Articles

Global parliamentary conference commits to climate action

Paris/Geneva, 6 December 2015

IPU and Arnold Schwarzenegger team up on climate change

Paris/Geneva, 5 December 2015

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and former Governor of California and Founding Chair of Regions of Climate Action (R20) Arnold Schwarzenegger have teamed up to mobilize parliamentary action on climate change to help deliver results.

In an agreement between IPU, R20 and the University of Southern California Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy in Paris, the three partners have agreed to work on projects that will strengthen parliaments’ capacities and abilities to tackle the growing threat of climate change.

Commonwealth youth leaders seek empowered partnerships with governments

Youth leaders from across the Commonwealth today, 25 November, called for governments to prioritise youth employment opportunities, and to empower young people to partner and lead in processes of peace-building and climate change adaptation.
The appeal was issued by over 200 youth delegates on the final day of the Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) which ended today, 25 November. The CYF is a gathering of official youth representatives from the 53 Commonwealth member countries, leaders of pan-Commonwealth youth networks, and other outstanding young Commonwealth citizens. 

MPs to galvanise parliamentary action on climate change

Geneva, 26 November 2015
 
More than  500 parliamentary delegates, including close to 300 MPs from across the world, will seek to galvanise parliamentary action on the global threat posed by climate change by implementing a potentially landmark global agreement after they meet in Paris next week.

New fund set to boost trade in Commonwealth countries

26 Nov 2015 - The Commonwealth and the Government of Malta, together with the Governments of Mauritius, Sri Lanka and India announced today a new trade financing fund to help boost trade and investment flows, particularly for small and developing countries.
The voluntary fund hopes to attract start-up capital of $20 million. It will provide member countries facing trade challenges with the finance they need to increase their trade capacity. It is estimated for every dollar invested, the fund will generate $20.

Commonwealth deploys Observers for the Seychelles Presidential Election

 The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma, announced that the Commonwealth will deploy observers to Seychelles for the upcoming Presidential Election scheduled for 3-5 December 2015. This decision follows an invitation from the Electoral Commission of Seychelles.

Lord Sevele, former Prime Minister of Tonga will lead the Commonwealth Observer Group.

IPU e-Bulletin n°11

Geneva, 19th November 2015

UAE’s first woman Speaker of Parliament a breakthrough for Arab world

 Geneva, 20 November 2015
 
The election of Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi as the first ever woman Speaker of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Parliament has been warmly welcomed by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) as a breakthrough not only for the Gulf State but also for the Arab world as a whole.
 
Dr. Al Qubaisi, a former Deputy Speaker of the Federal National Council and government minister, is a trailblazer for the region too. She is the first ever woman Speaker of an Arab national parliament.
 

Burundian Parliament must lead efforts for peace and unity

Geneva, 11 November 2015

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is urging the Burundian Parliament to not fail its people or in its duty to represent and protect all of

society as global concern over the increasingly fraught situation in the country mounts.

Calling for an immediate end to months of violence and a climate of fear following a political crisis that has left hundreds of people dead

and hundreds of thousands displaced across borders, IPU is stressing the need for the Burundian Parliament and its Members to be part

Ugandan named Commonwealth Youth Worker of the Year 2015

The Commonwealth-wide Youth Worker of the Year for 2015 has been awarded to Victor Ochen, founder of the African Youth Initiative Network, a Ugandan NGO that works to empower young people to promote democratic leadership and civic engagement in communities that have faced conflict.

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