Manama, March 15 (BNA): At the 146th session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union today in Bahrain, parliamentarians representing nearly 140 countries adopted the Manama Declaration “Promoting Peaceful Coexistence and Inclusive Societies: Fighting Intolerance” and a historic resolution on cybercrime: new threats to global security.
The Manama Declaration is a message of hope
The announcement followed a debate in which a record number of 151 parliamentarians spoke before an audience of their peers from every corner of the world, the IPU said in a statement.
In the declaration, parliamentarians pledge to “combat inequality through rights-based economic and social policies that put people above profit and the weak over the powerful, and that uphold equality and dignity for every person.”
The declaration also urges parliamentarians to “implement the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 – leaving no one behind – as the best hope for peace, democracy and sustainable development for all.”
The Declaration is a message of hope calling for a more tolerant world in which diversity is celebrated, and where every human being is recognized for their contribution to society.
It also calls on parliamentarians to make “acts motivated by hatred and all forms of violence linked to religion or belief, xenophobia, racism or intolerance towards marginalized groups a crime under the law.”
Cybercrime: New Threats to Global Security
The IPU’s decision is timely given the increase in cybercrime worldwide due to the increasing reliance on technology and the digitization of many aspects of life, which has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It also means that the forthcoming United Nations Convention on Cybercrime, which is expected in 2024, will have initial input directly from parliaments.
There is no comprehensive definition of cybercrime. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, cybercrimes are acts that violate the law and are committed using information and communication technologies.
Aside from attacks on computer systems, they include a wide range of other acts that technology can facilitate, including online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The resolution stresses the need for international cooperation to tackle cybercrime, as well as to protect global peace, security and economic stability while upholding human rights, including freedom of expression.
The resolution affirms the responsibility of parliaments to build a regulatory framework to protect citizens in cyberspace in the same way as in the physical world. He points out that cybercrime may pose a serious threat to democratic processes, particularly interference in elections through cybersecurity breaches or fake social media accounts.
It acknowledges that women, youth and children are among the most vulnerable groups and suffer the most from attacks online.
The decision is the result of a long consultative process, including a record 320 amendments received from member parliaments, often with opposing viewpoints, culminating in an agreed final text, demonstrating the importance and sensitivity of the issue today.
The resolution also shows that there is a growing appetite for the voices of parliamentarians, as representatives of the people, to be included in UN processes and conventions. The IPU decision and the future UN convention should eventually lead to stronger national legislation to combat cybercrime.
Work to solve humanitarian crises
The General Assembly also adopted an emergency resolution on raising awareness and calling for action on the serious humanitarian crises affecting the people of Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and other countries, and on the particular vulnerability of women and children.
The resolution calls on the international community to cooperate to protect human lives, alleviate suffering, preserve dignity, and ensure access to basic services such as food, medical care, water, and shelter for all persons, regardless of their origin, through the law. and policy measures at the national level.
Peacebuilding
In light of the constant wars and multiple conflict situations around the world, the Inter-Parliamentary Union has strengthened its role in the Assembly as a global convening body for parliaments, promoting dialogue and diplomacy between countries.
The IPU Working Group for the Peaceful Settlement of the War in Ukraine met again with high-level delegations of MPs from both the Russian Federation and Ukraine, separately, with the aim of keeping parliamentary diplomatic channels open for future peacebuilding.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Committee on Middle East Affairs brought together parliamentarians from the region, including Palestinian MPs and the first Israeli parliamentary delegation to visit Bahrain since the normalization of relations between the two countries through the 2020 Abraham Accords.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Group of Facilitators on Cyprus also met to assess and propose measures to de-escalate tensions on the island.
Human rights of parliamentarians
The Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians examined several cases of alleged human rights violations against members of parliament.
New faces in the IPU bodies
The 146th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union took place in Bahrain from 11-15 March. Hundreds of parliamentarians attended, 34% of whom were women and 22% were youth representatives (under 45 years old). It was the first IPU assembly of so many MPs.
Several elections were held in the various IPU bodies: Mondre Boudon (Algeria) was elected Chair of the High Level Advisory Group on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism. Dan Cardin (United Kingdom) as Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Council of the Young Parliamentarians Forum; Cynthia López Castro (Mexico), President of the Office of Women Parliamentarians; and Hubert Julien-Laferrière (France) as Chairman of the Middle East Affairs Committee
Two new members have joined the Executive Committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Ida Kamungi Nasirua Sabango (DRC) and Janine Alm-Ericksson (Sweden).
The Inter-Parliamentary Union is a global organization of national parliaments. Founded more than 133 years ago as the world’s first multilateral political organization, it encourages cooperation and dialogue among all nations.
Today the Inter-Parliamentary Union includes 179 national member parliaments and 14 regional parliamentary bodies.
It promotes democracy and helps parliaments become stronger, younger, gender-balanced and more representative. It also advocates for the human rights of parliamentarians through an ad hoc committee made up of MPs from around the world.