Global Parliamentarians Meet in Switzerland

The 125^th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) ended in Bern, Switzerland last week.In one of the key thematic issues affecting and afflicting the region, the IPU convention resolved unanimously to ensure Member States concert all efforts once and for all, to break the cyclic problem of insecurity in Somalia.

Towards this end, the IPU wants the international community to seek initiatives that will send in more peace keeping forces into Somalia and to foster stronger collaboration to combat insecurity posed by extremists in Somalia as a whole and piracy in the Indian Ocean in particular.

Keynote speakers during the two week Assembly were Ms. Micheline Calmy-Ray, the President of the Switzerland Council of Co-operation, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary General and the Speaker of EALA, the Rt. Hon Abdirahin H. Abdi.  Others were Rt. Hon. Theo-Ben Gurirab, the IPU President; Mr. Jean-Rene Germainer, Speaker of the Swiss Parliament, Mr. Hansheiri Inderkum, and Mr. Alexander Tschappat, the Lord Mayor of Bern.

A specific motion dubbed: “World Parliaments discuss the plight of the people of famine stricken Somalia”, was sponsored and moved by the delegation from Namibia. The delegation recalled inter alia the resolution adopted by the 122^nd IPU Assembly held in Bangkok, Thailand, acknowledging that growing frequency, intensity and impact of disasters pose a significant threat to the people’s lives and livelihoods. Such disasters further hamper the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), they said.  At the same time, the motion underscored the alarming humanitarian situation in Somalia and the inhumane conduct of the warring parties in the country.

IPU Members States thus adopted a resolution calling on the membership of the global parliamentary union to reject attempts by any group which seeks to impose their values based on religion or ethnicity as a basis of governance. In the past, the terrorist group, Al-Shabab has been on record imposing their values on Somali citizens while threatening those who fail to abide by the requirements.

The resolution called on governments and international organizations, such as the United Nations to assist in bringing about stability through agricultural self-sufficiency bearing in mind however, that, such a situation depends on the local conditions (soil, water and climate) and on investments in modern agricultural techniques such as irrigation and use of fertilizers.

Delegates further encouraged IPU and the States to assist Somalia in strengthening its democratic institutions and called on parliaments to develop programmes aimed at assisting the war torn country to establish a democratic society.

At the same time, IPU maintains that it shall support direct initiatives of the East African Community Partner States as the region safeguards and insulates itself from the serious problems emanating from the crisis in Somalia.

Earlier on in his remarks, the EALA Speaker, Rt. Hon Abdirahin Abdi decried the limited attention given to the unfolding problem of Somalia by stakeholders over the years. He urged the international community to put in more checks and balances to arrest the situation.

“I take note of the on-going efforts by the Partner States of the East African Community to resolve the problems as well as to insulate themselves from its wider ramifications but at the same time, there is need to seek opportunities that will foster the supply of aid for their specific and intended purposes”, Hon Abdi stated.

The Secretary General of the UN Ban Ki Moon noted termed sustainable development, enhanced democracy, human rights and peace, and increased representation by women in positions of leadership, as key components in restoring people’s trust.

For more Information, contact: Bobi Odiko, Senior Public Relations Officer; East African Legislative Assembly; Tel: +255-27-2508240 Cell: +255 787 870945, +254-733-718036; Email: bodiko@eachq.org  Web: https://www.eala.org   Arusha, Tanzania