group of IPU

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IPU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 23: Summary of IPU Executive Committee meetings

INTRODUCTION

The Inter-Parliamentary

Union’s (IPU) Executive Committee (ExCom) held four

virtual meetings

(11, 18 and 26 June 2020 and 9 July 2020) as part of its 283

session and one virtual meeting

(31 August 2020) as part of its 284

session. The meetings allowed for the consideration of items

previously scheduled for discussion ahead of the 142

IPU Assembly, which was cancelled, as well

as new items, including the way the organization has responded to, and been affected by, the

COVID-19 pandemic. The four ExCom members from the Twelve Plus Group, IPU Vice-President

Mr. D. McGuinty (Canada), Mr. M. Grujic (Serbia), Ms. C. Widegren (Sweden), and

Ms. L. Fehlmann Rielle (Switzerland) participated in the meetings. This document summarizes the

discussions held and key decisions taken during the ExCom’s 283

and 284

sessions.

FINANCIAL QUESTIONS

REPORT FROM THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

As interim chair, Mr. A. Abdel

Aal (Egypt) presented the report of ExCom’s Sub-Committee

Finance via a written statement, due to his inability to participate in the meetings. He reported that

the external auditor had given an unqualified audit opinion with no new recommendations for 2019,

finding that the financial statements were of a high quality and that the IPU was in sound financial

health. Mr.

Aal reported that the IPU’s internal auditor, Mr.

R. del Picchia (France), was also

satisfied with

the IPU’s financial position and the work done by the external auditor. Mr.

Aal agreed

with these opinions and commended the IPU Secretariat on its financial management of the

institution.

Mr. Aal stated that the reception of assessed contributions in the early months of 2020 was steady,

implying there was, so far, no evidence of a pandemic-related revenue shortfall. Mr. Aal noted that,

per IPU rules, any savings related to the pandemic or other sources would be put in the Working

Capital Fund and allocated

at the discretion of the IPU’s Governing Bodies. Mr.

Aal was cautious in

discussing potential savings for 2020, reminding the ExCom that savings from cancelled physical

events were at least partially offset by expenses related to hosting virtual events

and the Secretariat’s

transition to teleworking.

Ms. Cecilia Widegren (Sweden) was elected the new Twelve Plus representative, and subsequently

Chair, of the Sub-Committee

on Finance. The committee’s other members are Mr.

A. Abdel Aal

(Egypt), Ms. P. Krairiksh (Thailand), Ms. A. D. Mergane Kanouté (Senegal), Mr. J. P. Letelier

(Chile), and Mr. A. Saidov (Uzbekistan).

2020 BUDGET

At the meeting on 11 June 2020, the Secretariat reported that, to date, the IPU had saved

approximately 530,000 CHF (approx. $773,800 CAD) due to the cancellation of events because of

the pandemic. The Secretariat later provided a written summary of expected cancellation-related

savings for 2020, forecasting a budget surplus of approximately 1 million CHF ($1.46 million CAD)

by the end of the year. The projected surplus is attributed primarily to the cancellation of the two IPU

Assemblies and the decision to move the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (WCSP) to a

virtual format.

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IPU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 23: Summary of IPU Executive Committee meetings

Members of the ExCom raised the possibility of a reduced assessed contribution in 2021 and

discussed how to make the IPU budget more cost effective and results oriented, including by

reducing the budget for IPU missions and hiring consultants and contractors. The Secretariat reported

that dues will not increase in 2021. Members also discussed how to increase voluntary contributions

and the role of the ExCom in this respect.

FUTURE MEETINGS

FALL 2020 ASSEMBLY

Following the ExCom’s initial meeting on 11

June 2020, the Parliament of Rwanda informed the IPU

that, due to the pandemic, it would be unable to host the 142

IPU Assembly in October 2020.

Rwanda stated it remained interested in hosting an IPU Assembly, offering to host the Assembly

scheduled for October 2021.

At the request of the ExCom, the Secretariat prepared different scenarios under which the IPU could

convene in some form in fall 2020. Members were canvassed for their views on holding a physical,

virtual or hybrid meeting. Following thorough discussion, the ExCom decided that a virtual meeting

of the Governing Council would be held from 1–4 November 2020. The ExCom created a working

group mandated with examining the modalities for holding a council session virtually, including the

implications for the agenda and the presidential election. Members emphasized the importance of

respecting the principles of inclusivity and gender equality and ensuring that procedures are

consistent with the IPU’s Statutes and Rules.

Current IPU President, Ms. G. Cuevas Barron (Mexico), stated that she intends to end her mandate

prior to the next session of the Governing Council, scheduled for November 2020, as her three-year

term in office expires on 18 October 2020. As such, it is expected that IPU Vice-President of the

Executive Committee, Mr. G. Chen (China), will chair the virtual session.

INITIAL REPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP

At the 9 July 2020 meeting, the working group presented a summary of its discussions. The group

decided to recommend that the 2021 IPU budget and elections for the IPU Presidency and ExCom

vacancies be prioritized as agenda items, while also recommending that the WCSP Declaration and

discussion of an IPU post-pandemic strategy be considered as agenda items. It also agreed to seek

legal advice on possible changes to the Governing Council Rules or the Statutes of the IPU required

to hold a Governing

Council session virtually ahead of the working group’s next meeting to inform

discussions.

APPROVAL OF WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS

At the meeting held on 31 August

2020, the ExCom was presented with the working group’s final

recommendations and proposals. These included a draft version of special rules of procedures for the

virtual session and proposed technical provisions for the holding of elections for the IPU Presidency

and ExCom through an online voting system. ExCom members reviewed and amended the proposals

submitted by the working group. Particular attention was paid to assuring candidates for the

presidency were guaranteed opportunities to engage with IPU members, including by adding

candidate presentations to the Governing Council agenda. Careful consideration was also given to the

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oversight of the online voting system, by both tellers nominated from among IPU members and by an

external auditor.

WORLD CONFERENCE OF SPEAKERS OF PARLIAMENT

The ExCom endorsed the recommendation of the WCSP Preparatory Committee to hold the

WCSP in two phases: a virtual phase with a reduced program on 19 and 20 August 2020; and an

in-person phase in Vienna in 2021. The ExCom will recommend to the Governing Council that it

give the existing preparatory committee a mandate to prepare for the second phase of the WCSP. As

previously noted, the move to a virtual format is expected to result in budget savings in 2020. These

savings are not expected, however, to offset additional expenses arising from the physical event in

Vienna in 2021.

FUTURE ASSEMBLIES

In addition to Rwanda offering to host the October 2021 Assembly in Kigali, Morocco has offered to

host the March 2021 Assembly in Marrakesh and Indonesia has offered to host the April 2022

Assembly. These offers are subject to Governing Council approval.

COOPERATION WITH THE UNITED NATIONS

UN75 DECLARATION

Following a request from the IPU, several parliaments approached their respective missions to the

United Nations (UN) to encourage them to propose amendments to the draft UN75 Declaration that

would make more prominent reference to the role of parliaments. The draft declaration has since

been finalized without the inclusion of amendments proposed by the IPU and was adopted by the UN

General Assembly on 21 September 2020.

INDEPENDENT REPORT ON IPU–UN RELATIONS

Following the decision in Belgrade to commission an independent report on the IPU’s relationship

with the UN, the consultant hired for the task presented his preliminary findings to the ExCom.

During his study, the consultant,

Greg Power,

carried out numerous interviews at both the IPU and

the UN and found that the IPU has broad support within the UN system. He emphasized that the IPU

offers the UN a unique combination of political and policy expertise and recommended that the

IPU’s strength of generating synergies at the local, national, regional and global levels should be

maximized. He also noted that the IPU’s access to the UN system stems primarily from its

membership and the oversight role played by parliaments.

OTHER ISSUES

TRANSPARENCY REPORT

The consultant hired to provide an independent evaluation of the IPU’s transparency procedures,

Malika Aït-Mohamed Parent,

presented her findings. The consultant emphasized that the IPU has a

good structure on which to enhance its commitment to transparency, accountability and openness. At

the same time, she recommended that many procedures be updated, new procedures be established,

and a comprehensive strategy be developed and reviewed on a five-year basis. She emphasized data

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IPU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 23: Summary of IPU Executive Committee meetings

protection and digitalization as key priorities for the future, along with the consideration of an

independent oversight mechanism and means of promoting more succinct information sharing.

The ExCom agreed to establish a working group comprising one representative from each

geopolitical group in order to

further examine the report’s recommendations and propose an

implementation plan for the ExCom’s consideration. Mr.

D. McGuinty (Canada) was nominated as

the Twelve

Plus’s representative for the group.

IPU PRESIDENT’S REPORT

During the 9 July 2020 meeting, the IPU President presented her activities report. ExCom members

raised concerns regarding a section of the report which detailed problems she had identified with the

management of the IPU and the work of the Secretariat. The ExCom requested that these concerns be

kept within the organization, and not reflected in public versions of the report. It was also decided

that the transparency report working group would be tasked with further investigating the President’s

allegations.

COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY

The Secretariat presented a mid-term report on its communications strategy (2019–2021). Focused on

digital engagement, the Secretariat found that the IPU’s new strategy had significantly increased

traffic to its website and viewings of its online videos, as well as generally enhancing its social media

presence.

2020 IPU ACTIVITIES

The Secretary General presented a summary of activities the IPU has undertaken since the outbreak

of the pandemic. Although the pandemic has made in-person meetings impossible, the IPU has

continued to serve parliaments, including through the publication of pandemic-related information and

guidance, the organization of meetings of the IPU’s various bodies (including the High Level Advisory

Group on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism and the Committee on Human Rights of

Parliamentarians), and the provision of technical assistance and capacity building to individual

parliaments using virtual tools.

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