Press Release
Multilateralism and inter-parliamentary cooperation
strengthened during pandemic
Geneva, 23 April 2020. For immediate release.
On International Day of Multilateralism on 24 April, information collected by the IPU
shows that parliaments all over the world are working together in their responses to
the COVID-19 pandemic. Through its campaign
Parliaments in a time of pandemic,
the IPU is helping to facilitate inter-parliamentary coordination and solidarity by
collating and sharing examples of how parliaments can continue to legislate, debate
and scrutinize the actions of government in a time of lockdown and social distancing.
“The IPU, throughout its long history, has always stood for the principle that global
challenges require global responses,” said Gabriela Cuevas, IPU President. “Only
through collective action and reaction can we confront threats to humanity such as this
pandemic. Our Organization has always seen its essential mission as bringing
together the parliaments of the world
–
not only to strengthen the foundations of
democracy at the national level, but also to develop joint solutions to international
problems.”
“The clue is in our name,” said Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General. “It’s in times
like these that inter-parliamentary unity and international solidarity with other
multilateral organizations are so important. The World Health Organization is the
premier body leading the global effort, supporting countries to prevent, detect and
respond to the pandemic. Now, more than ever, it needs the support of our Member
Parliaments in a spirit of solidarity and multilateralism to end the pandemic.”
The IPU’s
country-by-country compilation
of parliamentary responses to the pandemic
shows that parliaments are adapting to the health crisis by putting in place the same
public health and social distancing measures as schools, places of worship or
businesses.
Most parliaments are continuing to function by reducing physical meetings and moving
online despite the security, technology and procedure challenges that come with
virtual sittings.
Parliaments’ efforts to continue to function during the pandemic are also intended to
defend democracy. As well as supporting government efforts to manage the health
and economic crisis, many parliaments are ensuring that the emergency does not
bypass democratic processes.
Parliaments that have fast-tracked some of the technology for videoconferencing and
remote working, such as Argentina, Canada, Chile, Finland and Spain, are sharing
their experiences with other, smaller parliaments. The National Congress of Brazil is
also actively sharing its technology solutions for virtual plenaries and teleworking with
other parliaments.