IPU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 8: Resultat af Governing Council session 1.-3. november 2020

Dansk Interparlamentarisk Gruppes bestyrelse 2020-21
IPU Alm.del Bilag 8
Offentligt

206 session of the

Governing Council

Extraordinary Virtual Session

1–3 November 2020

Results of the proceedings

Inter-Parliamentary Union – 2020

IPU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 8: Resultat af Governing Council session 1.-3. november 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page(s)

206th session of the Governing Council and related meetings

206th session of the Governing Council (Extraordinary virtual session)

10.

11.

12.

13.

15.

Opening Remarks ................................................................................................................

Participation .........................................................................................................................

Adoption of the Special Rules of Procedure for the virtual session

of the Governing Council .....................................................................................................

Election of the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union ...................................................

IPU Honorary President’s report

..........................................................................................

Financial results 2019 ..........................................................................................................

Financial situation ................................................................................................................

2021 draft consolidated budget ...........................................................................................

Elections to the Executive Committee .................................................................................

Brief report by the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians ..........................

Brief reports on the outcome of the virtual segments of the 13th Summit of

Women Speakers and the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament ...................

Future inter-parliamentary meetings ...................................................................................

Questions relating to the IPU membership: the specific situation in Mali ...........................

IPU Secretariat Activities Report

–

Pandemic Period 2020 ................................................

Concluding remarks .............................................................................................................

284th session of the Executive Committee (virtual meetings)

Debates and decisions ........................................................................................................

Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) between the IPU and other organizations ..........

Questions relating to IPU membership: situation in Mali .....................................................

Sub-Committee on Finance .................................................................................................

Subsidiary bodies of the Governing Council

Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians ........................................................

Elections and appointments

IPU President ......................................................................................................................

Executive Committee ...........................................................................................................

Preparatory Committee for the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament ...........

Internal Auditors for the 2021 accounts ...............................................................................

External Auditor for 2020-2022 ...........................................................................................

Media and communications .....................................................................................................

IPU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 8: Resultat af Governing Council session 1.-3. november 2020

Inter-Parliamentary Union

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206th session of the Governing Council

Agenda, reports and other texts of the 206th session

of the Governing Council

Agenda, reports and other texts

•

Agenda of the 206th session of the Governing Council ..............................................

Special Rules of Procedure to regulate the conduct of virtual sessions

of the Governing Council .............................................................................................

IPU budget for 2021 .....................................................................................................

Scale of contributions for 2021 ....................................................................................

Composition of the Preparatory Committee of the Fifth World Conference

of Speakers of Parliament ...........................................................................................

IPU Secretariat Activities Report

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Pandemic Period 2020 .........................................

Future meetings

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Calendar of future meetings and other activities .........................................................

Decisions concerning the human rights of parliamentarians

Africa

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Côte d’Ivoire: 10 parliamentarians

...............................................................................

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Democratic Republic of the Congo: Mr. Jean Jacques Mamba ..................................

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Gabon: Mr. Justin Ndoundangoye ...............................................................................

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Uganda: Five parliamentarians ....................................................................................

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United Republic of Tanzania: Mr. Tundu Lissu ............................................................

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Zimbabwe: Ms. Joana Mamombe ................................................................................

Americas

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Brazil: Mr. David Miranda ............................................................................................

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Venezuela: 134 parliamentarians ................................................................................

Asia

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Mongolia: Mr. Zorig Sanjasuuren .................................................................................

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Philippines: Ms. Leila de Lima .....................................................................................

Europe

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Belarus: Mr. Victor Gonchar ........................................................................................

MENA

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Egypt: Mr. Mostafa al-Nagar ........................................................................................

•

Palestine/Israël: Mr. Marwan Barghouti .......................................................................

•

Palestine/Israël:

Mr. Ahmad Sa’adat

...........................................................................

IPU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 8: Resultat af Governing Council session 1.-3. november 2020

Inter-Parliamentary Union

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206th session of the Governing Council

(Extraordinary virtual session)

Opening remarks

The 206th session of the Governing Council was held virtually from 1 to 3 November 2020. The session

was chaired by the Acting President, Mr. Chen Guomin (China).

Mr. G. Chen, Acting President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,

wished good health to all members

and their families and welcomed everyone to the IPU’s first ever virtual Governing Council. Business

continuity was crucial during the pandemic and important decisions for the IPU lay ahead. Although

COVID-19 was ravaging the world, it had also revealed an inspiring side to humanity. Governments,

health workers and researchers had worked tirelessly, while communities everywhere had showed

perseverance, courage, resolve and compassion in dark times. The world would confront and defeat the

virus.

The IPU’s 131-year

history demonstrated the constant need for countries to work for peace and

development. This was illustrated 75 years ago, when the world emerged from war, rejected power

politics and united around the universal values

of fairness and justice. In today’s world, all countries

were equal members of the international community and their peoples were entitled to a good life. As

representatives of the people, IPU Members must deliver tangible benefits to them, including by finding

solutions to the world’s most serious problems through increased solidarity, better governance, greater

openness and deeper cooperation.

Thanks to the Secretary General, the IPU had continued leading global parliamentary work. The

Secretariat’s diligence and shared purpose would make it possible to translate the Governing Council’s

meeting into successful outcomes.

Participation

Delegations from 145 Member Parliaments took part in the work of the Governing Council:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain,

Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria,

Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica,

Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti,

Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Eswatini, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon,

Gambia, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic

of), Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic

Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi,

Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique,

Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia,

Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar,

Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, San Marino, Sao

Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia,

Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic,

Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda,

Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic

of), Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The full list of participants can be found on the IPU website (www.ipu.org/file/9913/download).

Of the 669 delegates who attended the extraordinary virtual session of the Governing Council, 458 were

members of parliament. Those parliamentarians included 49 Presiding Officers, 21 Deputy Presiding

Officers, 183 women MPs (40 %) and 121 young MPs (26.4 %).

Adoption of the Special Rules of Procedure for the virtual session of the

Governing Council

The IPU Executive Committee had established a Working Group to examine the main criteria and

modalities for the holding of a virtual session of the Governing Council and to propose special rules of

procedure for the virtual session of the Governing Council. The first draft of the Special Rules

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prepared by the Secretariat in collaboration with an independent legal counsel, Professor Gian Luca

Burci, from the Geneva Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies

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was amended by

the Working Group which then submitted it to the Executive Committee for approval.

Following its approval, the Executive Committee submitted the Special Rules to the IPU Member

Parliaments. Except for one Member, the Parliament of Pakistan (which had expressed reservations),

no Member Parliament had any objections to the Special Rules. Having concluded that there was

overwhelming support for the Special Rules of Procedure, the Executive Committee considered them

adopted and submitted them to the Governing Council.

The Council formally adopted the Special Rules of Procedure to regulate the conduct of virtual sessions

of the Governing Council (see page 16).

Election of the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

The Governing Council elected Mr. Duarte Pacheco (Portugal) as the IPU President for a three-year

term ending in October/November 2023.

Four candidates ran for the post of the IPU President:

Ms. Salma Ataullahjan (Canada), Mr. Duarte

Pacheco (Portugal), Mr. Akmal Saidov (Uzbekistan) and Mr. Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani (Pakistan).

Prior to the election, a hearing with all four candidates took place on 21 October. The candidates had

the opportunity to set forth their vision for the Organization and to answer questions from the wider IPU

Membership.

In view of the virtual format of the extraordinary session of the Governing Council, the elections were

held remotely. Civica Election Services (CES) had been selected to provide an online platform offering

high levels of security, secrecy, reliability, auditability and trust.

The IPU Presidential election was conducted in keeping with the Special Rules of Procedure adopted by

the Governing Council to govern the virtual sessions of the Governing Council. During a 24-hour

window, 394 parliamentarians from 142 IPU Member Parliaments cast their vote remotely.

The Governing Council appointed Mr. J.F. Mudenda (Zimbabwe) and Mr. J.P. Letelier (Chile) as Tellers,

with the responsibility of ascertaining the results of the election. An independent auditor

–

the United

Nations International Computing Centre (UNICC) - verified the integrity of the election process and

outcome, paying particular attention to the secrecy and security of the ballot, accessibility to the voting

platform, and counting of votes cast. Voter turnout was 97.04 per cent. With four candidates on the

ballot, the new IPU President Mr. Pacheco was elected with 56 per cent of the vote in a single round of

voting. A second round that had been provided for did not take place as Mr. Pacheco had obtained the

requisite absolute majority of the votes cast to be elected President.

The outgoing President, Ms. G. Cuevas Barron, was made an Honorary President of the

Inter-Parliamentary Union.

IPU Honorary President’s report

The Governing Council took note of the

Honorary President's report

on her overall activities during her

presidency from 2017 to 2020. Ms. G. Cuevas Barron identified the following as priorities: translation of

international commitments into national realities; attainment of sustainable development and the 2030

Agenda, in particular through the contribution of parliamentarians in budgetary decisions; making the

IPU a more inclusive organization and advocating for the inclusion of women and young people in

parliament; fostering transparency in the IPU; ensuring parliamentary engagement with the United

Nations processes and forums; efficiency in the use of the IPU budget; innovating to meet the

challenges posed by the twenty-first century. Her report would be sent out to all the Member

Parliaments and individual parliamentarians in the IPU Secretariat’s mailing lists.

The Acting President and the Secretary General of the IPU, the Chairs of the Geopolitical Groups, the

President of the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians and the President of the Board of the Forum of

Young Parliamentarians, as well as representatives of other Member Parliaments, took the floor to

express their appreciation for the work and commitment of the outgoing President and to wish her well

in all of her future endeavours.

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Financial results 2019

The Governing Council considered the

Financial Report and Audited Financial Statements for 2019.

The financial results for 2019 were introduced by Ms. C. Widegren (Sweden), Chair of the

Sub-Committee on Finance. She reported that the External Auditor had expressed that the financial

statements were of high quality and that collaboration with the IPU finance team had been excellent.

The Swiss Federal Audit Office had been able to issue an unqualified audit opinion. During the meeting

of 2 April 2020 between the External Auditor, Mr. D. Monnot (Swiss Federal Audit Office), the Internal

Auditor, Mr. R. del Picchia (France), the Chair of the Sub-Committee on Finance and the Secretary

General, the External Auditor confirmed that the IPU was in sound financial health and that there were

no new audit recommendations to be made. No problems had arisen during his work and he reported

an overall positive audit exercise, which had taken place under very good conditions. Ms. Widegren

reported that the Swiss Federal Audit Office had also agreed to carry out an additional and separate

audit on the grant of the Swedish Government Agency, Sida. The auditors had successfully completed

this work and expressed a clean opinion. No recommendations had been issued.

This was the last time the Swiss Federal Audit Office would be auditing the IPU’s accounts. They had

been doing so for seven years. Ms. Widegren therefore gave a special note of gratitude to the External

Auditor for the quality and added value of their work, and the excellent support from the Audit team to

the IPU Secretariat. The Executive Committee commended the IPU Secretary General for the good

financial results and was pleased to endorse the audit results and financial statements. The Executive

Committee recommended that the Governing Council approve the financial statements for 2019.

The Internal Auditor’s report was submitted by Mr.

del Picchia (France) who confirmed that the IPU

accounts were well kept and that the financial statements were a fair

representation of the IPU’s

financial situation at the end of 2019. He also confirmed that, in general terms, the IPU was a

well-managed organization and that its finances were sound, which was to the credit of the Secretary

General and his team.

The budget had been implemented in keeping with the directions established by the Sub-Committee on

Finance. The Members’ contributions had been set according to commitments made, and had remained

unchanged compared to 2018, while the increase in revenue of CHF 11,450 was due to the addition of

a new Member: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The total amount of voluntary contributions earned was CHF 3 million, a similar level to 2018. The

voluntary contributions helped finance programmes without encumbering the assessed contributions.

Mr. del Picchia expressed his gratitude to the generous donors but underlined that one should remain

vigilant so as not to create a situation that would compromise the IPU’s independence.

The Internal Auditor recommended to the Governing Council that the financial statements for 2019 be

approved.

The Governing Council took note of the reports of the Chair of the Sub-Committee on Finance and the

Internal Auditor and approved the Secretary General’s financial administration of the

IPU and the

financial results for 2019.

Financial situation

The Governing Council received a report on the financial situation of the IPU as at 30 June 2020 and an

updated list of unpaid assessed contributions. As at 31 October 2020, the arrears of the current year’s

contributions totalled CHF 1.4 million. Despite the challenges faced by many parliaments, arrears of

contributions were at levels that were not unusual for the time of year. The Secretary General

expressed his thanks to all those Members who paid their contributions regularly and on time. The full

membership rights of Mauritania had been reinstated following partial payment of former arrears.

The Secretary General reported that the current financial situation of the IPU was sound despite the

adverse global situation. The Governing Council took note that the expenditure of the IPU was running

below target for the first half of 2020. Most of the savings had been generated from the cancellation or

postponement of physical meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the reduction in travel-related

costs across all objectives. This would continue in a similar pattern until the end of the year and any

savings generated would be credited to the Working Capital Fund in the usual way. The return on

investments was low due to poor market performance so far in 2020 but was expected to stabilize and

improve in 2021.

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The Governing Council also took note of the report on mobilization of voluntary funding prepared by the

Secretariat.

2021 draft consolidated budget

The Governing Council was presented with the

draft consolidated budget for 2021.

Reporting on behalf

of the Executive Committee, Ms. C. Widegren (Sweden) explained that the draft budget had been

prepared under the supervision of the Sub-Committee on Finance and was in accordance with its

guidance. The Sub-Committee had met several times to discuss drafts of the budget, during which time

it had studied detailed forecasts and analyses, and received explanations from the Secretariat. The

Sub-Committee wanted to use this budget to encourage Member Parliaments to step up their

engagement for multilateralism, democracy and human rights in an efficient, modern and flexible

manner.

In the current challenging times, there would be no increase in contributions for any Member in 2021.

Voluntary funding was expected to be at a similar level to 2020, with some new grants anticipated.

Ms. Widegren encouraged all Members to pursue any domestic opportunities to fundraise for the IPU.

The budget placed more focus on the effective use of communications and new technologies, and on

remote working, with support given to more virtual meetings, virtual regional seminars, hybrid and

inclusive meetings.

With fewer physical meetings being held and less travel taking place, any savings would continue to

flow into the IPU’s Working Capital Fund reserves as usual. The Fund was a very important component

of the IPU’s financial health and resilience that allowed the Organization to react to lean times. The

target level of reserves set by the governing bodies in 2006

–

half of the operating budget

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was yet to

be reached.

In 2021, the current Strategy would expire and a new Strategy would be designed and adopted for 2022

and beyond, signalling a new start for the IPU. The budget made financial provision for that very

important work which would lead to even greater focus on IPU core values and long-term commitments

on environmental impact, gender mainstreaming, human rights-based approaches, democracy and

freedom.

The IPU was committed to exercising the highest standards of transparency and accountability. The

approval of the budget would enable the Organization to drive forward its core values of multilateralism,

human rights, gender equality, democracy and freedom, and also to become an international leader in

digital democracy and parliamentary diplomacy.

The Governing Council approved the 2021 budget.

•

Elections to the Executive Committee

Ms. B. Argimón (Uruguay) from the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean for a four-year

term to replace Ms. Y. Ferrer Gómez (Cuba), whose term had ended.

Ms. L. Fehlmann Rielle (Switzerland), from the Twelve Plus Group, to replace Ms. M. Kiener

Nellen (Switzerland) who was no longer a Member of Parliament.

She will complete the latter’s

term that expires in October 2021.

The Governing Council elected the following two members to the Executive Committee:

10.

Brief report by the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians

The Governing Council endorsed the draft decisions put forward by the Committee on the Human

Rights of Parliamentarians concerning

184 parliamentarians from 13 countries (Human

rights decisions

adopted by the Governing Council,

see page 36).

The Council noted the reservations of the delegations

of Egypt, Israel and Zimbabwe concerning the cases in their respective countries.

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11.

Brief reports on the outcome of the virtual segments of the 13th Summit of

Women Speakers and the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament

The 13th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament and the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of

Parliament were organized by the IPU in close cooperation with the United Nations and the Austrian

Parliament.

Ms. A. Eder-Gitschthaler, President of the Federal Council of Austria, presented a brief report on the

13th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament (17 and 18 August 2020). The event had brought

together 28 women Speakers of Parliament from 26 countries under the theme

Women’s parliamentary

leadership in a time of COVID-19 and recovery.

Marking the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration

and Platform for Action, the Summit took stock of the progress made and renewed the commitments

made by women Speakers towards fulfilling those goals.

As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic,

the women Speakers called for putting women’s

empowerment and gender equality at the centre of the crisis response and recovery plans. Building

back better required strong legal frameworks to

eliminate gender discrimination; to guarantee gender

equality; and oversee their effective implementation through strong monitoring and gender-responsive

budgeting.

Parliamentary

leaders and members were urged to condemn and sanction any acts of

harassment, intimidation and violence against women in parliament. In preparation for the next Summit,

it was recommended that a sub-committee of women Speakers be established within the Preparatory

Committee of the next World Conference of Speakers of Parliament.

Mr. J.F. Mudenda, Speaker of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe, presented a brief report on the

virtual session of the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (19 and 20 August 2020) which

had brought together over 115 Speakers of Parliament. The overall theme of the Conference was

Parliamentary leadership for more effective multilateralism that delivers peace and sustainable

development for the people and planet.

The Conference concluded in a robust

Declaration on

parliamentary leadership for effective multilateralism that delivered peace and sustainable development.

The Declaration was formally presented in the United Nations General Assembly and circulated among

all the UN Member States. The full report and video highlights of the Conference were available on the

IPU website. All Speakers would be receiving the publication shortly.

Speakers and distinguished experts contributed on topics spanning effective multilateralism,

parliamentary diplomacy, climate change, sustainable development, health, youth and gender,

democracy, human mobility, countering terrorism, and science and technology. Through an interactive

debate, five panels and five reports, the Conference had provided a framework for expertise and

parliamentary deliberations. The Conference had also been an important platform to deepen

parliamentary ties with the United Nations and the IPU’s other partners.

comprehensive publication

on the virtual sessions of the 13th Summit of Women Speakers of

Parliament and the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament is available on the IPU website.

12.

Future inter-parliamentary meetings

The Council approved the list of future meetings and other activities to be funded by the IPU’s regular

budget and by external sources (see page 34).

The Council took note of the recommendation of the Executive Committee to consider Geneva as the

venue for the 142nd Assembly, in May/June 2021, following the request by the Moroccan parliamentary

authorities to postpone the Assembly they had offered to host in Marrakech in March 2021.

The Council reconfirmed that the 143rd Assembly would be held in Rwanda (November 2021). It also

took note of the invitation by the Parliament of Indonesia to host an IPU Assembly in April 2022.

In preparation for the in-person session of the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in

Vienna in 2021, the Governing Council endorsed the nominations of the Geopolitical Groups to fill the

vacancies on the Preparatory Committee. The composition of the Committee is available on page 25.

13.

Questions relating to the IPU membership: the specific situation in Mali

The Governing Council was invited to review the situation in Mali and take a decision on its membership

of the IPU.

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The Secretary General recalled that the military coup in August 2020 had been the culmination of an

ongoing cycle of instability fueled by popular dissatisfaction over the Malian President and

Government’s handling of an insurgency in the north and intercommunity tensions in the centre of Mali.

After elections in Spring 2020, the Constitutional Court had disqualified some parliamentarians and

replaced them with MPs loyal to the then President. Widespread protests calling for the President’s

resignation had followed. Mediation by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

had recommended a national unity government, but to no avail. In August, the military had staged a

coup in which the then President, Prime Minister and others had been arrested, and a three-year

transitional period of rule had been announced. ECOWAS had imposed measures including trade

sanctions, the IPU had condemned the seizure of power by force, and the Secretary General had

approached the new Malian authorities to understand more about the situation.

Since August 2020, the Malian authorities had engaged with ECOWAS, and agreed to an 18-month

transition process, consulted all parts of Malian society, adopted a transitional charter, formed a

government of national unity, established a transitional national council, released prisoners (including

the former President, the former Prime Minister and former parliamentary Speaker). They had

requested that the IPU governing bodies both show understanding and engage with the new authorities

in efforts to restore constitutional norms, including by supporting the work of the transitional national

council which would serve as the legislative body during the transition. International partners including

ECOWAS, the African Union and the UN Security Council had acknowledged this progress and

encouraged Mali to revert quickly to constitutional rule.

At its meetings on 31 August and 30 October, the Executive Committee had noted the IPU practice of

supporting Members during transitional periods if they were clearly aiming to restore constitutional

order. In light of current developments, the Executive Committee recommended that the Governing

Council maintain Mali’s membership and encourage the IPU to work with the Malian authorities to

restore constitutional norms as swiftly as possible.

The Executive Committee had instructed the Secretary General to report regularly to the Governing

Bodies on progress made against a road map to be agreed with the transitional authorities.

The Governing Council endorsed the recommendation.

14.

IPU Secretariat Activities Report

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Pandemic Period 2020

The Secretary General presented a brief report which demonstrated the IPU’s resilience and ability to

adapt to new and unexpected situations (see page 26).

15.

Concluding remarks

At the concluding sitting on 3 November, the Acting IPU President, Mr. Chen Guomin, reminded

members of the historic nature of the online session. Despite the many challenges, IPU Members had

been able to meet for three busy days and take important decisions

about the Organization’s functioning

and governance.

The high level of participation in the Governing Council session had been impressive: 145 national

parliaments had registered delegations, with 410 Governing Council members. Participation in the

remote elections for the new IPU President (97 per cent of Governing Council members eligible to vote)

had also been remarkable. This was testimony to the interest and commitment of IPU Members to the

important mission and work of the organization.

Parliamentary leadership was called upon on a number of issues. The Members must urge their

respective national authorities to mobilize all resources to make a science-based and targeted response

to the COVID-19 pandemic and enhance solidarity and deepen cooperation to that end.

Parliamentarians must also help maintain peace and promote common development. The green

revolution must move faster and countries must take decisive steps to honor the Paris Agreement. What

was needed was more parliamentary diplomacy, more multilateralism, more engagement of all

Members to achieve the measures and recommendations of the Governing Council and deliver tangible

benefits to the people parliaments represented.

The acting President thanked everyone and declared the 206th session of the Governing Council

closed.

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284th session of the Executive Committee

(virtual meetings)

Debates and decisions

The Executive Committee held its 284th session virtually on 31 August and 30 October 2020.

The President of the IPU, Ms. G. Cuevas Barron (Mexico) chaired the meeting on 31 August, and

Mr. Chen Guomin (China), following the end of the mandate of the IPU President, chaired the meeting

on 30 October as Acting President. The following members took part in the meetings:

Mr. D. McGuinty (Canada), Mr. G. Gali Ngothé (Chad), Mr. J.P. Letelier (Chile), Mr. Chen Guomin

(China) replaced by Mr. Chen Fuli on 30 October, Mr. M.R. Rabbani (Pakistan), Ms. A.D. Mergane

Kanouté (Senegal), Mr. M. Grujic (Serbia) on 30 October, Ms. C. Widegren (Sweden), Ms. L. Fehlmann

Rielle (Switzerland), Ms. P. Krairiksh (Thailand), Ms. E. Anyakun (Uganda) on 30 October,

Mr. A. Saidov (Uzbekistan), who recused himself from the sitting of 30 October to avoid any conflict of

interest as he was a candidate for the IPU Presidency, Mr. J.F. Mudenda (Zimbabwe), and

Ms. S. Kihika (Kenya) in her capacity as the President of the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians on

30 October.

Mr. A. Abdel Aal (Egypt), Ms. Y. Ferrer Gómez (Cuba), and Mr. M. Bouva (Suriname), in his capacity as

President of the Board of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians, were absent.

Mr. M. Chungong, Secretary General of the IPU, took part in both sittings; Mr. G.L. Burci, legal counsel,

attended on 31 August; and Mr. F. Maggiore, independent auditor from the United Nations International

Computing Centre (UNICC), participated on 30 October.

The Executive Committee heard the report of the working group that it had mandated to reflect on

possible arrangements and make concrete proposals for the organization of the virtual session of the

Governing Council.

The Executive Committee noted and endorsed

the working group’s recommendation that the virtual

session of the Governing Council should be limited to pressing matters including: the adoption of the

Special Rules of Procedure; the 2019 financial results and the 2021 draft consolidated budget; the

election of the IPU President; and the election of two new members of the Executive Committee. It

recommended that additional items be added to the virtual agenda such as: the end-of-term report of

the outgoing President; brief reports on the outcome of the 13th Summit of Women Speakers and the

Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, and on the work of the Committee on the Human

Rights of Parliamentarians.

The Executive Committee concurred with the working group that the Special Rules of Procedure, as a

regulating document for the major issues addressed by November’s historic Governing Council session,

should be guided by realism, clarity and flexibility.

The Executive Committee heard the detailed explanation of the working group’s

Chair on a note about

the remote voting process, and took note of a number of related recommendations including:

establishing the deadline for the registration of candidates and members of the Governing Council at

15 days before the opening of the session; using the list of members of the Governing Council at the

registration deadline to establish the quorum and verify gender balance of delegations; requesting IPU

Members to register three (mixed) members of the Governing Council by the registration deadline and

informing them that single-sex delegations would only be entitled to one vote; appointing an authority to

validate any cases of force majeure; contracting a specialist election provider to provide an online voting

platform as the primary method of voting, and making available a secondary back-up method (phone or

SMS); contracting an independent auditor to provide additional technical verification of the process; and

nominating two Tellers who would be endorsed by the Governing Council to ascertain the results of the

ballot. Mr. Mudenda (Zimbabwe) and Mr. Letelier (Chile) were nominated as the Tellers.

The Executive Committee agreed that the Special Rules of Procedure should be amended to make

additional provision for better conditions regarding the remote voting process. The conditions should be

based on accessibility, confidence, secrecy, authentication, independence and time zone inclusiveness.

It was recommended that the Special Rules of Procedure be adopted at the first sitting of the Governing

Council.

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284th session of the Executive Committee

Having acknowledged that it was of the utmost importance to open all possible communications

channels for candidates to express themselves, the Executive Committee recommended that all

necessary information should be made available to candidates as soon as they were registered. In

addition, it believed that candidates should have the chance to give a 10-minute presentation at the

session of the Governing Council before voting began. The Executive Committee recommended that

the Secretariat organize other presentations with candidates in the 15 days running up to that Council

session.

Taking into account the constraints (including lockdown) of the current COVID-19 pandemic that

prevented candidates from campaigning, the Executive Committee recommended that the Secretariat

assist the candidates by providing them with a number of facilities, including a platform for hearings with

members and sessions with the geopolitical groups, and the IPU directory of Members for the

candidates to use in their campaigns.

The Executive Committee took note of the Secretary General’s update on preparations for the

Governing Council. The Committee also expressed its appreciation for the Secretariat’s successful

arrangements with a view to the virtual session of the Governing Council.

The Executive Committee heard the presentation of the independent auditor, Mr. F. Maggiore (UNICC),

on the technical report of his analysis of the voting platform and the test election of 20 October.

The Executive Committee was briefed on and took note of the virtual segment of the Fifth World

Conference of Speakers of Parliament and on the preparations under way for the in-person Conference

in 2021 in Vienna as recommended by the Preparatory Committee. It invited all parliamentarians around

the world to study the Conference publication and reflect on the key outcome messages, which should

spur them towards working together for a better world. The Executive Committee took note of the

nominations made by the geopolitical groups to fill the vacancies on the Preparatory Committee and

invited the groups who had not yet made nominations for all their vacancies to do so.

The Executive Committee also took note of the report on the virtual segment of the 13th Summit of

Women Speakers of Parliament. It invited parliaments to scale up efforts towards achieving the main

objectives of the Beijing Declaration.

The Executive Committee approved the list of future inter-parliamentary meetings presented by the

Secretary General. It took note of the request by the Moroccan parliamentary authorities to postpone its

hosting of what was scheduled to be the 142nd IPU Assembly due to COVID-19 challenges that the

country was facing. The Committee also took note of the alternative proposed by the Secretary General

to organize that Assembly in Geneva in May or June 2021 in line with the availability of the International

Conference Centre of Geneva.

Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) between the IPU and other organizations

The Secretary General briefed the Executive Committee about ongoing arrangements related to the

MoU with the Office of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Sexual

Violence against Women in Conflict, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for

Human Rights. Having recognized the importance of collaboration with these two United Nations

organizations, the Executive Committee approved the MoUs and recommended that they be submitted

to the Governing Council for final endorsement, which could be obtained by correspondence.

Questions relating to IPU membership: situation in Mali

The Secretary General briefed the Executive Committee on the situation in Mali. The Committee took

note of the current political developments in the country, as well as the international and regional current

trends of supporting the ongoing transitional process, and encouraging the new Malian authorities to

work speedily to conclude that process and return to full constitutional civilian order. The Executive

Committee therefore recommended that Mali’s membership be maintained and that the IPU should work

with the Malian transitional authorities towards a speedy return to normal constitutional rule. The

Executive Committee instructed the Secretary General to implement this recommendation and to report

to the Governing Bodies on a regular basis in line with a road map to be agreed with Mali’s transitional

authorities.

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Subsidiary bodies of the Governing Council

Sub-Committee on Finance

The Sub-Committee on Finance had met on 29 October 2020 to prepare and facilitate the Executive

Committee’s consideration of the draft programme and budget for 2021, the financial situation of the

IPU, the voluntary funding situation, and the selection of an External Auditor. The Chair of the

Sub-Committee, Ms. C. Widegren (Sweden), made a full presentation of the 2021 budget document,

which encouraged Member Parliaments to step up their engagement for multilateralism, democracy and

human rights in an efficient, modern and flexible manner. The Sub-Committee had thoroughly reviewed

the document and guided the preparation of the budget during the course of the year. The Executive

Committee thanked the Sub-Committee on Finance and the Secretariat for their work, and

recommended the 2021 budget and scale of contributions to the Governing Council for adoption.

The Acting President recalled that, at its session on 18 June 2020, the Executive Committee had

already recommended that the Governing Council should approve the

Secretary General’s

financial

administration of the IPU and the financial results for 2019. This would be put before the Governing

Council at its upcoming session.

The Secretary General and his colleagues updated the Executive Committee on the financial situation

of the IPU and the mobilization of voluntary funding. Despite the global crisis, the IPU’s financial health

and resilience remained strong. Despite the challenges faced by many parliaments, arrears of

contributions were at a level that was typical for the time of year. New voluntary funding agreements

were anticipated following substantial pledges of support from China and the United Arab Emirates

amongst others.

The Chair of the Sub-Committee briefed the Executive Committee on the process of selecting a new

External Auditor following the end of the mandate of the Swiss Federal Audit Office. The Indian

Supreme Audit Institution had a team stationed in Geneva that already audited a number of international

organizations. It had been identified as the best choice for the IPU, providing a very professional audit

proposal under IPSAS rules at a similar low cost to that of the Swiss auditors. The Executive Committee

voted to approve the selection of the Indian Supreme Audit Institution, as the IPU’s

External Auditor for

the financial years 2020–2022, with one objection noted from Pakistan.

Subsidiary bodies of the Governing Council

Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians

The Committee held its 162nd session in virtual format. The Committee met on 22, 23, 26 and

27 October for four sittings of three hours each. The Committee continued its exchanges in writing until

31 October, the day on which it adopted its decisions.

Mr. N. Bako-Arifari (Benin), President, Ms. D. Solórzano (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela),

Vice-President, Mr. A. Alaradi (Bahrain), Ms. L. Dumont (France), Ms. A. Reynoso (Mexico), and

Mr. A. Caroni (Switzerland) took part in the 162nd session. Ms. J. Mukoda-Zabwe (Uganda) was unable

to attend.

At its session, the Committee examined the situation of 297 parliamentarians in 19 countries, of which

12 concerned new complaints concerning 70 parliamentarians. The Committee also held two hearings

with complainants and other interested parties.

The Committee submitted decisions to the Governing Council for adoption concerning

184

parliamentarians from the following countries: Belarus, Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of

the Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Mongolia, Palestine/Israel, Philippines, Uganda, United Republic of

Tanzania, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), and Zimbabwe.

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Elections and appointments

IPU President

Four candidates ran for the post of IPU President: Ms. S. Ataullahjan (Canada), Mr. D. Pacheco

(Portugal), Mr. A. Saidov (Uzbekistan), and Mr. M.S. Sanjrani (Pakistan).

In the single round of voting, Mr. Pacheco obtained 222 votes, followed by Mr. Saidov with 67 votes,

Ms. Ataullahjan with 53 votes, and Mr. Sanjrani with 52 votes.

The Governing Council consequently elected Mr. D. Pacheco (Portugal) as President of the

Inter-Parliamentary Union for a three-year term ending in October/November 2023.

The outgoing President, Ms. G. Cuevas Barron (Mexico), was made Honorary President of the

Inter-Parliamentary Union.

•

Executive Committee

Group of Latin America and the Caribbean

Ms. B. Argimón (Uruguay) to replace Ms. Y. Ferrer Gómez (Cuba), whose term had ended.

Twelve Plus Group

Ms. L. Fehlmann Rielle (Switzerland) to replace Ms. M. Kiener Nellen (Switzerland) who is no

longer a member of parliament.

She will complete the latter’s term which expires

in October 2021.

The Governing Council elected the following two members to the Executive Committee:

Preparatory Committee for the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament

The Governing Council approved the following nominations to the Preparatory Committee:

African Group

•

Ms. C. Gotani Hara (Malawi)

Arab Group

•

Ms. F. Zainal (Bahrain)

Asia-Pacific Group

•

Ms. P. Maharani (Indonesia)

Group of Latin America and the Caribbean

•

Ms. B. Argimón (Uruguay)

•

Mr. M. Nadir (Guyana)

Twelve Plus Group

•

Ms. S. D'Hose (Belgium)

•

Mr. W. Schäuble (Germany)

•

Mr. S.J. Sigfússon (Iceland)

•

Ms. T. Wilhelmsen Trøen (Norway)

•

Internal Auditors for the 2021 accounts

Ms. S. Moulengui-Mouele (Gabon)

The Governing Council appointed the following Internal Auditor for the 2021 accounts:

External Auditor for 2020-2022

The Executive Committee appointed the Indian Supreme Audit Institution as the External Auditor of the

IPU’s accounts for 2020-2022.

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Media and communications

There were two big communication moments during the last Governing Council. The announcement of

the result of the Presidential election and the latest decisions on the human rights of parliamentarians.

Two press releases were issued in English, French, Spanish, and Arabic, and were sent to thousands of

journalists around the world. The press releases also generated media coverage, notably in

international outlets such as Voice of America and Deutsche Welle as well as the national press in the

countries concerned. The Secretariat also communicated extensively on the IPU social media platforms

–

Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Flickr garnering significant impressions and

engagement.

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Agenda, reports and other texts of the Governing Council

Agenda of the 206th session

of the Governing Council

Adopted by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary virtual session, 1 November 2020)

Adoption of the agenda

Adoption of the Special Rules of Procedure for the virtual session of the Governing

Council

The Special Rules of Procedure have been prepared by the Working Group tasked with preparing

the virtual session of the Governing Council, with the support of the IPU Secretariat and the

independent Legal Counsel, and further amended and endorsed by the Executive Committee.

They are designed to adapt certain existing Rules, which will be temporarily suspended, to the

specificities of a virtual session. The Special Rules of Procedure are being circulated to the full

membership of the IPU and will be adopted at the first sitting of the virtual session.

Approval of the summary records of the 205th session of the Governing Council

(Belgrade, October 2019)

The summary records were sent to all Members on 28 January 2020.

IPU

Honorary President’s report

The outgoing President will present a report on her overall activity during her three-year term as

President of the IPU.

Election of the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

(Article 19 of the Statutes and Rules 6, 7 and 8 of the Rules of the Governing Council as well as

the Special Rules of Procedure)

(a)

(b)

The candidates to the IPU Presidency will each be given 10 minutes to address the

Governing Council, to present themselves and their vision for the Organization.

The Governing Council will elect a new President to replace Ms. Gabriela Cuevas Barron

(Mexico), who will conclude her term of office on 19 October 2020.

Financial results for 2019

The Governing Council will be informed of the financial results for 2019 and will be asked to approve

the accounts. It will also elect the internal auditors for the 2021 accounts.

2021 draft consolidated budget

The Governing Council will be invited to adopt the draft budget, accompanied by the IPU work

programme for 2021.

Elections to the Executive Committee

The Governing Council will elect two new members of the Executive Committee. In light of the

fact that the membership of the other statutory bodies of the IPU is determined by the geopolitical

groups, it is proposed that the mandates of other IPU office holders be extended to such a time

as elections can take place (142nd IPU Assembly, Marrakech, 14-18 March 2021).

Brief report by the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians

The Governing Council will be invited to hear a brief report on the activities of the Committee

since October 2019 and to adopt the relevant decisions on the human rights of parliamentarians.

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10.

Brief report on the outcome of the virtual segment of the Fifth World Conference of

Speakers of Parliament

The Governing Council will be briefed on the outcome of the virtual segment of this high-level

event and on the preparations under way for the in-person Conference to be held in Vienna

in 2021.

11.

Future Inter-Parliamentary meetings

The Governing Council will be invited to approve the list of Future inter-parliamentary meetings

scheduled for end of 2020 onwards.

Questions relating to the IPU membership: the specific situation in Mali

Following the coup d’état

on 18 August, the National Assembly of Mali has been dissolved. The

Governing Council will be called upon to review the situation and take a decision on Mali’s

membership within the IPU.

Other business

12.

13.

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Special Rules of Procedure to regulate the conduct of

virtual sessions of the Governing Council

Adopted by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary virtual session, 1 November 2020)

PREAMBLE

The Rules of the Governing Council shall continue to apply in full, except to the extent that they are

inconsistent with these Special Rules of Procedure, in which case the decision of the Governing Council

to adopt these Special Rules of Procedure shall constitute a decision to suspend the relevant Rules of

the Governing Council to the extent necessary in accordance with Rule 45.3 of the Rules of the

Governing Council.

The Rules of the Governing Council that shall be suspended are:

Rule 2 with regard to substitute members

Rule 3 with regard to participation by Associate Members

Rule 4 with regard to participation by observers

Rule 7 with regard to the deadline for communication of candidatures for the post of President of

the IPU

Rule 13 with regard to requests for supplementary agenda items

Rules 14–20 with regard to the submission of motions, draft resolutions, amendments and

sub-amendments

Rule 23 with regard to decisions on limiting speaking time

Rule 28 with regard to substitute members voting

Rule 29 with regard to voting by show of hands or standing vote

Rule 32 with regard to requests for division of proposals

Rule 34 with regard to the establishment of the quorum

AGENDA

1.1 The provisional agenda of a virtual session of the Governing Council shall be determined by the

Executive Committee and shall be limited to essential items for the governance and programme of work

of the Organization.

1.2 It will not be possible for members of the Governing Council to propose supplementary items

pursuant to Rule 13 of the Rules of the Governing Council.

ATTENDANCE

2.1 Attendance by Members shall be through a secured access to videoconference or other

electronic means allowing representatives to hear other participants and to address the meeting

remotely as appropriate.

2.2 For the purpose of attendance and voting, the gender inclusiveness of delegations of Members

under Rule 1 of the Rules of the Governing Council will be assessed on the basis of the list submitted

by each Member for the purpose of registration by the deadline indicated below.

2.3 Participation by IPU Members in the Governing Council is limited to titular members. It will not be

possible to appoint substitute members under Rules 2 and 28 of the Rules of the Governing Council

except in case of force majeure preventing a titular member from attending the session. The existence

of such a situation must be certified by the Speaker of the parliament or the President of the IPU Group

concerned through a written communication to the Secretary General.

In these Rules, whenever the words "President", "Vice-President", "delegate", "representative", "member" and

"observer" are used, they should be construed as referring to both women and men.

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REGISTRATION

3.1 Registration will take place through an online system in accordance with established practice.

Each IPU Member participating in the session will communicate the name, gender and contact details of

its representatives as well as the scan of an official letter from the Speaker of parliament or the

President of the IPU Group.

3.2 The deadline for registration shall be 15 days before the opening of the session. No further

changes to the composition of delegations will be possible after that date, subject to Rule 2.3 of these

Special Rules of Procedure.

QUORUM

The number of registered members of the Governing Council at the registration deadline indicated in

Rule 3.2 of these Special Rules of Procedure shall be used to establish the quorum.

ADDRESSING THE GOVERNING COUNCIL

5.1 Members are invited to submit written statements in either English or French (the official

languages of the Organization) with an indication of the agenda item to which they refer, in advance of

the opening of the session of the Governing Council. Written statements shall be in lieu of live

interventions. These shall be posted on a dedicated web page and shall form part of the official records

of the session.

5.2 Members may also submit pre-recorded video statements with an indication of the agenda item to

which they refer, in advance of the opening of the session.

5.3

During the virtual session, statements by members shall be limited to two minutes.

5.4 Any member wishing to take the floor should signal their wish to speak. A member wishing to

raise a point of order in relation to a statement made during the session should signal their intention to

do so. The President will rule on the point of order in accordance with Rule 22 of the Rules of the

Governing Council.

MEETINGS

All virtual meetings of the Governing Council shall be open only to Member Parliaments of the IPU. All

business during a virtual session shall be conducted in plenary meetings.

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA

Motions or draft resolutions may be submitted in accordance with Rule 14 and will be subject to Rule 15

of the Rules of the Governing Council. Members should make every effort to arrive at an agreed

proposal through informal consultations. In view of the limitations imposed by a virtual session, Rules

16–20 of the Rules of the Governing Council are suspended.

DECISION-MAKING

All decisions of the Governing Council taken in a virtual session shall be, as far as possible, adopted by

consensus. In view of the virtual nature of the session and of technical limitations, if a vote is required

on matters other than the election of the President and the members of the Executive Committee, it

shall be taken by roll call in accordance with normal practice. In the event of a roll-call vote, should any

member fail to cast a vote for any reason during the roll call, that member shall be called upon a second

time after the conclusion of the initial roll call. Should the member fail to cast a vote on the second roll-

call, the member shall be recorded as absent.

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WRITTEN SILENCE PROCEDURE

9.1 The following written silence procedure will apply in respect of any proposal that the President or

Executive Committee determines, following informal consultations, is suitable for adoption without

further discussion by the Governing Council but cannot be adopted during the virtual session because

of lack of time or for any other reason as determined by the President or Executive Committee.

9.2 At the request of the President or Executive Committee, the Secretary General will transmit to

Members any such proposal for consideration under this written silence procedure.

9.3 The communication will contain the text of the proposal(s) to be considered under this written

silence procedure and will set a date for the receipt of any objection. Any such objection shall be

conveyed in writing, including by email, and addressed to the Secretary General. The objection must

have been received within 15 days from the date of dispatch of the communication.

9.4 In the absence of the receipt by the stipulated deadline of 15 days of written objections from one

third or more of Members, the proposal concerned will be considered as having been validly adopted by

the Governing Council.

9.5 The Secretary General will communicate the outcome of the written silence procedure to all

Members as soon as possible after the set deadline referred to above. In the case of a proposal that is

adopted pursuant to the written silence

procedure, the date of the Secretary General’s communication

to that effect will be date of adoption of the proposal.

9.6 Without prejudice to the above, a Member may explain its position in respect of a proposal that is

subject to the written silence procedure by submitting a written statement relating thereto, for posting on

the IPU website. Written statements should be received by the Secretary General by the date set for

receipt of objections. Written statements will be made available on the IPU website for information

purposes only. They will appear as submitted and in the language(s) of submission. Submission of a

written statement in accordance with this paragraph will not be considered as an objection.

10.

ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT

10.1 The President of the IPU shall be elected in accordance with Rules 6–8 of the Rules of the

Governing Council except as provided in these Special Rules of Procedure. The Secretary General

shall announce the quorum before voting begins in accordance with Rule 34 of the Rules of the

Governing Council.

10.2 Prior to the start of the voting process, the candidates duly registered for the post of IPU

President will be invited to briefly address the Governing Council, to present themselves and their vision

for the Organization. Hearings, open to the IPU Members, will also be organized with the candidates in

the two weeks leading up to the election.

10.3 The deadline for communication of candidatures for the IPU Presidency shall be 15 days before

the opening of the Governing Council session.

10.4 The election shall be conducted by secret ballot using a secure electronic system that has been

verified by the Secretary General as ensuring privacy, security and simplicity of use. A secure back-up

voting method that respects the secrecy of the ballot will be provided for members who are not able to

use the primary voting method.

10.5 The Secretary General shall distribute to members of the Governing Council a ballot with the

names of the candidates. The ballot shall only be accessible to members through a personal

authentication system following instructions to be provided by the Secretary General. Members shall

submit their ballot online or as advised by the Secretary General

10.6 Members shall have 24 hours from the opening of the vote by the President to cast their ballot.

The President will remind members of the approaching deadline. The voting period shall not suspend

the conduct of the business of the session.

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10.7 Once the voting period closes, the results of the votes shall be verified by two tellers appointed by

the Governing Council pursuant to Rule 30 of the Rules of the Governing Council, with the assistance of

the Secretariat. An independent auditor will provide the tellers with a technical assessment of the voting

process and results.

10.8 The President shall announce the result of the secret ballot in a public meeting. He/she will

suspend the business of the session for this purpose if necessary. If no candidate receives an absolute

majority of the votes cast on the first secret ballot in accordance with Rule 35 of the Rules of the

Governing Council, a second secret ballot shall be held between the two candidates having received the

highest number of votes in the preceding ballot in accordance with the same procedure as described

above. If the two candidates receive the same number of votes, additional ballots shall be held in

accordance with the same procedure until a candidate receives an absolute majority.

11.

ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

11.1 The deadline for communication of candidatures to the Executive Committee shall be 15 days

before the opening of the session.

11.2 If there are more candidates than the available posts on the Executive Committee, a secret ballot

shall be held following mutatis mutandis the procedure set out above for the election of the President.

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IPU Budget for 2021

Approved by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary virtual session, 2 November 2020)

2020

Approved

Budget

REVENUES

Assessed contributions

Working Capital Fund (IPSAS)

Working Capital Fund (liquid)

Staff assessment

Interest

Programme support costs

Other revenue

Voluntary contributions

TOTAL REVENUES

EXPENDITURES

Strategic Objectives

1. Build strong, democratic parliaments

2. Advance gender equality and respect for

women’s rights

3. Protect and promote human rights

4. Contribute to peacebuilding, conflict

prevention and security

5. Promote inter-parliamentary dialogue and

cooperation

6. Promote youth empowerment

7. Mobilize parliaments around the global

development agenda

8. Bridge the democracy gap in international

relations

Subtotal

Enablers

Effective internal governance and oversight

Visibility, advocacy and communications

Gender mainstreaming and a rights-based

approach

A properly resourced and efficient Secretariat

Subtotal

Other charges

Eliminations

TOTAL EXPENDITURES

2,333,100

1,344,000

1,602,400

1,445,100

3,849,700

351,600

1,315,300

955,300

13,196,500

1,028,100

1,052,000

10,000

2,779,000

4,869,100

107,600

(375,200)

17,798,000

1,419,800

525,500

1,034,900

199,300

3,733,900

85,600

194,700

923,500

8,117,200

1,030,400

1,056,400

10,000

2,795,600

4,892,400

107,600

13,117,200

5,015,600

21,600

387,900

991,900

1,148,600

890,300

566,100

1,030,800

2,568,400

1,415,800

1,601,000

1,230,100

3,733,900

473,500

1,186,600

923,500

13,132,800

1,052,000

1,056,400

10,000

2,795,600

4,914,000

107,600

(372,900)

17,781,500

10,959,200

230,000

222,000

1,205,800

100,000

16,000

5,065,000

17,798,000

10,920,800

230,000

392,000

1,085,500

100,000

372,900

16,000

13,117,200

(372,900)

5,037,200

4,664,300

10,920,800

230,000

392,000

1,085,500

100,000

16,000

5,037,200

17,781,500

Regular Budget

2021 Approved Budget

Other Sources

All Funds

21,600

(372,900)

4,664,300

Approved 2021 capital budget

Item

1. Replacement of computers and servers

2. Furniture

3. Website development

Total capital expenditures

2021

75,000

15,000

50,000

140,000

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Approved programme and budget for 2021

Scale of contributions for 2021 based on the UN scale of assessment

Approved by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary virtual session, 2 November 2020)

Country Name

UN 2019–

2021

Per cent

Afghanistan

Albania

Algeria

Andorra

Angola

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Belarus

Belgium

Benin

Bhutan

Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Botswana

Brazil

Bulgaria

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cabo Verde

Cambodia

Cameroon

Canada

Central African Republic

Chad

Chile

China

Colombia

Comoros

Congo

Costa Rica

Côte d'Ivoire

Croatia

Cuba

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Denmark

Djibouti

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Egypt

El Salvador

0.007%

0.008%

0.138%

0.005%

0.010%

0.915%

0.007%

2.210%

0.677%

0.049%

0.050%

0.010%

0.049%

0.821%

0.003%

0.001%

0.016%

0.012%

0.014%

2.948%

0.046%

0.003%

0.001%

0.006%

0.013%

2.734%

0.001%

0.004%

0.407%

12.005%

0.288%

0.001%

0.006%

0.062%

0.013%

0.077%

0.080%

0.036%

0.311%

0.006%

0.010%

0.554%

0.001%

0.053%

0.080%

0.186%

0.012%

Approved 2021 scale

Per cent

0.110%

0.270%

0.110%

1.110%

0.110%

2.440%

0.860%

0.160%

0.110%

0.160%

1.010%

0.100%

0.120%

3.170%

0.160%

0.100%

0.110%

0.120%

2.960%

0.100%

0.570%

11.750%

0.440%

0.100%

0.110%

0.180%

0.120%

0.200%

0.150%

0.460%

0.110%

0.730%

0.100%

0.170%

0.200%

0.320%

0.120%

CHF

12,100

29,600

12,100

121,600

12,100

267,400

94,200

17,500

12,100

17,500

110,700

11,000

13,100

347,400

17,500

11,000

12,100

13,100

324,300

11,000

62,500

1,280,200

48,200

11,000

12,100

19,700

13,100

21,900

16,400

50,400

12,100

80,000

11,000

18,600

21,900

35,100

13,100

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Country Name

UN 2019–

2021

Per cent

0.016%

0.039%

0.002%

0.010%

0.003%

0.421%

4.427%

0.015%

0.001%

0.008%

6.090%

0.015%

0.366%

0.036%

0.003%

0.001%

0.002%

0.003%

0.206%

0.028%

0.834%

0.543%

0.398%

0.129%

0.371%

0.490%

3.307%

8.564%

0.021%

0.178%

0.024%

0.252%

0.002%

0.005%

0.047%

0.001%

0.030%

0.009%

0.071%

0.067%

0.004%

0.002%

0.341%

0.004%

0.017%

0.001%

0.011%

1.292%

0.001%

0.011%

0.005%

0.004%

0.055%

0.004%

0.010%

Approved 2021 scale

Per cent

0.120%

0.150%

0.100%

0.110%

0.100%

0.580%

4.620%

0.120%

0.100%

0.110%

6.220%

0.120%

0.520%

0.150%

0.100%

0.350%

0.140%

1.030%

0.720%

0.560%

0.260%

0.530%

0.660%

3.530%

8.560%

0.130%

0.310%

0.130%

0.400%

0.100%

0.110%

0.160%

0.100%

0.140%

0.110%

0.190%

0.180%

0.100%

0.500%

0.100%

0.120%

0.100%

0.110%

1.500%

0.100%

0.110%

0.100%

0.170%

0.100%

0.110%

CHF

13,100

16,400

11,000

12,100

11,000

63,600

506,200

13,100

11,000

12,100

681,600

13,100

57,000

16,400

11,000

38,400

15,300

112,900

78,900

61,400

28,500

58,100

72,300

386,800

938,000

14,200

34,000

14,200

43,800

11,000

12,100

17,500

11,000

15,300

12,100

20,800

19,700

11,000

54,800

11,000

13,100

11,000

12,100

164,400

11,000

12,100

11,000

18,600

11,000

12,100

Equatorial Guinea

Estonia

Eswatini

Ethiopia

Fiji

Finland

France

Gabon

Gambia (the)

Georgia

Germany

Ghana

Greece

Guatemala

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Guyana

Haiti

Hungary

Iceland

India

Indonesia

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Iraq

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Japan

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Latvia

Lebanon

Lesotho

Libya

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Madagascar

Malawi

Malaysia

Maldives

Mali

Malta

Marshall Islands

Mauritius

Mexico

Micronesia (Federated States of)

Monaco

Mongolia

Montenegro

Morocco

Mozambique

Myanmar

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Country Name

UN 2019–

2021

Per cent

0.009%

0.007%

1.356%

0.291%

0.005%

0.002%

0.250%

0.007%

0.754%

0.115%

0.001%

0.045%

0.016%

0.152%

0.205%

0.802%

0.350%

0.282%

2.267%

0.003%

0.198%

2.405%

0.003%

0.001%

0.002%

0.001%

1.172%

0.007%

0.028%

0.002%

0.001%

0.485%

0.153%

0.076%

0.001%

0.272%

0.006%

2.146%

0.044%

0.010%

0.005%

0.906%

1.151%

0.011%

0.004%

0.307%

0.002%

0.001%

0.040%

0.025%

1.371%

0.033%

Approved 2021 scale

Per cent

0.110%

1.570%

0.440%

0.110%

0.100%

0.390%

0.110%

0.940%

0.240%

0.100%

0.160%

0.120%

0.280%

0.340%

0.990%

0.510%

0.430%

2.500%

0.100%

0.340%

2.630%

0.100%

1.380%

0.110%

0.140%

0.100%

0.650%

0.280%

0.190%

0.100%

0.420%

0.110%

2.370%

0.160%

0.110%

1.100%

1.360%

0.110%

0.100%

0.460%

0.100%

0.150%

0.130%

1.590%

0.140%

CHF

12,100

172,000

48,200

12,100

11,000

42,700

12,100

103,000

26,300

11,000

17,500

13,100

30,700

37,300

108,500

55,900

47,100

273,900

11,000

37,300

288,200

11,000

151,200

12,100

15,300

11,000

71,200

30,700

20,800

11,000

46,000

12,100

259,700

17,500

12,100

120,500

149,000

12,100

11,000

50,400

11,000

16,400

14,200

174,200

15,300

Namibia

Nepal

Netherlands

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Niger

Nigeria

North Macedonia

Norway

Oman

Pakistan

Palau

Palestine

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Qatar

Republic of Korea

Republic of Moldova

Romania

Russian Federation

Rwanda

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Samoa

San Marino

Sao Tome and Principe

Saudi Arabia

Senegal

Serbia

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovenia

Somalia

South Africa

South Sudan

Spain

Sri Lanka

Sudan

Suriname

Sweden

Switzerland

Syrian Arab Republic

Tajikistan

Thailand

Timor-Leste

Togo

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Turkey

Turkmenistan

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Country Name

UN 2019–

2021

Per cent

0.001%

0.008%

0.057%

0.616%

4.567%

0.010%

0.087%

0.032%

0.001%

0.728%

0.077%

0.010%

0.009%

0.005%

Approved 2021 scale

Per cent

0.100%

0.110%

0.170%

0.800%

4.760%

0.110%

0.210%

0.140%

0.100%

0.910%

0.200%

0.110%

CHF

11,000

12,100

18,600

87,700

521,600

12,100

23,000

15,300

11,000

99,700

21,900

12,100

Tuvalu

Uganda

Ukraine

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United Republic of Tanzania

Uruguay

Uzbekistan

Vanuatu

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

Viet Nam

Yemen

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Member or associate member

Andean Parliament

Arab Parliament

Central American Parliament

East African Legislative

Assembly

European Parliament

Interparliamentary Assembly of Member

Nations of the Commonwealth of

Independent States

Inter-Parliamentary Committee of the

West African Economic and Monetary

Union

Latin American and Caribbean Parliament

Parliament of the CEMAC

Parliament of the ECOWAS

Parliamentary Assembly of the

Black Sea Economic Cooperation

Parliamentary Assembly of La

Francophonie

Parliamentary Assembly of the

Council of Europe

Total

UN 2019-

2021

Per cent

Approved 2021 scale

Per cent

0.020%

0.010%

0.060%

CHF

2,200

1,100

6,600

0.020%

2,200

0.010%

0.030%

0.010%

0.030%

0.020%

1,100

3,300

1,100

3,300

2,200

0.040%

100%

4,400

10,920,800

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Composition of the Preparatory Committee of the Fifth

World Conference of Speakers of Parliament

Approved by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary virtual session, 2 November 2020)

President of the Preparatory Committee

Mr. Duarte Pacheco

Members

Mr. Slimane Chenine

Mr. Wolfgang Sobotka

Ms. Fawzia Zainal

Ms. Stephanie D'Hose

Mr. Haroun Kabadi

Mr. Li Zhanshu

Mr. César Litardo

Mr. Wolfgang Schäuble

Mr. Manzoor Nadir

Mr. Steingrímur J. Sigfússon

Ms. Puan Maharani

Mr. Marzouq Al Ghanim

Ms. Catherine Gotani Hara

Mr. Tinni Ousseini

Ms. Tone Wilhelmsen Trøen

Mr. Blas Llano

Ms. Zinaida Greceanîi

Lord Fakafanua

Ms. Rebecca Kadaga

Ms. Beatriz Argimón

President

Speaker

President

Chairman

President

Speaker

President

Speaker

President

National People’s Assembly, Algeria

Nationalrat, Austria

Council of Representatives, Bahrain

Senate, Belgium

National Assembly, Chad

Standing Committee of NPC, China

National Assembly, Ecuador

German Bundestag, Germany

National Assembly, Guyana

Althingi, Iceland

House of Representatives, Indonesia

National Assembly, Kuwait

National Assembly, Malawi

National Assembly, Niger

Storting, Norway

Senate, Paraguay

Parliament, Republic of Moldova

Legislative Assembly, Tonga

Parliament, Uganda

General Assembly and Senate, Uruguay

President of the IPU

Representatives of the Executive Committee

Mr. Juan Pablo Letelier

Ms. Pikulkeaw Krairiksh

Mr. Jacob Francis Mudenda

Chile

Thailand

Zimbabwe

Ex-officio

Members of the Preparatory Committee

Ms. Susan Kihika

Mr. Melvin Bouva

President

Bureau of Women Parliamentarians

Board of the Forum of Young MPs

Representative of the UN Secretary General

Ms. Tatiana Valovaya

Director-General, United Nations Office at Geneva

* * * * * *

Mr. Martin Chungong

Secretary General of the IPU

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IPU Secretariat Activities Report - Pandemic Period 2020

Noted by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary virtual session, 3 November 2020)

This report summarizes the activities of the IPU during the pandemic months and provides

material

for reflection on the IPU’s role during and after the COVID-19

crisis. The first version of

this report was presented during the 283rd session of the Executive Committee in July 2020. The

report has since been updated.

From March to October 2020, the IPU adapted to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and

found new ways of delivering on its mandate to empower parliaments and parliamentarians.

Within a few days of the pandemic being declared, the IPU responded with its campaign

Parliaments in

a time of pandemic

to support parliaments as they put in place measures to continue to function.

Through the campaign, the IPU collated data, expertise and good practice for parliaments to use and

share. The campaign was also an opportunity to underline how parliaments are essential in the

response to the pandemic and should not be sidelined by emergency government actions.

At the same time, the IPU adapted the way it works including by fast-tracking the IT systems and

software to enable Secretariat staff to work remotely. As a result, the IPU was still able to deliver

business continuity in most of its activities, research and support services for Members, as well as

innovate, adapt and find different ways of engaging with the parliamentary community.

This Activities Report outlines the headline Secretariat activities during the past eight months. The

report also includes an Annex I which lists all the IPU virtual events organized during this period as well

as planned meetings, and an Annex II which lists publications and tools produced by the Secretariat

during the pandemic period.

Parliaments in a time of pandemic

As COVID-19 became a global pandemic, it rapidly became clear that a new type of support to

parliaments was needed. This was an opportunity for the IPU to showcase its global credentials, confirm

its position as the leading source of information and guidance on parliamentary practice, and facilitate

exchanges between its Members.

As a result, within a few days of the lockdown, the IPU launched its communications and information

campaign

Parliaments in a time of pandemic

with dedicated branding and a call to action to all its

Members to share their responses to the crisis.

Resources developed by the Secretariat for the campaign included:

•

country-by-country compilation

of how parliaments are dealing with the crisis in terms of

health measures, legislation, government scrutiny, technology and innovation

A practical

Q and A on remote working tools and technology

for parliaments

guidance note

on how parliaments can ensure that government interventions in the COVID-19

crisis take into account a

gender

dimension

guidance note

on how parliaments can ensure that government interventions in the COVID-19

crisis are consonant with

human rights

two-minute video

on how parliaments and parliamentarians have responded to the pandemic

The campaign has received global attention in the media and on social media with many requests for

interviews from the international press. More than 100 parliaments answered the IPU’s call to action and

the website saw a 40 to 50 per cent growth in traffic during the pandemic period, compared to the same

period last year, with the country compilation page receiving thousands of views.

As well as collating much of the good practice, the IPU Centre for Innovation in Parliament facilitated

numerous exchanges between Members on remote working methods and technological solutions.

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The IPU also partnered with WHO and UNDRR for a series of webinars between experts and

parliamentarians which mobilized hundreds of participants.

The IPU is also finalizing a policy note for parliamentarians entitled "Green approaches to COVID-19

recovery”, in partnership with the UN Environment Programme. The IPU Secretary General presented

insights from this note at the “Achieving a green and inclusive recovery post COVID-19” session

of the

2020 virtual Global Parliamentary Forum at the World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings on

14 October 2020.

The IPU has partnered with the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia Pacific in the

organization of a series of regional webinars for parliaments on achieving the Sustainable Development

Goals (SDGs) in time of a pandemic.

The IPU is currently looking into developing further research to help parliaments manage the

post-COVID period and into how the pandemic has affected the functioning of parliaments. This

includes a series of consultations of IPU Members on the impact of the pandemic on parliamentary work

and capacity.

Business continuity

Despite the cancellation of the IPU Assemblies in April and October, the Secretariat has continued to

support its Members, moved many meetings and seminars online, prepared relevant documents and

continued to conduct its research programmes for parliaments and parliamentarians.

2.1 Supporting the Speakers’ Conference and IPU statutory bodies

In the lead-up to the first part of the

Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament,

the

Secretariat organized four virtual sessions of the Preparatory Committee (on 21 April, 13 May, 2 June,

and 7 August) to prepare for the Speakers’ Conference and the 13th Summit of Women Speakers of

Parliament.

A drafting committee was set up which held two virtual meetings to prepare the draft outcome

Declaration of the Speakers’ Conference, which was circulated to all national parliaments for their

feedback and possible amendments.

The Secretariat also organized five virtual

Executive Committee

meetings (on 3, 18, 26 June, 9 July,

and 31 August), to examine pressing matters relating to the IPU budget, programme of work and future

meetings.

The Executive Committee decided to establish a working group to make recommendations on the

agenda and modalities for a virtual meeting of the IPU Governing Council from 1 to 4 November. The

working group met three times (on 3 and 16 July, and 13 August).

The first part of the

Fifth Edition of the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament

took place

virtually on 19 and 20 August. For the first time, the conference was organized with a national

parliament

–

the Austrian National Council represented by Speaker Wolfgang Sobotka.

Over 115 of the world’s most senior legislators took part in the conference. They were

joined by

hundreds of other members of parliament, diplomats, scientists and representatives of multilateral

organizations to discuss international parliamentary cooperation to address the challenges facing a

COVID-19 world.

The conference culminated in a declaration on the overall theme of parliamentary leadership for more

effective multilateralism that delivers peace and sustainable development for the people and planet.

The

13th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament

took place virtually on 17 and 18 August. It

brought together 28 women Speakers of parliament from 26 countries who exchanged their experience

of women’s parliamentary leadership

in a time of COVID-19. They also discussed how to step up

equality between men and women, building on the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and

Platform for Action.

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The

High-Level Advisory Group on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism

held a virtual

meeting on 4 June, with an agenda which included funding for its programme of work, review of the

IPU-UNODC-UNOCT trilateral agreement and an update on the development of new products, such as

a mobile application for MPs and an interactive map.

In July, the IPU, UNODC, and UNOCT organized a webinar on model provisions regarding victims of

terrorism to strengthen the capacity of national parliaments to counter terrorism and prevent violent

extremism. Since the IPU High-level Advisory Group meeting in June, the design and development of

the mobile application and interactive map, as well as the creation of a global parliamentary network are

moving forward.

The

Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians

met virtually on 25 May and examined the

cases of 210 MPs out of its current caseload of 488 MPs from 40 countries who have reported human

rights violations.

The human rights team conducted extensive follow-up with relevant national authorities, complainants

and/or third

parties in ongoing and new cases before the Committee in Belarus, Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire,

Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, Iraq, Libya, Maldives, Mongolia, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda,

Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

The Committee is meeting again virtually from 22 to 30 October.

The IPU

Committee to Promote Respect for International Humanitarian Law

met virtually on

2 October 2020. It discussed the impact of COVID-19 on refugees, stateless men and women and on

the provision of humanitarian assistance more generally.

The Committee agreed on a series of initiatives to raise awareness on measures concerning vulnerable

populations such as refugees and stateless men and women. It also discussed strategies to pursue its

work in cooperation with the ICRC, and the Global Compact on Refugees, and the statelessness

campaign, in cooperation with UNHCR.

The

Committee on Middle East Questions

met virtually on 22 July 2020. The Committee focused on

the situations in Palestine and Libya and reviewed communications that had been received by the IPU

since October 2019 regarding the Middle East. A representative from Israel attended the Committee

meeting for the first time since October 2018.

2.2 Capacity-building for Member Parliaments

Botswana,

the IPU gave expert presentations on oversight and e-governance during a webinar

induction for new MPs in June 2020. An SDG–gender self-assessment is planned for later in the year.

Djibouti,

the IPU provided assistance to the Parliament in crafting legislation on health emergency

preparedness which will be considered by Parliament soon. The IPU also supported the National

Assembly’s elaboration of a practical guide for MPs on procedures and practice

related to committee

meetings and facilitated an external evaluation of its EU-funded PRAN project. Starting in 2019, this

two-year

project is designed to strengthen parliament’s role in promoting and protecting human rights.

So far, it has led to the creation

of a parliamentary human rights committee, a women’s caucus, as well

as greater human rights awareness among MPs. A second two-year cycle is currently being developed

to start in 2021.

Germany,

the IPU presented its guidelines to prevent sexism and harassment in parliament to a

working group of MPs from the Bundestag.

Mauritania,

the IPU facilitated two on-line meetings to support women parliamentarians to identify

needs and priority actions.

Myanmar,

the IPU launched a survey on professional development for MPs as well as training on

how to use videoconferencing apps. The IPU conducted two webinars on a COVID-19 Economic Relief

Plan attended by over 40 MPs, including MPs from other parliaments. In August, the IPU launched

330 constituency profiles for MPs to help them prepare for the next legislature as well as to support the

opening of a parliamentary public document repository.

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In Sierra Leone,

the IPU provided support to the Parliamentary Caucus on Female Genital Mutilation.

The Caucus was established as a result of an IPU workshop held in February 2020.

Tanzania,

the IPU continued to provide support to women MPs through an ongoing mentorship

programme and the development of capacity-building tools.

Tunisia,

IPU expert advice helped improve the Parliament’s rules of procedure for enhanced

oversight.

Ukraine,

the IPU

gave a webinar presentation to MPs entitled “Guidelines for parliamentary research

services” on the occasion of the launch of a Ukrainian version. The IPU was also part of a high-level

discussion “Strengthening the role of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in achieving the SDGs” on 22

September.

Uzbekistan,

the IPU co-organized, with the Parliament and OHCHR, a webinar for parliamentarians

on human rights on 10 June. A second webinar took place on 6 October more specifically on the role of

parliament in preventing torture.

Vanuatu,

the IPU helped secure a grant of CHF 50,000 for a project to support enhanced data use in

parliament, in collaboration with the National Statistics Office of Vanuatu.

Zambia,

the IPU organized a discovery exercise with the

National Assembly’s Research Department

to help facilitate future development plans.

sub-Saharan Africa,

the IPU organized three webinars in June and July for parliamentary staff on

women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health. This was organized

together with PMNCH, WHO, Living

Goods Uganda and Countdown 2030.

The IPU moved its annual information seminar on the IPU to a virtual format. The seminar, in French,

was attended by some 25 staff members representing 16 parliaments.

2.3 Research projects and partnerships

Preparations for two of the IPU’s flagship publications –

the Global Parliamentary Report and the World

e-Parliament report

–

have continued in recent months. Both publications will incorporate new questions

on the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the case studies in the Global Parliamentary Report on public

participation will focus on COVID-19 and parliamentary- public engagement in time of crisis.

Research and interviews with MPs for a future regional study on sexism, harassment and violence

against women in parliaments in Africa have continued.

Online consultations with MPs and experts from 23 countries were carried out in view of a forthcoming

IPU-UN Women handbook for parliamentarians on making legislation gender-responsive.

The IPU continues its research, in collaboration with the Graduate Institute of Geneva, on the relations

between majority and opposition parties in parliament and on how effective political dialogue can be

good for democracy and long-term stability. The research is due for completion in December 2020.

A comparative research paper on parliamentary administration was published in October 2020. The

paper shines the spotlight on dimensions of parliamentary autonomy and independence in the

governance of parliamentary administration across the globe, from recruitment to budgetary powers.

Over the past few months, the IPU has conducted extensive research on youth participation in

parliaments in preparation for a forthcoming report and has updated the IPU’s open data

platform,

Parline. The research also investigates the impact of COVID-19 on youth and how to adapt

post-COVID-19 policies to support youth employment, education and health. Lastly, preparations are

on-going for the launch of a global campaign to enhance youth representation in parliament, in the

context of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the IPU youth movement.

The IPU has also started working on a paper that will focus on SDGs financing in a time of pandemic.

One significant project which marked the second quarter, was a series of three climate legislation

webinars aimed at building the capacity of parliamentarians and parliamentary staff, co-organized with

UNFCCC and CISDL.

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Agenda, reports and other texts of the Governing Council

The IPU strengthened its partnerships with Generation Equality Forum and International Gender

Champions to promote progress towards gender equality.

The IPU also took part in an expert group meeting

on women’s political participation convened by

UN Women, in preparation for the session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

to be held in 2021.

In September and October, four video statements by the IPU President were presented during the

UN 75th anniversary High-Level meetings on 21 September and 26 October, as well as on the specific

themes of biodiversity (30 September), Beijing +25 (1 October), and nuclear disarmament (2 October).

In October, the IPU also convened the first in a series of online MP briefings on UN processes with

close to 100 parliamentarians joining.

******

Virtual events and webinars during the pandemic period

Past events

•

“Lessons from the COVID-19

pandemic: Parliamentary action to reduce risks, strengthen

emergency preparedness and increase resilience” (global webinar on 28 April, organized with

UNDRR and WHO, attended by over 500 MPs)

“One planet, one humanity”: Webinar on

International Day of Multilateralism (24 April)

Four webinars for Myanmar on the Economic Relief Plan, Challenges and Public Leadership

during COVID-19, attended by over 80 MPs, and an experience exchange with international MPs

(May, June, August, and September)

Two video parliamentary consultations “Assuring our Common Future: a draft guide to

parliamentary action in support of disarmament for security and sustainable development”

Virtual meeting with members of the human rights committee of the National Assembly of

Senegal to explore how the IPU and OHCHR can support their work (28 May)

Virtual conference (with OHCHR and the Uzbek Parliament) on human rights in Uzbekistan

(10 June)

Launch of parliament e-learning platform; first training course on Committee skills for

parliamentary staff in Myanmar (June 2020)

Virtual briefing with Burkinabe stakeholders on progress in the implementation of

recommendations of the UN Human Rights Council for Burkina Faso

Virtual meetings of two Centre for Innovation in Parliament hubs: parliaments in Southern Africa

(hosted by the National Assembly of Zambia) and in Latin America (hosted by the Chamber of

Deputies of Chile, in partnership with NDI). Discussion within both hubs continues via a dedicated

WhatsApp group.

Virtual meeting of the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (25 May)

“Understanding women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health (regional webinar for parliamentary

staff in sub-Saharan Africa on 17 June, organized with PMNCH, WHO, Living Goods Uganda and

Countdown 2030)

“Creating an enabling legislative environment for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health”

(regional webinar for parliamentary staff in sub-Saharan Africa on 24 June, organized with

PMNCH, WHO, Living Goods Uganda and Countdown 2030)

Quintet meeting, discussion with the Heads of the Geopolitical Groups and virtual launch of the

IPU 130th Anniversary Book on International Day of Parliamentarism (30 June)

“Making the budget work for women, children and adolescents”

−

regional webinar for

parliamentary staff in sub-Saharan Africa organized with PMNCH, WHO, Living Goods Uganda

and Countdown 2030 (2 July)

Webinar: Building back better: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance the role of

parliaments in disaster risk reduction (9 July)

Virtual workshop (with OHCHR and the Commonwealth Secretariat) for parliamentarians from

countries in the Caribbean and Canada (all members of the Commonwealth) entitled “Engaging

parliaments on the promotion of human rights including on the work of the Human Rights Council

and its Universal Periodic Review (UPR)” (13 and 14 July)

•

IPU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 8: Resultat af Governing Council session 1.-3. november 2020

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•

Parliamentary Forum on the occasion of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable

Development (15 July)

Virtual consultation co-organized with the International Development Law Organization on

freedom of expression (17 July)

Webinar for the Asia-Pacific

region parliaments: “The impact of COVID-19

on SDG

implementation in Asia-Pacific:

What role for parliaments?”, organized with UN ESCAP (28 July)

IPU Secretary General speaks at Parliamentary partnership of education, culture for sustainable

development

–

AIPA (30 July)

Online training with the women parliamentary caucus in Mauritania (6 July and 10 August)

13th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament (17-18 August)

Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (19-20 August)

Celebrating International Youth Day with interventions by the IPU Secretary General and the

President of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians during the Samarkand Youth Forum

(12 August)

“Compliance and implementation under the Paris Agreement” (1/3 global webinars organized with

UNFCCC, 27 August)

IPU contribution to the informal consultation on the United Nations Treaty Body review

(28 August)

IPU Secretary General speaks at UNITE Global Summit (7 September)

IPU Secretary General speaks at the 41st General Assembly of the AIPA (8 September)

Satyarthi Children's Foundation: Third Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit with

participation of the IPU Secretary General (9-10 September)

COVID-19 and democracy: Can parliaments come to the rescue? Virtual interactive panel debate

organized for International Day of Democracy, in partnership with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global

Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University (15 September)

IPU Secretary General speaks at Inaugural meeting of the High Level Commission on ICPD25

Follow-up (17 September)

“Law

and governance approaches within the ocean-climate

nexus” (2/3 global webinars

organized with UNFCCC, 17 September)

Parliaments and the UN: The way forward. An IPU event in the lead-up to the UN75 Summit.

(17 September)

Inaugural meeting of the High-Level Commission on ICPD25 Follow-up (17 September)

Online UNGA side event: The Future of Multilateral Drug Policy (24 September)

Parliamentary Responses to Solutions for Forced Displacement in the IGAD Region

(30 September)

The 46th session of the Steering Committee of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO

(30 September)

WE Empower Pitch Night with participation of the IPU Secretary General (30 September)

The IPU Secretary General speaks at WHO side event: Sustainable preparedness for health

security and resilience (1 October)

Online intergenerational dialogue “Centering girls’ voices in the international arena”, organized on

the occasion of the International Day of the Girl with the International Gender Champions,

OHCHR, UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women, WHO, Plan International, the Permanent Missions of

Mexico and the Netherlands in Geneva, among others (8 October)

“Legislative approaches in ensuring social stability in communities facing climate-induced risks”

(3/3 global webinars organized with UNFCCC, 8 October)

Governance Reform and Partner Engagement Consultations

−

NGO and IGO (PMNCH)

(9 October)

The IPU Secretary General speaks at virtual session on achieving a green and inclusive recovery

post COVID-19

−

2020 Virtual Global Parliamentary Forum at the World Bank & IMF Annual

Meetings (14 October)

Briefing for MPs on UN processes: SDG 1 and the UN definition of poverty (20 October)

Virtual meeting of the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (22-30 October)

IPU Secretary General speaks at Boston University Symposium “Democracy Beyond the Nation

State” (28 October)

IPU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 8: Resultat af Governing Council session 1.-3. november 2020

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Future events

•

Webinar “The impact of COVID-19

on SDG

implementation in Africa: What role for parliaments?”,

for African Parliaments, organized with UNECA (13 November)

Webinar “Universal health coverage in times of COVID-19 –

Parliamentary best practices and

challenges” (17 November)

Online event on young women's political participation and leadership (18 November)

Geneva Peace Week in November 2020 (“Towards evidence-informed

disarmament and

Parliaments’ Role in Linking Good Security Sector Governance to SDG16 amid COVID-19”)

First meeting of the Parliamentary

Caucus on FGM in Sierra Leone, organized with IPU’s support

(First part of November)

Reviewing UN Peacebuilding: A briefing for Parliamentarians, the second in a series of briefings

organized by the Office of the Permanent Observer (18 November)

In Indonesia the IPU will support the House of Representatives in organizing an SDG information

webinar (19 November)

Online panel discussion on violence against women in politics (co-organized with the Kofi Annan

Foundation

−

25 November)

Online presentation of the IPU guidelines on the elimination of sexism and harassment in

parliament to the Parlement de la communauté française de Belgique (25 November)

Arab Regional Parliamentary Forum on the 2030 Agenda: The impact of COVID-19 on SDG

implementation in Western Asia and the role of parliaments, organized with UN ESCWA

(26 November)

Inter-parliamentary virtual conversation on Parliaments and the Women, Peace and Security

Agenda (TBD

–

October-November)

Project supporting enhanced data use in the Vanuatu Parliament in collaboration with the

National Statistics Office of Vanuatu (October

–

November 2020)

In Albania, the IPU will provide support in organizing an information webinar on the role of

parliaments in SDG implementation, and a self-assessment exercise using the IPU/UNDP toolkit

“Parliaments and the Sustainable Development Goals” (TBD –

between November and

December)

Webinar entitled “The global post-COVID-19

economy: Devising sustainable trade policies to

support the fights against poverty” (November 2020)

Webinar entitled “The impact of COVID-19

on SDG implementation in Latin America: What role

for parliaments?” for parliaments of Latin America, organized with UN ECLAC (TBD –

between

November and December)

Webinar to strengthen the role of the Committee on human rights of the National Assembly of

Senegal in the UPR process (November)

Online event to re-launch the Not Too Young To Run campaign, in collaboration with partners

(late 2020 or early 2021)

Online conference on young women’s political participation

in partnership with the UN Secretary

General’s Envoy on Youth

Sectoral budget analysis virtual training for staff of the National Assembly of Zambia (November -

December)

Online event to launch the 2020 report on youth participation in national parliaments and to

celebrate the 10th anniversary of the IPU resolution

Youth participation in the democratic process

Virtual Expert Roundtable on the

‘why, what and who’

of monitoring and evaluation of

parliamentary performance (December 2020)

Online event to launch the handbook for parliamentarians on nutrition and food systems (late

2020 or early 2021)

Webinar “Climate change adaptation in mountain areas: What role is there for parliaments?”,

organized with the Adaptation at Altitude programme of the Swiss Agency for Development and

Cooperation (11 December 2020).

Webinar “SDGs financing in a time of pandemic” (TBD)

******

•

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New publications, tools and content

•

Redesign of Parline, the IPU’s open data platform, with new data on Speakers, gender and youth

Publication of an op-ed on gender and COVID-19 co-signed by the IPU Secretary General and

the IGC Secretariat

Publication of

“Gender and COVID-19:

A guidance note

for parliaments”

Publication of “Human Rights and COVID-19: A guidance note for parliaments”

Translation of the IPU-UN

Women map “Women in Politics” into Arabic and Turkish

Translation of

Guidelines for the elimination of sexism, harassment and violence against women

in parliament

into Turkish, Korean, Japanese and Spanish

Translation of the IPU’s

Evaluating the gender sensitivity of parliaments: A self-assessment toolkit

into Armenian and Ukrainian (in partnership with UNDP)

Publication of

Road

map for action on women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health,

a handbook

for parliamentarians

Op-ed by the IPU Secretary General with the PMNCH Executive Director on World Health Day

Op-ed by the IPU Secretary General on why power should be restored to parliaments

Op-ed by the IPU Secretary General with UNDP Administrator, Achim Steiner

Paper on parliamentary engagement on women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health

Publication of the IPU 130th Anniversary Book

Publication of the IPU monthly e-bulletins and quarterly innovation trackers

Publication of numerous news stories, videos, press releases and opinion pieces including on the

pandemic, multilateralism, abused or tortured MPs, 130th anniversary celebrations, International

Day of Parliamentarism, International Day of Youth, SDGs, Fifth World Conference of Speakers

of Parliament, gender equality, and International Day of Democracy

Partnership with Arizona State University to create a series of four videos for parliamentarians on

SDG 5

–

Gender Equality

Publication of Comparative research paper on parliamentary administration

Publication of the IPU-UNDP Guidelines for enhancing the engagement and contribution of

parliaments to effective development cooperation

Translation of the IPU-UNDP

toolkit “Parliaments and the Sustainable Development Goals: A

self-assessment

toolkit” into Ukrainian and Indonesian

•

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Calendar of future meetings and other activities

Approved by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary virtual session, 3 November 2020)

In the context of the ongoing global pandemic, the dates and venues of many of the meetings remain

to be confirmed. It may be that the venues are replaced by virtual meetings.

On-line workshop for members of parliamentary human rights

committees from French Speaking countries that have recently or

will soon be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council

Regional workshop on the implementation of the Global Compact

on Migration

Third regional seminar on achieving the SDGs

for the parliaments of Latin America and the Caribbean

Third regional seminar on achieving the SDGs

for the Twelve Plus Group

Interregional seminar on achieving the SDGs

Virtual

9-10 December 2020

Republic of Moldova

2020

(Dates to be confirmed)

PANAMA CITY (Panama)

2020 or 2021

(Dates to be confirmed)

PARIS (France)

2020 or 2021

(Dates to be confirmed)

BEIJING (China)

2020 or 2021

(Dates to be confirmed)

2020

(Venue and dates to be confirmed)

2020

(Venue and dates to be confirmed)

NEW YORK

February 2021

NEW YORK

March 2021

ISLAMABAD (Pakistan)

March 2021

(Dates to be confirmed)

GENEVA (Switzerland)

May/June 2021

NEW YORK

or virtual

July 2021

VIENNA (Austria)

July 2021

(Dates to be confirmed)

VIENNA (Austria)

July 2021

(Dates to be confirmed)

KIGALI (Rwanda)

6-10 November 2021

GLASGOW (United Kingdom)

November 2021

GENEVA (Switzerland)

2021 (Dates to be confirmed)

DJIBOUTI (Djibouti)

2021 (Dates to be confirmed)

World e-Parliament Conference

Second Executive Education Parliamentary Leadership

seminar for French-speaking participants

Annual Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations

Parliamentary meeting on the occasion of the 65th session

of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)

Regional seminar on achieving the SDGs for Asia

Pacific parliaments

142nd Assembly and related meetings

Parliamentary Forum at the United Nations High-level

Political Forum

13th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament(in-person)

Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament

(in-person)

143rd Assembly and related meetings

Parliamentary meeting at the 26th United Nations

Climate Change Conference (COP26)

Event on the occasion of the World Health Assembly

Second regional seminar on achieving the SDGs

for African parliaments

IPU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 8: Resultat af Governing Council session 1.-3. november 2020

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Agenda, reports and other texts of the Governing Council

Parliamentary Conference on the occasion of

the Twelfth WTO Ministerial Conference

Parliamentary meeting at the 2021 World Investment Forum

First Global Parliamentary Meeting on achieving the SDGs

Capacity-building regional workshop on countering terrorism

and violent extremism for the G5 Sahel

International or regional workshop for members of

parliamentary human rights committees

Regional workshop on promoting the rights of the child

for the parliaments of the East and South Asia region

Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians

Fifth South Asia Speakers’ Summit on achieving the SDGs

Speakers’ Summit (P20) on the occasion of the G20

Capacity-building regional workshop on countering

terrorism and violent extremism for the Eurasian Group

Capacity-building regional workshop on countering

terrorism and violent extremism for the Group of

Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC)

Workshop on comprehensive disarmament

World Conference on Intercultural and

Interreligious Dialogue

Parliamentary session at the High-level Meeting

on Diplomacy for Health Security and

Emergency Preparedness

First Global Parliamentary Summit on Countering

Terrorism and Violent Extremism

Capacity-building regional workshop on countering

terrorism and violent extremism for the African Group

Capacity-building regional workshop on countering

terrorism and violent extremism for the Arab Group

NUR-SULTAN (Kazakhstan)

2021 (Dates to be confirmed)

ABU DHABI

(United Arab Emirates)

2021 (Dates to be confirmed)

Indonesia

2021 (Dates to be confirmed)

NIAMEY (Niger)

2021 (Dates to be confirmed)

2021

(Venue and dates to be confirmed)

2021

(Venue and dates to be confirmed)

2021

(Venue and dates to be confirmed)

2021

(Venue and dates to be confirmed)

2021

(Venue and dates to be confirmed)

2021

(Venue and dates to be confirmed)

2021

(Venue and dates to be confirmed)

2021

(Venue and dates to be confirmed)

MOSCOW (Russian Federation)

May 2022

MARRAKESH (Morocco)

2022 (Dates to be confirmed)

2022

(Venue and dates to be confirmed)

2022

(Venue and dates to be confirmed)

2022

(Venue and dates to be confirmed)

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Agenda, reports and other texts of the Governing Council

Decisions concerning the

Human Rights of Parliamentarians

Côte d’Ivoire

Decision adopted unanimously by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary

virtual session,

3 November 2020)

Alain Lobognon, Twitter

Case CIV-COLL-01

Côte d’Ivoire:

Parliament affiliated to the

IPU

Victims:

10 male opposition members of

parliament

Qualified complainants:

Section I.1(a) of

the

Committee Procedure

(Annex I)

Submission of complaints:

January 2019

and February 2020 (CIV-09 to CIV-16)

Recent IPU decision(s):

May 2020

Recent IPU mission(s):

- - -

Recent Committee hearing(s):

Hearing of

the delegation of Côte d’Ivoire at the

140th PU Assembly in Doha (April 2019)

Recent follow-up:

- Communication from the authorities:

Observations of the Government: Letter

from the Speaker of the National

Assembly (May and October 2020)

- Communication from the complainants:

October 2020

- Communications addressed to the

authorities: Letters to the Minister of

Justice and the Speaker of the National

Assembly (June and September 2020)

- Communication addressed to the

complainants: October 2020

CIV-07 - Alain Lobognon

CIV-08 - Jacques Ehouo

CIV-09 - Guillaume Soro

CIV-10 - Loukimane Camara

CIV-11 - Kando Soumahoro

CIV-12 - Yao Soumaïla

CIV-13 - Soro Kanigui

CIV-14 - Issiaka Fofana

CIV-15 - Bassatigui Fofana

CIV-16 - Mohamed Sess Soukou

Alleged human rights violations

✓

Arbitrary arrest and detention

Lack of due process at the investigation stage

Lack of fair trial proceedings

Violation of freedom of opinion and expression

Failure to respect parliamentary immunity

Summary of the case

This case concerns the situation of several Ivorian members of

parliament who have faced violations of their fundamental

rights since 2018 in the exercise of their parliamentary

mandate.

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Cases of Mr. Alain Lobognon and Mr. Jacques Ehouo (2018–2019)

In October 2018, the investiture as mayor of Mr. Jacques Ehouo, a member of parliament from the

Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI), did not take place immediately following his election because

of allegations of corruption and misappropriation of funds that surfaced shortly after his victory. After

initially refusing to appear at a hearing when summoned by the Economic Police, invoking his status as

a member of parliament, Mr. Ehouo eventually attended a hearing on 10 January 2019, following which

he was charged by the Prosecutor with misappropriation of public funds, forgery and the use of

counterfeit documents, and money laundering.

Mr. Ehouo’s case is linked to that of Mr.

Alain Lobognon, who had expressed his concern on social

media, in January 2019, about the legality of the action taken against Mr. Ehouo by the Prosecutor.

Mr. Lobognon had posted a tweet, following which he was accused of posting a message that

amounted to spreading fake news and causing public disorder. The Prosecutor consequently ordered

his arrest for a

flagrante delicto

offence. On 15 January 2019, Mr. Lobognon was taken into custody.

The Bureau of the National Assembly met on 16 January 2019 and decided to demand that

Mr.

Lobognon’s

custody and the proceedings against both members of parliament be suspended. The

Prosecutor is understood to have disregarded this decision, as Mr. Lobognon was sentenced on

29 January 2019 in the court of first instance to a one-year prison term in a trial that his lawyers claimed

lacked fair trial proceedings and was biased. On 13 February 2019, the court of appeal sentenced

Mr. Lobognon to a six-month suspended prison term. Mr. Lobognon was released and lodged an appeal

at the court of cassation. As for Mr. Ehouo, he took office as mayor following his investiture on 23 March

2019. However, it is not clear whether Mr. Ehouo is still subject to a judicial investigation.

New complaints received in late 2019

In December 2019, the Committee received a new complaint about nine members of the National

Assembly, including Mr. Lobognon, who had allegedly been arbitrarily arrested with Mr. Loukimane

Camara, Mr. Kando Soumahoro, Mr. Yao Soumaïla and Mr. Soro Kanigui on 23 December 2019. The five

members of parliament have been charged with causing public disorder, challenging the authority of the

State and spreading fake news, bringing discredit to state institutions and their operation, all of which

amount to an attack on state authority. At the same time, member of parliament and former Speaker of the

National Assembly, Mr. Guillaume Soro, was allegedly prevented from returning to Côte d’Ivoire and had

an international arrest warrant issued against him for misappropriation of public funds and seeking to

challenge the integrity of the State. In its communication of 13 May 2020, the Ivorian Government

dismissed the complainants’ allegations, insisting on the legality of the procedure followed. The five

members of parliament allegedly stated during a press conference held on 23 December 2019 that the

Ivorian airport authorities had prevented Mr. Soro's private plane from landing in Côte d'Ivoire and that his

plane had therefore been rerouted to Ghana. According to the authorities, this information was fake, as it

had reportedly been denied by the National Civil Aviation Authority in a press release in which it stated that

authorization to fly over Ivorian territory and to land at Abidjan airport had been granted on 20 December

2019. The authorities did not send a copy of this press release.

In its communication of 13 May 2020, the Ivorian Government maintained that the allegations of failure

to respect the parliamentary immunity of the members of parliament were completely unfounded, as

they are accused of having actively participated in the first phase of the conspiracy against state

security and were prevented from carrying out the second part of their plan involving an insurrection,

due to judicial police intervention. These alleged facts constitute for the Ivorian Government a proven

flagrante delicto

offence, thereby justifying the absence of authorization from the Chamber Bureaux to

which the members belong. In their letter of 21 October 2020, the parliamentary authorities indicated

that the

flagrante delicto

nature of the offence referred to by the Ivorian Government relates, in the

present case, not to an isolated action or aim, but rather to a conspiracy, under the terms of

article 163 and subsequent articles of the Ivorian Criminal Code. It was in this context that the immunity

of the members of parliament was lifted on 20 January 2020 in a decision taken by the Bureau of the

National Assembly, even though these members had already been arrested and detained.

Mr. Guillaume Soro’s situation

With regard to the case of Mr. Soro, the Ivorian Government confirmed its involvement in two separate

cases, one of which relates to a destabilization plan due to be carried out imminently, which emerged

from an audio recording in which Mr. Soro reportedly exposed his plan to launch an attack against state

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security. According to the authorities, this plan consisted in the recruitment of armed individuals present

in the country, with a view to harming the integrity of the national territory. The Ivorian authorities

concluded that there was a direct link between this recording, dating back to 2017, and Mr. Soro's

political campaign, the aim of which was to discredit the Republic’s institutions. According to the

authorities, the planned conspiracy became increasingly more plausible after the discovery of weapons

of war in a lagoon in Assinie. The second case involving Mr. Soro is said to concern the

misappropriation of funds following the alleged purchase in 2007 of a property using treasury funds, the

real ownership of the property having been concealed.

On 22 April 2020, the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (AfCHPR), under its implementation

of interim measures, ordered the suspension of the arrest warrant issued against Mr. Soro, the

provisional release of the members of parliament currently in detention, and adherence to the

status

quo

until the adoption of a decision on the merits of this case. Despite the AfCHPR’s ruling, the Ivorian

justice system continued examining Mr. Soro’s

case, who was found guilty of misappropriation of funds

and sentenced on 28 April 2020 by the Abidjan court of first instance to 20

years’ rigorous

imprisonment, deprivation of his civil and political rights for a period of five years and a fine of 4.5 billion

CFA francs. Given the AfCHPR’s ruling and the fact that Mr. Soro's trial had been marked by numerous

judicial irregularities, his lawyers decided not to appeal his conviction at first instance. In their letter of 21

October 2020, the parliamentary authorities emphasized that recognition of AfCHPR jurisdiction by the

Member States of the African Union was voluntary. According to the authorities, the ruling handed down

by the AfCHPR in Mr. Soro's case had overstepped its mandate, which limits its jurisdiction to only

identifying human rights violations.

On 15 September 2020, the Constitutional Council invalidated the candidacy of Mr. Guillaume Soro,

while the AfCHPR ordered the reinstatement of his candidacy for the presidential elections.

Recent developments

On 24 September 2020, the authorities released members of parliament Mr. Soro Kanigui,

Mr. Loukimane Camara and Mr. Soumaïla Yao. The three parliamentarians were granted a provisional

release and placed under judicial supervision with serious restrictions, including being prohibited from

contacting each other, from engaging in "cyber activism" or from participating in "political meetings". In

their communication of 21 October 2020, the parliamentary authorities indicated that Mr. Kando

Soumahoro had also been provisionally released after recovering from COVID-19. The authorities also

confirmed that Mr. Alain Lobognon would continue to be held in detention for reasons known only to the

investigating judge in charge of the case.

The communications of the Ivorian authorities of 13 May and 21 October 2020 contain no

documentation establishing the truth of the statements made, in particular no copy of the ruling handed

down against Mr. Soro in the money-laundering case, no copy of the audio recording mentioned (only

extracts were provided) together with the date on which it was reportedly made, and no copy of the

arrest and search warrants.

Decision

The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Thanks

the Ivorian parliamentary authorities for the information provided in their letter of 21 October

2020;

Notes

the provisional release under judicial supervision of Mr. Loukimane Camara, Mr. Soro

Kanigui, Mr. Soumaïla Yao and Mr. Kando Soumahoro;

considers nevertheless

that the restrictive

conditions attached to their release are in no way justified;

considers,

rather, that such conditions

reinforce the complainants' allegations that the proceedings against these members of parliament

are politically motivated and are part of the continued political and judicial harassment to which they

have been subjected since 2019;

underscores

that these members of parliament remained in

detention for nine months with no legal prospect of a fair trial being held;

Deplores

the continued detention of Mr. Alain Lobognon in the absence of any material evidence,

especially given he is still being held during the COVID-19 pandemic period and that his state of

health is fragile; and

calls on

the authorities to release him immediately if they are unable to

provide material evidence of his guilt in relation to the charges against him;

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Notes

the arguments provided by the parliamentary authorities concerning the evidence against

the members of parliament, in particular the discovery of weapons hidden in the homes of those

accused;

stresses,

however, that the Ivorian authorities have so far failed to provide any

documentation to establish the truth of these allegations, given that it has not been established

that Mr. Lobognon and the four other members of parliament hitherto detained had weapons in

their homes;

Regrets

that, given the proven violations of his fundamental rights, which were also found by the

African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights in two separate rulings, Mr. Soro was deprived of

his civil and political rights;

once again calls on

the authorities to provide a copy of the ruling of

the court of first instance in order to understand on what grounds the sentence was passed

against Mr. Soro;

Recalls

that, in its decision of May 2020, further information regarding the audio recording

constituting the key evidence for the Prosecutor’s charges was requested from the authorities;

recalls,

moreover, that the authenticity of this recording has been challenged by the

complainants;

Is concerned

about the arbitrary measures to which the legal advisers of Mr. Soro and of the

other members of parliament are reportedly currently subject;

recalls

that the right to defence is a

fundamental right recognized for every individual and which can only be realized by their legal

advisers enjoying the effective and unimpeded exercise of their functions;

Takes note

of the lack of information on Mr. Jacques Ehouo’s case; and

decides

to close this

case pursuant to article 25(b) of its Procedure for the examination and treatment of complaints, in

the absence of recent information from the complainant on the judicial investigation into the

corruption offences to which Mr. Ehouo is reportedly still subject;

Requests

the Secretary General to convey this decision to the parliamentary authorities, the

Minister of Justice and the complainants and to any third party likely to be in a position to supply

relevant information;

Requests

the Committee to continue examining this case and to report back to it in due course.

10.

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Democratic Republic of the Congo

Decision adopted unanimously by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary

virtual session,

3 November 2020)

COD-148

–

Jean Jacques Mamba

Alleged human rights violations

✓

Threats, acts of intimidation

Lack of due process at the investigation stage

Violation of freedom of opinion and expression

Summary of the case

On 13 May 2020, Mr. Jean Jacques Mamba filed a petition,

which was signed by 62 members of parliament, seeking

the removal from office of the First Deputy Speaker of the

National Assembly, Mr. Jean-Marc Kabund. This petition

came about as a result of Mr. Kabund's refusal to respond

to two written requests made by Mr. Jean Jacques Mamba

inviting Mr. Kabund to explain the statements he had made

regarding the organization of a congress for parliamentarians costing seven million US dollars.

Following the filing of the petition with the National Assembly, member of parliament Mr. Simon Mpiana

claimed that his signature had been forged and filed a complaint

Case COD-148

to the court of cassation. The complainant contends that Mr.

Democratic Republic of the Congo:

Mpiana’s accusations were unfounded, in that two members of

Parliament affiliated to the IPU

parliament allegedly attested that Mr. Mpiana had signed the

petition in their presence. The former First Deputy Speaker also

Victim:

Opposition member of

filed an appeal with the Council of State challenging his removal

parliament

from office.

On 22 May 2020, Mr. Mamba alerted the police to the attack on

his home. The day after the attack, police personnel came to his

home and proceeded to arrest him. The complainant alleges that

Mr. Mamba's arrest took place under humiliating conditions and in

the absence of any documentation authorizing his arrest.

Mr. Mamba was reportedly immediately brought before the judge

of the court of cassation without being given an opportunity to

attend a hearing. According to the complainant, the purpose of

this manoeuvre was to make sure Mr. Mamba was convicted on

the same day in a bid to quash his petition and thus render it null

and void. This was unsuccessful because, after noting the

absence of a hearing and of information on the facts justifying his

arrest, the court of cassation judge decided to release Mr. Mamba

and to place him under house arrest. Furthermore, the National

Assembly considered Mr. Mamba's petition after a validation

committee verified the 62 signatures. Thus, on 25 May 2020, the

First Deputy Speaker was removed from office. This decision was

ratified by the Constitutional Court on 17 June 2020.

Qualified complainant(s):

Section

I.(1)(a) of the

Committee Procedure

(Annex I)

Submission of complaint:

September

2020

Recent IPU decision(s):

- - -

Recent IPU mission(s):

- - -

Recent Committee hearing(s):

- - -

Recent follow-up:

- Communication from the authorities:

---

- Communication from the

complainant: October 2020

- Communication addressed to the

authorities: Letter to the Speaker of

the National Assembly (September

2020)

- Communication addressed to the

complainant: October 2020

On 27 May 2020, the National Assembly passed a resolution calling for the suspension of Mr.

Mamba’s

detention and the proceedings against him, pursuant to article 107 of the Constitution, which applies to

ongoing parliamentary sessions. On the same day, the court of cassation decided to stay the

proceedings until the end of the current parliamentary session.

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On 15 September 2020, when the parliamentary session resumed, the prosecution issued a fresh

warrant for Mr. Mamba’s arrest on the premise that the National Assembly’s resolution only applied to

the preceding session. Mr. Mamba has since left the country to avoid prison. The complainant adds that

the member of parliament has lost all confidence in the justice system, as he claims that the decision to

convict him has already been taken.

In a meeting with the IPU Secretary General, the Minister for Human Rights of the Democratic Republic

of the Congo affirmed the arbitrary nature of Mr. Mamba's detention. He also reaffirmed his support for

the member of parliament and his commitment to upholding the rights of members of parliament.

Decision

The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Notes

that the complaint concerning Mr. Jean Jacques Mamba is admissible, considering that the

complaint: (i) was submitted in due form by complainants qualified under Section I.1(a) of the

Procedure for the examination and treatment of complaints (Annex I of the Revised Rules and

Practices of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians); (ii) concerns an incumbent

member of parliament at the time of the initial allegations; and (iii) concerns allegations of

violation of freedom of opinion and expression, lack of due process at the investigation stage, and

threats and acts of intimidation, allegations that fall under the Committee’s mandate;

Is greatly concerned

by the fact that Mr. Mamba’s arrest appears to have violated his

parliamentary immunity and that the legal proceedings against him appear to stem from the

legitimate exercise of his parliamentary mandate;

stresses

that Mr. Mamba's petition exceeded

the 50 signatures required by the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly and that, of the 62

signatures collected, only the authenticity of one has been questioned;

notes

that the National

Assembly has verified and validated this petition and that the Constitutional Court has upheld the

removal from office of the former First Deputy Speaker;

Regrets

that Mr Mamba was forced to leave his country and is therefore unable to participate in

the work of the current parliamentary session due to the fresh arrest warrant issued against him;

Points

out that this case must be seen in the context of a large number of other cases in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo that have been referred to the Committee on the Human

Rights of Parliamentarians and which have so far not been fully resolved;

stresses

that

Mr. Mamba's case should therefore prompt the competent authorities to take these concerns in

question all the more seriously;

encourages

the authorities to ensure that progress made so far at

the political level is not undermined, by taking the necessary steps to guarantee Mr.

Mamba’s

security and uphold his fundamental rights;

Welcomes

steps taken by the National Assembly in this regard following Mr.

Mamba’s arrest on

22 May 2020 to guarantee his rights, in particular the passing of a resolution on 27 May 2020

calling for the suspension of proceedings against him;

invites

the parliamentary authorities to take

all necessary measures to ensure that Mr. Mamba is able to return to the Democratic Republic of

the Congo without fear of further arrest and prosecution on the same charges;

Takes note with satisfaction

the support shown by the Minister for Human Rights with respect to

Mr.

Mamba’s rights to exercise his parliamentary mandate; and

expresses the hope

that he will

continue to follow up Mr. Mamba’s case and

that other executive and judicial authorities will do

likewise;

wishes

to be kept informed in this respect;

Requests

the Secretary General to convey this decision to the parliamentary authorities, the

Minister for Human Rights, the Prosecutor General, the complainant and any third party likely to

be in a position to supply relevant information;

Requests

the Committee to continue examining this case and to report back to it in due course.

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Gabon

Decision adopted unanimously by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary

virtual session,

3 November 2020)

GAB-04

–

Justin Ndoundangoye

Alleged human rights violations

✓

Torture, ill-treatment and other acts of violence

Arbitrary arrest and detention

Lack of due process at the investigation stage

Failure to respect parliamentary immunity

Impunity

Summary of the case

Case GAB-04

Gabon:

Parliament affiliated to the IPU

Victim:

Member of the majority

Qualified complainant(s):

Section I.1.(a)

of the

Committee Procedure

(Annex I)

Submission of complaint:

May 2020

Recent IPU decision(s):

- - -

Recent IPU mission(s):

- - -

Recent Committee hearing(s):

- - -

Recent follow-up:

- Communication from to the authorities:

---

- Communication from the complainant:

September 2020

- Communications addressed to the

authorities: Letters addressed to the

Speaker of the National Assembly

(October 2020)

- Communication addressed to the

complainant: September 2020

Mr. Justin Ndoundangoye, a Gabonese member of parliament,

has reportedly been held in pretrial detention at the Central Prison

of Libreville since 9 January 2020, accused of instigating

misappropriation of public funds, bribery, and money laundering

and conspiracy offences.

Mr. Ndoundangoye is the former Secretary General of the

Association des jeunes émergents volontaires

(Association of

Young Emerging Volunteers

–

AJEV). According to the

complainant, the proceedings against and detention of

Mr. Ndoundangoye are said to be part of a political settling of

scores connected to his views and links to the AJEV. He was

reportedly detained during the so-called

“Opération

Scorpion”

(Operation Scorpion), in which around 20 people, all members of

the AJEV, were arrested, taken into custody, charged and placed

on remand.

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Among other irregularities, the complainant states that Mr. Ndoundangoye was reportedly kept in police

custody for a period of two weeks in violation of the provisions of article 56 of the Criminal Procedure

Code of Gabon, which provides for a maximum period of 48 hours, renewable once. During these two

weeks, he was allegedly questioned by officials of the Directorate General for Counter-Interference and

Military Security, who were not judicial police officers. He was reportedly unable to speak to his lawyers

while in police custody. The lawyers did not have access to the file, either to the procedural documents

or to the evidence against him. The only documents available to the defence was the remand order.

Mr. Ndoundangoye was reportedly unable to comment on the facts of the case as he had allegedly

been charged at the start of the preliminary examination. Moreover, the indictment issued by the Public

Prosecutor is said to be seriously flawed, for example not including the precise date when the offences

were committed or any other concrete evidence establishing the alleged offences. The complainant

claims that Mr. Ndoundangoye was detained without being questioned by an investigating judge, in

violation of the relevant domestic legislation.

On 26 December, Mr. Ndoundangoye was reportedly arrested "manu

militari"

by armed officers before

the Bureau of the National Assembly had endorsed the lifting of his parliamentary immunity and

therefore before it had come into effect. Likewise,

Mr. Ndoundangoye’s bank assets were said to have

been frozen from the beginning of December 2019 in the absence of any legal action and before his

parliamentary immunity had been lifted.

The complainant claims that, on the night of 25 to 26 January 2020, after ordering him to take all his

clothes off, three hooded prison officers tied up Mr. Ndoundangoye with his hands behind his back.

They allegedly asked him to lie flat on his stomach, legs apart. Held by each leg by an officer, he was

reportedly beaten in the testicles, carried out by the third officer using a thick rope knotted at the end.

He reportedly received sustained blows to the testicles for some time, and was then turned over, knees

pressed against his temples, legs still apart, and subjected to blows by the knotted rope to his penis. He

also reportedly at this time received several punches and kicks to his ribs and hips. The officers

allegedly photographed him while he was naked. Before leaving him, they are said to have strongly

advised him not to say a word to his lawyer, otherwise they would come back for "a killing". In taking

these threats further, they allegedly threatened to rape his wife and kill his children if the matter was

publicized.

A request for intervention in the form of protection was reportedly sent to the specialized investigating

judge, with an official copy sent to the Public Prosecutor. In particular, the judge was reportedly asked to

order that Mr. Ndoundangoye be admitted to hospital so he could undergo appropriate examinations

following the alleged acts of torture. This request reportedly remains unanswered.

On 7 February 2020, during a press conference, the Public Prosecutor reportedly stated that the acts of

torture had not been proven and contested their existence on the basis of a report not communicated in

the proceedings, without having heard the victim beforehand.

On 11 February 2020, Mr. Ndoundangoye reportedly attended a hearing with the investigating judge of

the second chamber. During the hearing, he reportedly explicitly denounced the acts of torture of which

he was allegedly a victim and the threats made against him, but his statements were not recorded and

no follow-up

action was taken. The member of parliament’s lawyers then reportedly sent a letter

denunciation to the investigating judge of the second chamber.

The case has reportedly been referred to the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Minister of Justice,

the Public Prosecutor and other bodies. No action has been taken to date.

Mr. Ndoundangoye has reportedly been in solitary confinement since the start of his detention.

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Decision

The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Notes

that the complaint concerning Mr. Ndoundangoye is admissible, considering that the

complaint: (i) was submitted in due form by a qualified complainant under Section I.1.(a) of the

Procedure for the examination and treatment of complaints (Annex I of the Revised Rules and

Practices of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians); (ii) concerns an incumbent

member of parliament at the time of the initial allegations; and (iii) concerns allegations of torture,

ill-treatment and other acts of violence, arbitrary arrest and detention, lack of due process at the

investigation stage, and failure to respect parliamentary immunity, allegations that fall under the

Committee’s mandate;

Is deeply concerned

about the member of parliament's continued detention, in view of the

worrying allegations concerning his conditions of detention;

urges

the national authorities to take

all necessary steps to ensure Mr. Ndoundangoye’s full enjoyment of his rights, in particular his

right to life, to physical integrity and to access to judicial guarantees, especially in the current

context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has meant that those detained in prison and other

confined spaces are at increased risk of catching the disease;

Wishes

to receive official and detailed information on the facts justifying each of the charges

brought against Mr. Ndoundangoye, on the procedure followed by parliament to lift his

parliamentary immunity, on the steps taken to investigate the alleged acts of torture and threats

reported by the complainant, on progress made in the identification and punishment, if any, of

those responsible, as well as on all the points mentioned in this decision;

Sincerely believes

in the importance of ongoing and constructive dialogue with the national

authorities, first and foremost with the parliament of the country concerned;

encourages,

in this

regard, the Parliament of Gabon to enter into a dialogue with the Committee to ensure a

satisfactory and rapid settlement of this case;

affirms

that the IPU stands ready to provide

assistance aimed at building the capacities of parliament and other public institutions, upon

request, in order to identify any underlying issues that may have given rise to the filing of the

complaint and to rectify such issues, including with regard to the legislation and procedures

implemented in the case;

requests

the competent authorities to provide further information on

how the IPU could best provide such assistance;

Requests

the Secretary General to convey this decision to the President of the Parliament of

Gabon, the complainant and any third party likely to be in a position to supply relevant

information;

Requests

the Committee to continue examining this case and to report back to it in due course.

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Uganda

Decision adopted unanimously by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary

virtual session,

3 November 2020)

Mr. Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, arrives at the headquarters of his political

party in Kampala, Uganda, on 21 August 2020. SUMY SADURNI/AFP

UGA19 - Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (aka Bobi Wine)

UGA20 - Francis Zaake

UGA21 - Kassiano Wadri

UGA22 - Gerald Karuhanga

UGA23 - Paul Mwiru

Alleged human rights violations

✓

Torture, ill-treatment and other acts of violence

Arbitrary arrest and detention

Lack of due process at the investigation stage

and lack of

fair trial proceedings

Violation of freedom of opinion and expression

Impunity

Summary of the case

Case UGA-Coll-01

Uganda:

Parliament affiliated to the IPU

Victims:

Five male parliamentarians, four

independent and one opposition

parliamentarian

Qualified complainant(s):

Section I.1.(a)

and (d) of the

Committee Procedure

(Annex I)

Submission of complaint:

August 2018

Recent IPU decision(s):

October 2019

Recent IPU mission(s):

January 2020

Recent Committee hearing(s):

Hearing

with the Ugandan delegation to the 139

IPU Assembly (October 2018)

Recent follow-up:

- Communications from the authorities:

Letter from the Attorney General

(October 2018); letter from the

Speaker of Parliament to the Minister

of Foreign Affairs (November 2018);

letters from the Speaker of Parliament

(February and October 2019)

- Communication from the complainant:

September 2020

- Communications addressed to the

authorities: Letters addressed to the

Speaker of Parliament (March, April

and September 2020)

- Communication addressed to the

complainant: October 2020

The case is set against the background of the by-election in Arua

municipality in Uganda on 15 August 2018. Mr. Kassiano Wadri, a

former parliamentarian, stood in that election as an independent

and was elected. The four other parliamentarians, who are either

independents or from the opposition, campaigned for Mr. Wadri.

The five individuals were violently arrested on 14 August 2018, on

the eve of the by-election, together with 29 other people, in the

district of Arua, after President Yoweri

Museveni’s convoy

was

reportedly pelted with stones. According to credible reports, the

parliamentarians were tortured and ill-treated while in detention. All

those arrested, including the five parliamentarians, were charged

with treason, which in Uganda carries the death penalty. On

6 August 2019, the following additional charges were reportedly

brought against them in relation to the same events: intent to

annoy, alarm or ridicule the President, incitement to violence, disobedience of lawful orders, failure to

prevent obstruction of traffic, confusion or disorder during a public meeting, and failure to give right of

way to the President.

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The complainants claim that due process guarantees have been violated from the outset, that the

parliamentarians are victims of political repression, as there is no evidence to support the charges

brought against them, and that no action has been taken to hold to account the security forces that

mistreated them upon their arrest.

The complainants further state that Mr. Kyagulanyi is a popular young parliamentarian, strongly

supported among others by the four other parliamentarians in this case, and a well-known singer who

enjoys wide popularity among young people. Through his songs and, since 2017 through his

parliamentary work, he has been a vocal critic of President Museveni and his government. The

complainants affirm that the authorities are doing everything possible to prevent Mr. Kyagulanyi from

staging concerts and thus conveying his music and political message. These steps have gone as far as

banning Mr. Kyagulanyi from wearing his trademark red beret.

From 25 to 29 January 2020, a Committee delegation conducted an on-site mission to Uganda. Despite

its specific request, the delegation was not able to obtain concrete information on possible ongoing

cases against police officers in connection with the allegations of torture against the five members of

parliament. The delegation was told that no information could be disclosed as the matter was

sub

judice.

Among other concerns, the delegation regretted that no progress seemed to have been made

towards investigating these allegations and urged the relevant authorities to conduct a prompt, impartial

and independent investigation, including, where appropriate, the filing of specific torture charges against

the perpetrators and the application of the corresponding penalties under domestic law. It also urged

parliament to use its oversight powers effectively to this end.

In a recent development, Mr. Francis Zaake was detained by police and the military again on the evening

of Sunday 19 April 2020 and released on 29 April 2020. According to information received, Mr. Zaake was

severely tortured while in detention, denied access to his lawyer and family, food and independent medical

attention. According to the complainants, Mr. Zaake was initially charged with disobedience of lawful

orders for distributing food to his community in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. These charges

were finally dropped in August 2020. The complainants also claim that no investigation has been carried

out into these allegations of torture and that no action has been taken by parliament to support him in his

search for justice. On 6 May 2020, Mr. Zaake lodged a motion before the High Court of Uganda in

Kampala (Civil Division) against the Attorney General of Uganda and seven senior officials of the police

and the military. The motion seeks to establish responsibility for the violation of his rights, including the

right to a fair trial and to be protected from torture and ill-treatment, which are protected under Ugandan

law. To date, the court has not issued a decision on that petition. According to the complainants, Mr.

Zaake continues to receive credible death threats and intimidating messages from police officers because

of his political opinions and to force him to step down from the political stage and put an end to his legal

action against his alleged torturers.

Decision

The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Thanks

the Ugandan authorities, in particular parliament, for their cooperation during the recent

mission by the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians to Uganda and for facilitating

its conduct;

Thanks

the Speaker of Parliament for her cooperation with the Committee during the mission;

regrets

nevertheless that she and the Ugandan Parliament chose not to meet virtually with the

Committee at its most recent session, all the more so given that the issues of concern in this case

directly affect parliament;

recalls

in this regard that the Committee’s procedure is based on

ongoing and constructive dialogue with the authorities, first and foremost the parliament of the

country concerned;

Fully endorses

the findings and recommendations contained in the mission report

(CL/206/9/R.1);

Reiterates its concern

that, more than two years after the events, no one has been held to

account for the torture and ill-treatment of the five parliamentarians, and allegedly several others,

in Arua in August 2018 by the security forces;

is gravely concerned

to learn that similar situations

with similar outcomes apparently continue to occur in Uganda whereby parliamentarians are

detained and tortured by state officials with impunity, as happened to Mr. Zaake in April 2020,

which situation the Speaker of Parliament has publicly denounced;

reiterates

that impunity, by

shielding those responsible from judicial action and accountability, decisively encourages the

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perpetration of further serious human rights violations and that attacks against the life and

personal integrity of members of parliament, when left unpunished, not only violate the

fundamental rights of individual parliamentarians and of those who elected them, but also affect

the integrity of parliament and its ability to fulfil its role as an institution;

urges,

therefore,

parliament to use its oversight powers effectively to ensure that the very serious and detailed

allegations of torture against the five members of parliament are fully and immediately investigated,

followed by whatever accountability steps are warranted as a result; and

requests

the parliamentary

authorities to provide information on any relevant developments in this regard and on action taken

by parliament to this end;

urges

the relevant authorities to ensure that the civil proceedings that

Mr. Zaake has initiated against several named state individuals proceed quickly, bearing in mind

that the level of detail of his petition should facilitate a speedy conclusion;

Expresses concern

about detailed information received on serious and continuous threats,

including credible death threats, targeting Mr. Zaake and the allegation that his complaints about

these have not been examined;

urges,

therefore, the Ugandan authorities to make every effort, as

is their duty, to identify the culprits, to bring them to justice, and to put in place the security

arrangements that Mr. Zaake’s situation requires;

considers

that parliament has a vested interest

in using its powers to the fullest to help ensure that effective investigations on these threats are

being carried out and protection offered to Mr. Zaake;

wishes,

therefore, to receive official

information from the parliamentary authorities on any action taken to this effect;

Remains deeply concerned

about the alleged serious violations of the right to a fair trial in

proceedings initiated against the parliamentarians, as well as the other persons arrested in Arua

in 2018, and about the nature and severity of the charge of treason, which carries the death

penalty, especially in view of the allegations that it is unsupported by evidence and the facts at

hand;

regrets

that, one year after the facts, the accused were subject to a set of additional

charges in relation to the same events, including the charge of intent to annoy, alarm or ridicule

the President with significant repercussions for free speech for the parliamentarians concerned;

considers

that, while fully adhering to the democratic principles of separation of powers and the

independence of the judiciary, the

sub judice

rule cannot be invoked as an obstacle to justice or

accountability and that parliament is responsible for helping to ensure that all state institutions,

including the judiciary, fully abide by the rule of law;

urges,

therefore, parliament to take all

necessary measures to ensure strict respect for due process guarantees in ongoing proceedings

against parliamentarians;

requests

the parliamentary authorities to keep the IPU informed of any

relevant developments in this regard and on any action taken by parliament to this end;

Is deeply concerned

about the steps taken to allegedly prevent Mr. Kyagulanyi from conveying

his political message, which run counter to his rights to freedom of expression and freedom of

assembly;

urges

the authorities, therefore, to lift the restrictions imposed on him and to do

everything possible to allow him full enjoyment of his right to freedom of expression as a

parliamentarian or a singer and to meet and interact with his supporters;

Reiterates its wish

to mandate a trial observer to monitor the upcoming court proceedings against

the members of parliament; and

requests

the authorities to inform the IPU of the dates of the

trials when available and of any other relevant judicial developments in the case;

Urges

all sides to refrain from violence and also the relevant authorities to take all necessary

measures to protect human life, to respect people’s right to peaceful assembly,

to take part in the

conduct of public affairs, to vote and be elected, and to have equal access to elective office in

view of the general elections to take place in 2021 in Uganda;

urges

in this regard, the relevant

authorities to refrain from acts that could in any way undermine the civil and political rights of the

five members of parliament;

Requests

the Secretary General to convey this decision to the President, Minister of Foreign

Affairs, Attorney General and the Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, the complainants and

any third party likely to be in a position to supply relevant information, and to proceed with all

necessary arrangements to organize the trial observation mission;

Requests

the Committee to continue examining this case and to report back to it in due course.

10.

11.

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Inter-Parliamentary Union

–

Agenda, reports and other texts of the Governing Council

Tanzania

Decision adopted unanimously by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary

virtual session,

3 November 2020)

Mr. Tundu Lissu (centre), reacts to supporters upon his return on 27 July 2020 to

Tanzania after three years in exile following a failed attempt on his life.

STR/AFP

TZA-04

–

Tundu Lissu

Alleged human rights violations

✓

Threats, acts of intimidation

Arbitrary arrest and detention

Lack of due process in proceedings against

parliamentarians

Violation of freedom of opinion and expression

Violation of freedom of assembly and association

Abusive revocation or suspension of the parliamentary

mandate

Summary of the case

CASE TZA-04

United Republic of Tanzania:

Parliament

affiliated to the IPU

Victim:

A former opposition member of

parliament

Qualified complainant(s):

Section I.1(a)

of the

Committee Procedure

(Annex I)

Submission of complaint:

November

2019

Recent IPU decision(s):

January 2020

Recent IPU mission(s):

- - -

Recent Committee hearing(s):

Hearing

with the complainant at the 161

session

of the Committee (January 2020)

Recent follow-up:

- Communication from the authorities:

Letter from the Clerk of the National

Assembly (October 2020)

- Communication from the complainant:

October 2020

- Communications addressed to the

authorities: Letters addressed to the

Speaker of the National Assembly and

the Minister of Home Affairs

(September, July and February 2020)

- Communication addressed to the

complainant: October 2020

According to the complainant, Mr. Tundu Lissu, a long-

standing opposition member of parliament belonging to the

Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo

(CHADEMA

–

Party for

Democracy and Progress) has been facing regular and serious

acts of intimidation at the hands of the Government in

response to his vocal criticism.

On 7 September 2017, Mr. Lissu escaped an assassination

attempt when attackers armed with AK-47s sprayed his vehicle

with bullets outside his house in a normally heavily guarded

government housing compound in Dodoma. Mr. Lissu was shot

16 times but survived. The complainant draws attention to

several elements to suggest that the assassination attempt

was carried out with government involvement.

The complainant affirms that, in recent times, Mr. Lissu was

arrested eight times and charged in court six times for sedition

and related offences in connection with public statements critical

of the Government. According to the complainant, these charges, which are still pending, violate his rights

to freedom of political association, expression and opinion, and to take part in public affairs. According to

the complainant, these accusations also have to be seen in the context of undue limitations on political

opposition in and outside of the National Assembly in Tanzania and of fears of reprisals.

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The complainant affirms that Mr. Lissu was wrongfully stripped of his parliamentary mandate in June 2019,

largely on grounds related to his absence from the National Assembly, even though the authorities and the

public knew that he was out of the country recovering from the shooting.

In early 2020, Mr. Lissu, after having undergone 24 surgical interventions in Kenya and Belgium, was

declared sufficiently well enough to return home. However, according to the complainant, after he made

public his intention to return home, death threats made by persons known to be connected to the

country’s intelligence and security

apparatus started to appear on social media and in the press.

Mr. Lissu travelled back to Tanzania on 27 July 2020. According to the complainant, since his return,

Mr. Lissu has received numerous credible threats to his life and person, including threats of arrest from

government officials and threats of murder through poisoning, which have all gone unpunished. As part of

this context of intimidation, on the night of 13 August 2020, the CHADEMA headquarters in Arusha was

reportedly firebombed and, a few hours later, the convoy in which Mr. Lissu was travelling was attacked

with stones. The complainant affirms that there were a dozen police officers in two vehicles in the

surrounding areas who took no steps to prevent the attack. Moreover, according to the complainant, on

25 August 2020, when Mr. Lissu was at the National Electoral

Commission’s premises in order to

submit his file as a presidential candidate, unidentified persons in three vehicles reportedly planned to

abduct him when he left the Commission’s premises. They were allegedly all armed and were reported

to be police or intelligence officers. The complainant affirms that the relevant authorities have been

informed of these life-threatening reports, but that no investigations have been launched to date. On

6 October 2020, Mr. Lissu, on the way to Kibaha, just outside Dar Es Salaam on the Morogoro highway,

was stopped by a heavily armed police squadron wielding automatic weapons and preventing them

from continuing their journey. According to the complainant, Mr. Lissu’s convoy was held for nine hours

on the highway by the police as they were trying to prevent them from going to an internal party

meeting.

In August 2020, Mr. Lissu was officially nominated by CHADEMA as its presidential candidate in the

general election of 28 October 2020 and validated as a contender in the presidential elections by the

National Electoral Commission.

In response to several requests for information in 2020 from the IPU Secretary General to the

parliamentary authorities, the latter, through the Clerk of the National Assembly, finally responded in a

brief letter of 20 October 2020 that the alleged death threats against Mr. Lissu since his return to

Tanzania were before the courts and that the National Assembly had no mandate to interfere with

matters that fell within the ambit of the law enforcement bodies, as doing so would be against

sub judice

rules. In addition, the Clerk stated that the complainant had made the allegations about renewed threats

almost a year after Mr. Lissu had been stripped of his parliamentary seat in accordance with the

Tanzanian Constitution and the Standing Orders of the National Assembly. In this context, the Clerk

stated that parliament had no authority to involve itself in such allegations.

Decision

The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Notes

that the complaint concerning the situation of Mr. Tundu Lissu, a member of the Tanzanian

National Assembly at the time of the initial allegations, was declared admissible by the Committee

on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians under its procedure (January 2020);

Thanks

the parliamentary authorities for their communication;

regrets

nevertheless that it does not

effectively address the serious concerns at hand in this case;

Is extremely concerned

about the attempt on Mr. Lissu’s life, which he survived by pure miracle,

and the allegation that the crime was reportedly carried out with the support of the authorities;

points

out

in this regard that the complainant affirms that Mr. Lissu had previously been the direct target of

serious threats and intimidation by the Government, that the armed guards normally present at the

location where the shooting took place allegedly happened to be off duty that day and that CCTV

footage of the crime reportedly disappeared soon after;

is concerned

that the absence of any

indication that a proper investigation is ongoing, more than three years after the crime, lends

credence to the allegations by the complainant in this regard;

considers

that, in light of the failed

attempt on Mr. Lissu’s life and the apparent lack of any proper investigation, the continued stream of

alleged threats against him, including after his return to Tanzania, have to be taken extremely

seriously;

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Urges,

therefore, the relevant authorities to carry out diligent and effective investigations, as is their

duty, into the assassination attempt and the alleged death threats and other forms of intimidation

that have followed since and to provide, as a matter of urgency, information on steps taken to this

end;

recognizes

that responsibility for the investigations falls first and foremost to the law

enforcement and judicial authorities and that adhering to the democratic principles of separation of

powers and the independence of the judiciary is crucial;

considers,

nevertheless, that the

sub

judice

rule cannot be invoked as an obstacle to justice or accountability and that parliament is

responsible for helping to ensure that all state institutions, including the judiciary, fully abide by

the rule of law;

urges,

therefore, the National Assembly to take all necessary measures to ensure

strict respect for due process guarantees in ongoing proceedings against current and former

parliamentarians;

wishes

to be kept informed of any action taken by the National Assembly to this

end;

Is troubled

to learn that Mr. Lissu was stripped of his parliamentary mandate when it was clear that

he was absent for obvious reasons, of which the parliamentary authorities and the public at large

were well aware;

considers

that, in implementing the rules governing absence from the National

Assembly, in a situation of this nature the latter should have provided the necessary flexibility to

allow Mr. Lissu to keep his seat, if only out of sympathy for what had happened to him;

Is concerned

about the allegation that Mr. Lissu was arrested several times and remains subject

to several criminal proceedings that may run counter to his basic human rights;

notes

that these

proceedings have to be seen in the context of international reports of undue restrictions to the

rights to freedom of expression and assembly in Tanzania and in the context of the recent

presidential elections in which Mr. Lissu was a contender;

wishes

to receive detailed official

information on the factual and legal basis for each of these steps against him;

Considers

that an IPU on-site mission to Tanzania may offer a useful opportunity to discuss and

clarify the important concerns that have arisen in this case with the executive, parliamentary and

judicial authorities, as well as with any third party able to help it to advance towards the

satisfactory settlement of the case at hand;

requests

the Secretary General to submit this

suggestion to the new parliamentary authorities with a view to organizing the said mission once

the necessary health and security conditions have been met;

trusts

that they will respond

favourably to this suggestion;

Requests

the Secretary General to convey this decision to the parliamentary and other relevant

national authorities, the complainant and any interested third party likely to be in a position to

supply relevant information to assist it in its work;

Requests

the Committee to continue examining this case and to report back to it in due course.

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Zimbabwe

Decision adopted by consensus by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary

virtual session,

3 November 2020)

Joana Mamombe © Women’s Academy for Leadership and

Political Excellence (WALPE)

ZWE-45

–

Joana Mamombe

Alleged human rights violations

✓

Abduction

Torture, ill-treatment and other acts of violence

Arbitrary arrest and detention

Violation of freedom of opinion and expression

Violation of freedom of assembly and association

Summary of the case

Case ZWE-45

Zimbabwe:

Parliament affiliated to the

IPU

Victim:

female, opposition member of the

Parliament of Zimbabwe

Qualified complainant:

Section I.1(d) of

the

Committee Procedure

(Annex I)

Submission of complaint:

May 2020

Recent IPU decision(s):

May 2020

Recent IPU Mission(s):

- - -

Ms. Joana Mamombe is a member of the Parliament of

Zimbabwe and belongs to the opposition party Movement for

Democratic Change (MDC Alliance).

According to the complainant, at around 2 p.m. on

Wednesday, 13 May 2020, Ms. Mamombe and two other

young women leaders, namely Ms. Cecilia Chimbiri and

Ms. Netsai Marova, were abducted, tortured and sexually

abused by suspected state security agents.

Recent Committee hearing(s):

- - -

Recent follow-up:

- Communication from the authorities:

Letter from the Speaker of the National

Assembly (August 2020)

- Communication from the complainant:

October 2020

- Communication addressed to the

authorities: Letter to the Speaker of the

National Assembly (August 2020)

- Communication addressed to the

complainant: October 2020

The complainant states that the three women were intercepted

at a police roadblock manned by members of the Zimbabwe

Republic Police and the Zimbabwe National Army in Harare.

They were reportedly informed that they had been arrested for

taking part in a peaceful flash demonstration in Warren Park in

Harare on 13 May 2020 while the country was in lockdown due

to COVID-19. On that day, Ms. Mamombe had led a flash protest with other young leaders over a lack of

social safety nets for the poor in Zimbabwe in light of the pandemic.

The delegation of Zimbabwe expressed its reservations regarding the decision.

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According to the complainant, after being intercepted, Ms. Mamombe and the two other young women

leaders were taken to Harare Central Police Station. Before they could be formally charged, they were

taken to an undisclosed destination, where they were subjected to intense torture and degrading

treatment. According to the complainant, the three suffered serious sexual abuse, as specified in detail

in the complaint. According to the complainant, the three women were abandoned near Bindura at

around 9 p.m. on Thursday, 14 May 2020. They were finally rescued at around 2 a.m. on Friday,

15 May 2020, by a team of family members and lawyers.

According to the complainant, petitions regarding these abuses have been submitted to Zimbabwe’s

Gender Commission, Human Rights Commission and the National Peace and Reconciliation

Commission. The complainant affirms that these petitions have been copied to the Ministry of Justice,

Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Parliament of Zimbabwe.

Ms. Mamombe and her two colleagues were again arrested on 10 June 2020, accused of fabricating

and making false statements about their abduction, and of orchestrating the incident to cast the

Government in a bad light. The women were later freed on bail after widespread international

campaigns for their release. However, the complainant contends that Ms. Mamombe and her two

colleagues’ rights were severely restricted as part of the conditions of bail.

Ms. Mamombe was reportedly briefly arrested again on 31 July 2020, in the context of the organization of

mass protests. Ms. Mamombe was allegedly arrested again on 15 September while she was in hospital

receiving mental health treatment: the complainant specifies that she was arrested on the grounds that

she had failed to appear for trial, despite the fact that her lawyers had provided testimonies from medical

experts stating that she was unable to stand trial for health reasons. The complainant asserts that Ms.

Mamombe was subsequently detained for nearly two weeks at the Chikurubi detention facility on the order

of Harare magistrate Ms. Bianca Makwande, in order to have two state doctors establish her fitness to

stand trial. It was reported that, in early October 2020, the High Court ordered the release of the member

of parliament, ruling that it was not necessary for her to be remanded in custody for the purpose of the

examination.

The complainant states that Ms. Mamombe is one of the main young women leaders in Zimbabwe and

the youngest in parliament. Over the past two years she has been very vocal and outspoken over

deteriorating economic conditions in Zimbabwe and their effect on women and girls. According to the

complainant, her situation should also be seen in the context of the rising number of cases of human

rights abuses against human rights defenders and activists in recent years in Zimbabwe.

Decision

The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Notes

that the complaint concerning the situation of Ms. Joana Mamombe, a member of the

Parliament of Zimbabwe at the time of the initial allegations, was declared admissible by the

Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians under its procedure (May 2020);

Thanks

the Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe for the information provided in his letters of

27 August 2020;

notes

that the Speaker stated in his letter that the principle of

sub judice

limits

parliament’s possibilities of engaging for

the resolution of this case;

Considers,

however, that the

sub judice

rule cannot be invoked as an obstacle to justice or

accountability and that parliament is responsible for helping to ensure that all state institutions

fully abide by the rule of law, including the judiciary;

urges,

therefore, parliament to take all

necessary measures to help ensure strict respect for due process guarantees in ongoing

proceedings against parliamentarians;

requests

parliament to keep the Committee informed of

action taken to this end;

Is extremely concerned

about the allegations that Ms. Mamombe and two of her young female

colleagues were arbitrarily detained and subjected to torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading

treatment, including sexual abuse;

considers

that such allegations have to be taken extremely

seriously given reports of the widespread use of abductions, torture and sexual abuse against

opposition members and their supporters, the prevalence of gender-based violence in Zimbabwe

and the gravity of the allegations in this case;

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Inter-Parliamentary Union

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Is shocked

to learn that, following the Committee’s decision to declare the case admissible on 29

May 2020, Ms. Mamombe was arrested and imprisoned on accusations that she had made false

statements regarding her abduction and torture;

is troubled

to learn from the complainant that,

since her release on bail, Ms. Mamombe’s rights have been severely restricted under the

conditions of her bail;

is also concerned

about allegations that she has been re-arrested several

times since her release on bail;

wishes

to receive detailed observations from the authorities on

each of these points;

Is particularly concerned

that, in the absence of information to that effect, the complaints to the

relevant national institutions have allegedly not set in motion diligent investigations to identify the

culprits of Ms. Mamombe’s abduction and torture;

Calls on

the Zimbabwean authorities to do everything possible to ensure that the rights of

Ms. Mamombe are protected and that a full, independent and effective investigation is carried out

into the very serious alleged human rights violations referred to in this case;

wishes

to be kept

informed as a matter of urgency of progress made in the investigations;

Requests

the Secretary General to convey this decision to the parliamentary authorities, other

relevant national authorities, the complainant and any third party likely to be in a position to

supply relevant information;

Requests

the Committee to continue examining this case and to report back to it in due course.

IPU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 8: Resultat af Governing Council session 1.-3. november 2020

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Brazil

Decision adopted unanimously by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary

virtual session,

3 November 2020)

Brazilian member of parliament David Miranda of the Socialism and Freedom

Party (PSOL) poses during an interview with AFP at his office of the National

Congress in Brasilia, on 5 November 2019. Sergio LIMA/AFP

BRA-15

–

David Miranda

Alleged human rights violations

✓

Threats, acts of intimidation

Violation of freedom of opinion and expression

Impunity

Other violations: Discrimination

Summary of the case

Case BRA-15

Brazil:

Parliament affiliated to the IPU

Victim:

Male opposition member of

parliament

Qualified complainant:

Section I.(1)(a) of

the

Committee Procedure

(Annex I)

Submission of complaint:

September

2020

Recent IPU decision(s):

- - -

Recent IPU mission(s):

- - -

Recent Committee hearing(s):

- - -

Recent follow-up:

- Communication from the authorities:

---

- Communication from the complainant:

September 2020

- Communication addressed to the

authorities: Letter addressed to the

President of the IPU Group (October

2020)

- Communication addressed to the

complainant: September 2020

Mr. David Michael dos Santos Miranda is a member of the

Chamber of Deputies representing the state of Rio de Janeiro,

sworn in on 1 February 2019 to replace Mr. Jean Wyllys, who

was forced to go into exile in January 2019. Mr. Miranda is a

member of the opposition left-wing Socialism and Liberty Party

(Partido

Socialismo e Liberdade

–

PSOL).

Mr. Miranda is a strong advocate for the human rights of

minorities. He is one of the first openly gay congressmen in

Brazil and a high-profile defender of equality and inclusion. He is

a well-known advocate for LGBTI

rights and has led efforts to

fight homophobic discrimination and violence in Brazil.

The complainant claims that Mr. Miranda has been repeatedly

harassed and denigrated by conservative political forces, and

that, since he replaced his exiled colleague, the threats against

Mr. Miranda and his family and the hostility towards the LGBTI

community, have gained in intensity and scale. According to the

complainant, the nature of the threats and the identity of the

perpetrators are largely identical to those in the case of

Mr. Wyllys.

LGBTI stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex.

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In January 2019, Mr. Wyllys decided to give up his parliamentary seat and to go into exile, following

repeated death threats and the alleged failure by the Brazilian authorities to offer adequate protection

and to take effective action to investigate the threats, with the aim of holding those responsible to

account. Another crucial event that allegedly led to Mr. Wyllys’ decision was the assassination in

March 2018 of Ms. Marielle Franco, a local female council member from the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Ms. Franco was a close friend of both Mr. Wyllys and Mr. Miranda, who also vocally and actively

advocated for greater respect for LGBTI rights.

Decision

The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Notes

that the complaint concerning the case of Mr. David Miranda is admissible, given that the

complaint: (i) was submitted in due form by a qualified complainant under Section I.1(a) of the

Procedure for the examination and treatment of complaints (Annex I of the Revised Rules and

Practices of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians); (ii) concerns an

incumbent parliamentarian at the time of the initial allegations; and (iii) concerns allegations of

threats, acts of intimidation, violations of freedom of opinion and expression, impunity and

discrimination, allegations that fall within the Committee’s

mandate;

Is deeply concerned

at the alleged credible death threats and harassment targeting Mr. Miranda

due to his political opinions and his sexual orientation, and the allegation that his complaints

about these incidents have not been examined;

urges

the competent authorities to make every

effort, as is their duty, to identify the culprits and to bring them to justice, this being the only

means of preventing the recurrence of such crimes;

considers

that parliament has a vested

interest in using its powers to the fullest to help ensure that effective investigations into these

threats are being carried out and an adequate level of protection is offered to Mr. Miranda;

wishes,

therefore, to receive official information from the parliamentary authorities on any action

taken to this effect;

Requests

the Secretary General to convey this decision to the competent authorities, the

complainants and any third party likely to be in a position to supply relevant information;

Requests

the Committee to continue examining this case and to report back to it in due course.

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Venezuela

Decision adopted unanimously by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary

virtual session,

3 November 2020)

Venezuelan National Police members stand guard outside the National

Assembly on 7 January 2020 in Caracas - Cristian HERNANDEZ/AFP

VEN-10

–

Biagio Pilieri

VEN-11

–

José Sánchez Montiel

VEN-12

–

Hernán Claret Alemán

VEN-13

–

Richard Blanco

VEN-16

–

Julio Borges

VEN-19

–

Nora Bracho (Ms.)

VEN-20

–

Ismael Garcia

VEN-22

–

Williams Dávila

VEN-24

–

Nirma Guarulla (Ms.)

VEN-25

–

Julio Ygarza

VEN-26

–

Romel Guzamana

VEN-27

–

Rosmit Mantilla

VEN-28

–

Renzo Prieto

VEN-29

–

Gilberto Sojo

VEN-30

–

Gilber Caro

VEN-31

–

Luis Florido

VEN-32

–

Eudoro González

VEN-33

–

Jorge Millán

VEN-34

–

Armando Armas

VEN-35

–

Américo De Grazia

VEN-36

–

Luis Padilla

VEN-37

–

José Regnault

VEN-38

–

Dennis Fernández (Ms.)

VEN-39

–

Olivia Lozano (Ms.)

VEN-40

–

Delsa Solórzano (Ms.)

VEN-41

–

Robert Alcalá

VEN-42

–

Gaby Arellano (Ms.)

VEN-43

–

Carlos Bastardo

VEN-44 - Marialbert Barrios (Ms.)

VEN-45

–

Amelia Belisario (Ms.)

VEN-46

–

Marco Bozo

VEN-48

–

Yanet Fermin (Ms.)

VEN-49

–

Dinorah Figuera (Ms.)

VEN-50

–

Winston Flores

VEN-51

–

Omar González

VEN-52

–

Stalin González

VEN-85

–

Franco Casella

VEN-86

–

Edgar Zambrano

VEN-87

–

Juan Pablo García

VEN-88

–

Cesar Cadenas

VEN-89

–

Ramón Flores Carrillo

VEN-91

–

María Beatriz Martínez (Ms.)

VEN-92

–

María C. Mulino de Saavedra (Ms.)

VEN-93

–

José Trujillo

VEN-94

–

Marianela Fernández (Ms.)

VEN-95

–

Juan Pablo Guanipa

VEN-96

–

Luis Silva

VEN-97

–

Eliezer Sirit

VEN-98

–

Rosa Petit (Ms.)

VEN-99

–

Alfonso Marquina

VEN-100

–

Rachid Yasbek

VEN-101

–

Oneida Guaipe (Ms.)

VEN-102

–

Jony Rahal

VEN-103

–

Ylidio Abreu

VEN-104

–

Emilio Fajardo

VEN-106

–

Angel Alvarez

VEN-108

–

Gilmar Marquez

VEN-109

–

José Simón Calzadilla

VEN-110

–

José Gregorio Graterol

VEN-111

–

José Gregorio Hernández

VEN-112

–

Mauligmer Baloa (Ms.)

VEN-113

–

Arnoldo Benítez

VEN-114

–

Alexis Paparoni

VEN-115

–

Adriana Pichardo (Ms.)

VEN-116

–

Teodoro Campos

VEN-117

–

Milagros Sánchez Eulate (Ms.)

VEN-118

–

Denncis Pazos

VEN-119

–

Karim Vera (Ms.)

VEN-120

–

Ramón López

VEN-121

–

Freddy Superlano

VEN-122

–

Sandra Flores-Garzón (Ms.)

VEN-123

–

Armando López

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VEN-53

–

Juan Guaidó

VEN-54

–

Tomás Guanipa

VEN-55

–

José Guerra

VEN-56

–

Freddy Guevara

VEN-57

–

Rafael Guzmán

VEN-58

–

María G. Hernández (Ms.)

VEN-59

–

Piero Maroun

VEN-60

–

Juan A. Mejía

VEN-61

–

Julio Montoya

VEN-62

–

José M. Olivares

VEN-63

–

Carlos Paparoni

VEN-64

–

Miguel Pizarro

VEN-65

–

Henry Ramos Allup

VEN-66

–

Juan Requesens

VEN-67

–

Luis E. Rondón

VEN-68

–

Bolivia Suárez (Ms.)

VEN-69

–

Carlos Valero

VEN-70

–

Milagro Valero (Ms.)

VEN-71

–

German Ferrer

VEN-72

–

Adriana d'Elia (Ms.)

VEN-73

–

Luis Lippa

VEN-74

–

Carlos Berrizbeitia

VEN-75

–

Manuela Bolívar (Ms.)

VEN-76

–

Sergio Vergara

VEN-78

–

Oscar Ronderos

VEN-79

–

Mariela Magallanes (Ms.)

VEN-80

–

Héctor Cordero

VEN-81

–

José Mendoza

VEN-82

–

Angel Caridad

VEN-83

–

Larissa González (Ms.)

VEN-84

–

Fernando Orozco

Alleged human rights violations

✓

VEN-124

–

Elimar Díaz (Ms.)

VEN-125

–

Yajaira Forero (Ms.)

VEN-126

–

Maribel Guedez (Ms.)

VEN-127

–

Karin Salanova (Ms.)

VEN-128

–

Antonio Geara

VEN-129

–

Joaquín Aguilar

VEN-130

–

Juan Carlos Velasco

VEN-131

–

Carmen María Sivoli (Ms.)

VEN-132

–

Milagros Paz (Ms.)

VEN-133

–

Jesus Yanez

VEN-134

–

Desiree Barboza (Ms.)

VEN-135

–

Sonia A. Medina G. (Ms.)

VEN-136

–

Héctor Vargas

VEN-137

–

Carlos A. Lozano Parra

VEN-138

–

Luis Stefanelli

VEN-139

–

William Barrientos

VEN-140

–

Antonio Aranguren

VEN-141

–

Ana Salas (Ms.)

VEN-142

–

Ismael León

VEN-143

–

Julio César Reyes

VEN-144

–

Ángel Torres

VEN-145

–

Tamara Adrián (Ms.)

VEN-146

–

Deyalitza Aray (Ms.)

VEN-147

–

Yolanda Tortolero (Ms.)

VEN-148

–

Carlos Prosperi

VEN-149

–

Addy Valero (Ms.)

VEN-150

–

Zandra Castillo (Ms)

VEN-151

–

Marco Aurelio Quiñones

VEN-152

–

Carlos Andrés González

VEN-153

–

Carlos Michelangeli

VEN-154

–

César Alonso

Case VEN-COLL-06

Venezuela:

Parliament affiliated to the

IPU

Victims:

134 opposition members of

parliament (93 men and 41 women)

Qualified complainant:

Section I.(1)(c) of

the

Committee Procedure

(Annex I)

Submission of initial complaint:

March

2017

Recent IPU decision(s):

May 2020

Recent IPU mission(s):

- - -

Recent Committee hearing(s):

Hearings

with members of the governing and

opposition parties at the 141

IPU

Assembly (October 2019)

Recent follow-up:

- Communication from the authorities:

Letter from the Speaker of the National

Assembly (February 2019)

- Communication from the complainant:

September 2020

- Communications addressed to the

authorities: Letters to the President of

Venezuela (February and August

2020)

- Communication addressed to the

complainant: September 2020

Torture, ill-treatment and other acts of violence

Threats, acts of intimidation

Arbitrary arrest and detention

Lack of due process at the investigation stage

Excessive delays

Violation of the right to freedom of opinion and expression

Violation of freedom of assembly and association

Violation of freedom of movement

Abusive revocation or suspension of the parliamentary

mandate

Failure to respect parliamentary immunity

Other acts obstructing the exercise of the parliamentary

mandate

Impunity

Other violations: Right to privacy

Summary of the case

The case concerns credible and serious allegations of human

rights violations affecting 134 parliamentarians from the

coalition of the

Mesa de la Unidad Democrática

(Democratic

Unity Roundtable

–

MUD), against the backdrop of continuous

efforts by Venezuela’s

executive and judicial authorities to

undermine the functioning of the National Assembly and to

usurp its powers. The MUD is opposed to President Maduro’s

government and obtained a majority of seats in the National

Assembly in the parliamentary elections of 6 December 2015.

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Agenda, reports and other texts of the Governing Council

On 30 December 2015, the Supreme Court ordered the suspension of four members of parliament,

three of them from the MUD, following allegations of fraud. The National Assembly decided to

disregard the ruling, considering the allegations to be baseless, which led the Supreme Court to

declare all of the Assembly’s decisions null and void.

Almost all parliamentarians listed in the present case have been attacked or otherwise intimidated with

impunity by law enforcement officers and/or pro-government officials and supporters during

demonstrations, inside parliament and/or at their homes. Protests intensified in Venezuela after

President Maduro announced the convening of a national constituent assembly

–

which was

subsequently established on 30 July 2017

–

to rewrite the Constitution, but which instead has since

appropriated and exercised many of the constitutional functions assigned to the National Assembly,

which has not received any government funding since August 2016.

At least 11 National Assembly members were arrested and released later, reportedly due to politically

motivated legal proceedings. In all these cases, the members were detained without due respect for

the constitutional provisions on parliamentary immunity. There are also serious concerns regarding

respect for due process and their treatment in detention. People associated with opposition

parliamentarians have also been detained and harassed.

At least 17 parliamentarians have gone into exile, sought the protection of foreign embassies in

Caracas or gone into hiding due to continued harassment. Six have been barred from holding public

office and the passports of at least 13 members of parliament have been confiscated, not been

renewed, or cancelled by the authorities, reportedly as a means of pressure and to prevent them from

travelling abroad to denounce what is happening in Venezuela.

On 31 August 2020, President Maduro pardoned 110 members of the political opposition, who had

been accused of committing criminal acts. The decision implied the closure of ongoing criminal

proceedings against 23 parliamentarians listed in the present case and the release of four of them.

Nevertheless, according to the complainant, the political persecution of opposition members of

parliament continues. In his programme

Con el Mazo Dando,

Mr. Diosdado Cabello, President of the

National Constituent Assembly, referring to the presidential pardon decree, warned that “if these

people start tomorrow to invent again there will always be the judiciary to act". The Attorney General

has also publicly threatened to bring the beneficiaries of the presidential pardon to justice again if they

"re-offend" in an alleged crime similar to the one that led to their prosecution.

In its resolution 42/25 of 27 September 2019, the United Nations Human Rights Council established

an independent fact-finding mission on Venezuela, the final report of which was published in

September 2020. Among other findings, the report states that there were reasonable grounds to

believe that the following crimes against humanity were committed in Venezuela: murder,

imprisonment and other severe deprivations of physical liberty, torture, rape and other forms of sexual

violence, enforced disappearance of persons, and other inhumane acts of a similar nature intentionally

causing great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health. Some of the same

conduct may also constitute the crime against humanity of persecution, as defined by the Rome

Statute. The mission also had reasonable grounds to believe that the President, the Minister of

People’s Power for Interior Relations, Justice and Peace and the Minister for Defence ordered or

contributed to the commission of the crimes documented in the report and, having the effective ability

to do so, failed to take preventive and repressive measures. According to the mission report,

opposition parliamentarians became a focus of repression after the opposition won a majority of seats

in the National Assembly.

Parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place on 6 December 2020. According to the

complainant, in the lead-up to the elections, the Supreme Court has adopted a number of decisions

that remove minimum guarantees for a free and fair parliamentary election, including by appointing

new leaders subordinate to Mr. Maduro on the main opposition political parties, appointing the board

of directors of the National Electoral Council which, according to the Constitution, is the exclusive

responsibility of the National Assembly, and granting powers to the National Electoral Council to

legislate on electoral matters, which also violates the Venezuelan Constitution. For its part, the

National Electoral Council has increased the number of members of parliament to be elected,

disregarding the constitutional provisions on the matter, and imposed extremely complex processes

for validation of political parties, after which very few parties have been able to register for the

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Inter-Parliamentary Union

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Agenda, reports and other texts of the Governing Council

elections. It should also be noted that the complainant has repeatedly pointed out that the composition

of the current National Electoral Council and the Supreme Court, which both have important powers

regarding electoral matters, is severely flawed and totally subject to executive control.

Long-standing efforts since 2013 to send a delegation of the Committee on the Human Rights of

Parliamentarians to Venezuela have failed in the absence of clear and decisive cooperation from the

Government to welcome and work with the delegation. In October 2018, the IPU governing bodies

decided that the mission would be of a joint nature, comprising members of the IPU Executive

Committee and the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, and focusing on both the

larger political matters at stake in the Venezuelan crisis and the specific concerns expressed by the

Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians.

Decision

The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Denounces

the extensive repression to which the authorities and their supporters have resorted

over the last five years against parliamentarians because of their political opinions, as attested

by the continuous extremely serious incidents of ill-treatment, harassment, threats and

stigmatization carried out by state agents, paramilitary groups and violent groups of government

supporters in a climate of impunity;

also denounces

the multiple steps taken by the executive

and judicial authorities over the course of the current legislature to undermine the integrity and

independence of the National Assembly;

considers

that this situation taken as a whole amounts

to a clear attempt to thwart the effective exercise of the will of the people as expressed in the

election results of December 2015;

recalls

that members of parliament must be free to seek,

receive and impart information and ideas without fear of reprisal, and that parliament can fulfil its

democratic role only if its members enjoy the right to freedom of expression and are able to

speak on behalf of the people they represent;

Urges once again,

the authorities to put an immediate end to all forms of harassment against

members of the National Assembly, to ensure that all relevant state authorities respect their

human rights and parliamentary immunity, to fully investigate and establish accountability for

reported violations of their rights, and to allow the National Assembly and all its members to

carry out their constitutional functions in full;

Takes note with deep concern

of the

findings and recommendations contained in

the recently

published mission report of the United Nations Human Rights Council independent international

fact-finding mission on Venezuela, which gives further weight to the accusations of political

repression and the responsibility of the State at the highest level;

expresses its firm hope,

in this

regard, that the State of Venezuela, with the support of the international community, will be able

to address the extremely serious violations and crimes documented in the report;

Deeply regrets

that the Government of Venezuela has still failed to offer any assurances in

writing that the long-proposed IPU mission to Venezuela can finally take place;

remains

convinced

that such a mission could help address the concerns at hand;

requests, once again,

therefore, the Secretary General to work with the parliamentary and executive authorities of

Venezuela with a view to the mission taking place as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic-related

travel restrictions are lifted, on the basis of a written official communication on their part

guaranteeing that such a mission can take place under the conditions required for it to be

effective;

Reaffirms, once again,

its view that the issues in the cases at hand are part of the larger political

crisis in Venezuela, which can only be solved through political dialogue and by the Venezuelans

themselves;

reaffirms

the IPU’s readiness to assist in any efforts aimed at strengthening

democracy in Venezuela; and

requests

the relevant authorities to provide further official

information on how this assistance can best be provided;

Solemnly affirms,

in keeping with the letter and spirit of the IPU

Universal Declaration on

Democracy,

that the key element in the exercise of democracy is the holding of free and fair

elections enabling the people's will to be expressed, on the basis of universal, equal and secret

suffrage so that all voters can choose their representatives in conditions of equality, openness

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Inter-Parliamentary Union

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Agenda, reports and other texts of the Governing Council

and transparency;

expresses its deep concern,

therefore, that the restrictions in place and the

institutional framework governing the legislative elections scheduled for December 2020 appear

to seriously undermine the level playing field required for opposition members and their

supporters to exercise their basic human right to take part in the conduct of public affairs on a

par with the ruling party and its supporters;

urges,

in this regard, the relevant authorities to take

all necessary measures to address these matters without delay;

Urges

all sides to refrain from violence and also the relevant authorities to take all necessary

measures to protect human life, to respect people’s rights to peaceful assembly, to freedom of

expression, to take part in the conduct of public affairs, to vote and be elected, and to have

equal access to elective office in view of the parliamentary elections to take place in December

2020 in Venezuela;

urges,

in this regard, the relevant authorities to refrain from acts that could

in any way undermine the rights of all current members of the National Assembly;

Calls on

all IPU Member Parliaments, IPU permanent observers, parliamentary assemblies and

relevant human rights organizations to take concrete actions in support of the urgent resolution

of the individual cases at hand and the political crisis in Venezuela in a manner consistent with

democratic and human rights values; and

hopes

to be able to rely on the assistance of all

relevant regional and international organizations;

Requests

the Secretary General to convey this decision to the relevant authorities, the

complainant and any third party likely to be in a position to supply relevant information;

Requests

the Committee to continue examining this case and to report back to it in due course.

10.

IPU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 8: Resultat af Governing Council session 1.-3. november 2020

Inter-Parliamentary Union

–

Agenda, reports and other texts of the Governing Council

Mongolia

Decision adopted unanimously by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary

virtual session,

3 November 2020)

MNG-01

–

Zorig Sanjasuuren

Alleged human rights violations

Case MNG-01

✓

Murder

Impunity

Summary of the case

Mongolia:

Parliament affiliated to the IPU

Victim:

Member of the majority

Mr.

Zorig Sanjasuuren (“Mr. Zorig”) was assassinated on

2 October 1998. Regarded by many as the father of the

democratic movement in Mongolia in the 1990s, Mr. Zorig was a

member of parliament and acting Minister of Infrastructure at the

time and was being considered as a candidate for the position of

Prime Minister on the day he was killed.

Between 2015 and 2017, three suspects were identified,

arrested, expeditiously tried and sentenced based on classified

evidence, during trials held behind closed doors. Several reports

indicated that the suspects were allegedly tortured to make false

confessions and framed by the intelligence services. The murder

of Mr. Zorig is widely believed to have been a political

assassination that was covered up. The investigation into the

mastermind(s) of his murder is still open and has not yielded any

results yet.

Despite the governmental declassification order of the files

relating to the Zorig case in December 2017, the lack of

transparency is still prevalent, as the court verdicts have

remained inaccessible.

Qualified complainant:

Section I.1.(a) of

the

Committee Procedure

(Annex I)

Submission of complaints:

October

2000, March 2001, September 2015

Recent IPU decision(s):

October 2019

Recent IPU Mission(s):

August 2001,

September 2015

September 2017, June

2019

Recent Committee hearing(s):

Hearing

with the Mongolian delegation to the

141st IPU Assembly (October 2019)

Recent follow up:

- Communications from the authorities:

Letter from the Vice-Chairman of the

State Great Hural (September 2020);

letter from the Chairman of the

Ad Hoc

Committee (October 2019)

- Communications from the complainant:

August 2020

- Communications addressed to the

authorities: Letter addressed to the

Vice-Chairman of the State Great

Hural (September 2020)

- Communication addressed to the

complainant: September 2020

Since the submission of the complaint 20 years ago, the

Committee has undertaken three fact-finding missions to Mongolia

at crucial phases in the case. In June 2019, the Committee

returned to Mongolia following the invitation of the parliamentary

authorities and was updated on the important developments in the case, in particular the release of a

video in March 2019 showing the torture and ill-treatment of two of the convicts, Ms. Chimgee and

Mr. Sodnomdarjaa, as well as the establishment of a parliamentary

ad hoc

committee on the case of

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Agenda, reports and other texts of the Governing Council

Mr. Zorig. The two convicts in question were transferred to the prison hospital as a result of the video

and a criminal case was opened against intelligence and law enforcement officials allegedly responsible

for torturing them. Nevertheless, they are still being held in detention.

As part of its findings, the delegation welcomed the establishment of an

ad hoc

committee on the Zorig

case (the

Ad Hoc

Committee), in line with the IPU Committee’s recommendations. It also welcomed

the opportunity to meet with the three convicts, as well as to watch the video tape showing alleged

acts of torture and ill-treatment. However, the delegation failed to understand the reasons preventing

the immediate release of Ms. Chimgee and Mr. Sodnomdarjaa given the recent turn of events.

On 22 July 2020, the Ulaanbaatar Court of First Instance concluded that Ms. Chimgee and

Mr. Sodnomdarjaa had been tortured during the investigation into the murder of Mr. Zorig and

convicted the former Chief of the General Intelligence Agency, Mr. Bat Khurts, as well as other

intelligence officers to prison terms ranging from one to three years’ imprisonment. The release of

Ms. Chimgee and Mr. Sodnomdarjaa was contingent upon the confirmation of their torture and the

conviction of those responsible. However, the complainants explained that the defendants appealed

the court’s decision. The appeal proceedings could last until the end of 2020. Only then could

Ms. Chimgee and Mr. Sodnomdarjaa be released if the court of appeal decides to uphold the decision

of the first-instance court and orders a retrial. In their letter of 18 September 2020, the parliamentary

authorities confirmed that Ms. Chimgee and Mr. Sodnomdarjaa had not been released as court

proceedings were still ongoing.

Following the parliamentary elections that took place in Mongolia in June 2020, the

Ad Hoc

Committee

on the Zorig case was dissolved.

In its letter of 18 September 2020, the State Great Hural stated that, upon receiving the recent

Committee’s mission report in October 2019,

it translated it into Mongolian and delivered it to the

relevant authorities. The State Great Hural added that the relevant authorities had yet to inform it of

any actions they had taken.

Decision

The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Thanks

the Mongolian parliamentary authorities for the information provided in their letter of

18 September 2020;

regrets,

nevertheless,

the lack of response regarding the Committee’s

mission report of June 2019;

further reiterates its wish

to be kept regularly apprised of all

developments related to the case;

Urges once more

the authorities to take appropriate measures to implement the findings and

recommendations of the mission report, including the immediate release of Ms. Chimgee and

Mr. Sodnomdarjaa;

further urges

the authorities to seriously consider abandoning the legal

proceedings against them, while ensuring that the persons responsible for their wrongful

conviction are held to account;

renews its call

for the authorities to provide copies of all the court

verdicts in this case;

Firmly reiterates

that any further delays in establishing the identity of those responsible for

murdering Mr. Zorig, including the mastermind(s), are unacceptable;

urges

the authorities to

make more robust efforts to an effective investigation into establishing the identity of those

accountable for this crime and to make information regularly available to the public at large on

progress;

considers

in this regard that only full transparency can turn the tide of mistrust and

secrecy that has come to define this murder case;

Stresses

that parliamentary oversight remains crucial towards helping ensure that justice finally

prevails in this case;

calls on

the State Great Hural to

set up again the

Ad Hoc

Committee

the Zorig case to continue monitoring the ongoing investigation into the mastermind(s) and the

judicial proceedings relating to the torture of the two convicts;

Requests

the Secretary General to convey this decision to the relevant authorities, the

complainant and any third party likely to be in a position to supply relevant information;

Requests

the Committee to continue examining this case and to report back to it in due course.

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Agenda, reports and other texts of the Governing Council

Philippines

Decision adopted unanimously by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary

virtual session,

3 November 2020)

Philippine Senator Leila de Lima is escorted by police after her arrest

at the Senate in Manila on 24 February 2017

Ted Aljibe/AFP

PHL-08

–

Leila de Lima

Alleged human rights violations

✓

Threats, acts of intimidation

Arbitrary arrest and detention

Lack of due process in proceedings against

parliamentarians

Violation of freedom of opinion and expression

Summary of the case

Case PHL-08

Philippines:

Parliament affiliated to the

IPU

Victim:

Female opposition member of

parliament

Qualified complainant(s):

Section I.(1)(d)

of the

Committee Procedure

(Annex I)

Submission of complaint:

September

2016

Recent IPU decision(s):

April 2019

Recent IPU mission(s):

May 2017

Recent Committee hearing(s):

- - -

Recent follow-up:

- Communication from the authorities:

Letter from the Director General and

Secretary of the IPU Group of the

Philippines (April 2019)

- Communication from the complainant:

October 2020

- Communication addressed to the

authorities: Letter addressed to the

President of the Senate (September

2020)

- Communication addressed to the

complainant: October 2020

Ms. Leila de Lima served as Chairperson of the Philippines

Commission on Human Rights from May 2008 to June 2010.

In that capacity, she led a series of investigations into alleged

extrajudicial killings linked to the so-called Davao Death Squad

in Davao City, where Mr. Duterte had been long-time mayor,

and concluded that Mr. Duterte, now President of the

Philippines, was behind the Davao Death Squad.

In 2010, Ms. de Lima was appointed Secretary of Justice. She

resigned from this position in October 2015 to focus on her

campaign for a senate seat in the May 2016 elections, a bid

that was successful. In August 2016, as Chair of the Senate

Committee on Justice and Human Rights, she launched an

inquiry into the killings of thousands of alleged drug users and

drug dealers, which are alleged to have taken place since

President Duterte took office in June 2016. Since becoming

senator, she has been the target of acts of intimidation and

denigration, including by President Duterte himself.

Senator de Lima was arrested and detained on 24 February

2017 over accusations of receiving drug money to finance her

senatorial campaign for a senate seat. The charges, in three

different cases, were brought in the wake of an inquiry by the House of Representatives into drug

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Inter-Parliamentary Union

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trading in New Bilibid Prison, and Senator de Lima’s responsibility for such while she was Secretary of

Justice. The House-led inquiry was launched one week after she initiated her inquiry in the Senate into

the extrajudicial killings.

On 27 July and 10 August 2018, Senator de Lima was indicted in two of the three cases that are

currently before Branches 205 and 256 of the Regional Trial Court

–

Muntinlupa City. While the third

case has gone on intermittently due to vacancies in court, with the trial having resumed only on

9 October 2020, hearings to present prosecution witnesses in the two other cases before Regional

Trial Court Branch 205, mostly involving convicted drug traffickers, were scheduled well into 2020, with

twice-monthly hearings scheduled in each case on average. It was later discovered that the convicted

drug traffickers received special treatment in prison and were coerced into testifying against

Senator de Lima after being viciously stabbed in prison in 2016. In June and August 2020, Senator de

Lima filed two motions for release on bail on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence against

her in the two cases before the court. The prosecution is likely to wrap up its work in both ongoing

cases by November 2020, with remaining hearings being accessible for remote online monitoring.

Thereafter, the court is likely to rule on the two pending motions for bail soon.

A May 2017 mission to the Philippines by the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of

Parliamentarians concluded that there was no evidence to justify the criminal cases against

Senator de Lima. Since then, the IPU has called for the release of Senator de Lima and for the case

against her to be dropped unless cogent evidence becomes available soon. On 30 November 2018,

the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Senator de Lima’s detention

was arbitrary and that her immediate release was in order.

Although Senator de Lima has remained very politically active over the years while in detention and

receives newspapers, journals and books, she has no access to the Internet, a computer, TV, radio, or

to an air-conditioning

unit despite a doctor’s recommendation. Senator de Lima was allegedly kept in

incommunicado detention from 25 April to 10 June 2020, purportedly for the purposes of stopping the

spread of Covid-19.

Although the situation regarding Senator de Lima’s visiting rights has since

improved, a number of restrictions thereto remain in place.

On 27 April 2020, the Senate adopted a motion to allow teleconferencing in plenary and committee

hearings. That same day, the Senate President, however, reportedly publicly stated that Senator de

Lima would not be allowed to take part in such virtual proceedings given that the Senate has no

jurisdiction over her. According to the complainant, this is a further attempt to prevent her from fully

performing her role as Senator, despite the clear Supreme Court jurisprudence on this point.

On 7 November 2016, Senator de Lima had filed a petition for writ of

habeas data

against President

Duterte before the Supreme Court, requesting that the Court,

inter alia,

order President Duterte and

any of his representatives to cease: seeking details about her private life outside the realm of

legitimate public concern or making statements maligning her as a woman and injuring her dignity as a

human being; discriminating against her on the basis of gender; describing or publicizing her alleged

sexual conduct; engaging in psychological violence against her; and otherwise violating her rights or

engaging in acts that are contrary to law, good morals, good customs, public policy and/or public

interest. On 18 October 2019, the Supreme Court had dismissed the petition for writ of

habeas data

the grounds that the President is immune from suit during his incumbency and tenure.

Decision

The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Remains deeply concerned

that Senator de Lima has been in detention for three and a half

years without any serious evidence presented against her to justify the charges;

recalls

in this

regard the principle that justice delayed is justice denied;

Recalls also

that there are multiple, strong signs that the steps taken against Senator de Lima

come in response to her vocal opposition to the way in which President Duterte was waging a

war on drugs, including her denunciation of his alleged responsibility for extrajudicial killings;

points out

in this regard the repeated violation of the principle of the presumption of innocence,

the dubious choice of jurisdiction to present the accusations against her, the timing of the

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criminal proceedings, the amendment of the charges and the reliance on testimonies of

convicted drug traffickers, who were either promised favourable treatment in return, subjected to

physical intimidation in prison, or have an axe to grind against Senator de Lima as a result of

her efforts to dismantle their drug trafficking operations when she was Secretary of Justice;

Renews it call,

in light of the foregoing, for Senator de Lima to be released immediately and for

the legal proceedings against her to be dropped;

calls on

the authorities to take the necessary

action forthwith;

Requests

that, should charges not be dropped, an IPU trial observer continue to monitor and

report on respect for fair-trial standards in the cases before Branches 205 and 256 of the

Regional Trial Court in Muntinlupa City, including in order to assess if and how existing

concerns about the legality and fairness of the proceedings are properly reviewed;

Regrets

that it was not possible for the Supreme Court to rule on the public campaign of

vilification of Senator de Lima by the highest state authorities, thereby missing an important

opportunity to condemn and end the public degrading treatment to which she has been

subjected as a woman parliamentarian;

Is concerned

that Senator de Lima has not been able to benefit

from the Senate’s move

towards teleconferencing;

considers

that the parliamentary authorities can do much more to

help ensure that she can fully participate in the work of the Senate and effectively represent the

interests of the 14 million Filipinos who elected her, also bearing in mind past initiatives by the

Senate in other similar cases, well before teleconferencing was allowed;

wishes

to be kept

informed on this point;

Is concerned

about limitations imposed on Senator de Lima’s visiting rights

and continued lack

of access to the Internet, TV, radio, tablet or laptop;

regrets

furthermore that the authorities have

also yet to provide her with an air-conditioning unit, as ordered by her doctor;

sincerely hopes

that the relevant authorities will take the necessary steps to address these matters for as long

as she remains in detention; and

wishes

to be kept informed in this regard;

Requests

the Secretary General to convey this decision to the relevant authorities, including the

Secretary of Justice,

the Prosecutor’s Office and the relevant courts, the complainant and any

third party likely to be in a position to supply relevant information;

Requests

the Committee to continue examining this case and to report back to it in due course.

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Agenda, reports and other texts of the Governing Council

Belarus

Decision adopted unanimously by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary

virtual session,

3 November 2020)

BLR-05

–

Victor Gonchar

Alleged human rights violations

✓

Enforced disappearance

Impunity

Summary of the case

Case BLR-05

Belarus:

Parliament affiliated to the IPU

Victim:

Male opposition member of parliament

Qualified complainant(s):

Section I.(1)(a) of

the

Committee Procedure

(Annex I)

Submission of complaint:

August 1998

Recent IPU decision(s):

February 2019

Recent IPU mission(s):

November 1999

Recent Committee hearing(s):

- - -

Recent follow-up:

- Communications from the authorities:

Letters from the Chairman of the Committee

on National Security of the House of

Representatives dated July 2012 and

January 2013

- Interview with sources: July 2020

- Communication from the complainant:

August

2020

- Communication addressed to the

authorities: Letter addressed to the

Chairman of the House of Representatives

(October 2020)

- Communication addressed to the

complainant: August 2020

Mr. Victor Gonchar disappeared in September 1999, along

with Mr. Anatoly Krasovsky. Mr. Gonchar had been the

Deputy Speaker of the 13th Supreme Soviet and a major

political opponent of the President of Belarus, Mr. Aleksandr

Lukashenko. He was the third prominent opposition figure in

Belarus to have “disappeared” since April 1999.

Mr. Gonchar was expected to play a leading role in the talks

organized by the Organization for Security and Co-operation

in Europe between the opposition and President

Lukashenko. At the time of his disappearance, he was due to

chair an extended parliamentary session which could have

set in motion the process to impeach the President.

Allegations have been made attributing his "disappearance"

to State-run death squads known as SOBR (special rapid

response unit) on the personal order of the former Minister of

the Interior and of the Secretary General of the Belarusian

Security Council. Official investigations have proved unavailing. Key officials suspected of involvement

were never questioned and were subsequently promoted.

A report on disappearances in Belarus issued in February 2004 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the

Council of Europe concluded that no proper investigation had been conducted, and that senior state

officials may be implicated in the disappearances of several opposition figures, including Mr. Gonchar.

The report mentioned numerous pieces of evidence pointing towards the involvement of the State in

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Agenda, reports and other texts of the Governing Council

the disappearance, including evidence that a gun used for carrying out the death penalty against

Mr. Gonchar was signed out by order of the Minister of the Interior on the date of Mr.

Gonchar’s

disappearance. The authorities objected to the report's conclusions.

In March 2012, the United Nations Human Rights Committee also concluded, in the case of the

enforced disappearance of Mr. Krasovsky, that Belarus had violated its obligations to investigate

properly and take appropriate remedial action. It requested Belarus to provide the victims with an

effective remedy, including a thorough and diligent investigation into the disappearance and

prosecution and punishment of the perpetrators. No implementation measures have been taken by the

authorities.

No information from the Parliament of Belarus or from the judicial authorities has been forthcoming

since January 2012. Meetings with the leader of the Belarus delegation to the 132

IPU Assembly

(Hanoi, March–April 2015) and between the IPU President and the Speaker of the House of

Representatives (September 2015) have been inconclusive, as the authorities have continued to affirm

that the investigation was ongoing and confidential and that they did not need assistance. They have

failed to provide any other information or

to respond to the Committee’s long-standing

request to

conduct a visit to Belarus.

The families and their lawyers have never been granted access to the investigation files, despite

numerous petitions. Their requests

–

and those of the opposition United Civil Party

–

for the

investigation into state officials and other leaders have remained unanswered. They had,

inter alia,

asked for the Prosecutor General to take into account, and investigate, documentaries and video

testimonies aired on TV pointing to the involvement of the same top officials, in particular the

documentary "Krestny Batka" (The Nation's Godfather), aired by the Russian channel NTV in the summer

of 2010, and the important video testimony (allegedly dating from 2003 and aired in September 2018) of

Mr. Viktor Zabolotsky, a Belarusian citizen who claimed to have been near the crime scene at the time

of Mr. Gonchar’s disappearance. The complainant indicated that the families had been informed on

6 December 2018 by the investigative authorities that the investigation had been suspended, as they

had failed to identify the perpetrator, but that they would reopen it, should they identify a suspect.

However, a prominent journalism investigation story based on the accounts of Mr. Yuri Garavsky, a

new witness and self-confessed accomplice to the alleged murder of Mr. Gonchar, caused a sensation

in the country when it came out in December 2019. According to an official letter provided by the

complainant, the investigation into the disappearance of Mr. Gonchar was reopened on 24 December

2019, but was suspended once again in February 2020.

The United Nations Human Rights Council has repeatedly expressed deep concern at the continuing

violations of human rights in Belarus, which it found were of a systemic and systematic nature, as well

as at the use of torture and ill-treatment in custody, the lack of response by the Government of Belarus

to cases of enforced disappearances of political opponents, and the lack of participation of opposition

political parties in parliament. Most recently, the Council held an urgent debate on the situation in

Belarus following the presidential elections of August 2020, and adopted a resolution condemning the

reported use of violence and torture against thousands of protestors who had mobilized after the

elections over allegations of massive voter fraud.

Decision

The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Expresses grave concern

over the complete and persistent impunity in this case, over 20 years

after the disappearance of Mr. Victor Gonchar;

Deeply regrets

the lack of cooperation from the Belarusian authorities and that the Belarusian

Parliament chose not to meet virtually with the Committee on the Human Rights of

Parliamentarians at its most recent session;

recalls

in this regard that the Committee’s

procedure is based on ongoing and constructive dialogue with the authorities, first and foremost

the parliament of the country concerned;

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Notes with concern

that, during a hearing with the Committee at its most recent session,

Mr. Yuri Garavsky provided detailed information on the circumstances surrounding the

abduction and assassination of Mr. Gonchar and Mr. Anatoly Krasovsky, including the

coordinates of the location where the bodies had allegedly been buried within the former base

compound of Begoml, by direct order of the Belarusian authorities;

questions

why, despite

abundant new evidence, the investigation had been allegedly suspended again in February

2020;

wishes

to receive official information on the current status of the investigation; and

requests

the parliamentary authorities to keep the IPU informed of any relevant developments in this

regard;

Points out

that the authorities have put forward no information to sustain their assertion that a

genuine investigation into the disappearance was conducted over the past 20 years;

considers

that this gives serious weight to the mounting information and indications that have emerged

over the years pointing to the direct responsibility of the Belarusian authorities for the

disappearance of Mr. Gonchar;

Recalls

that impunity, by shielding those responsible from judicial action and accountability,

decisively encourages the perpetration of further serious human rights violations, and that

attacks against the life of members of parliament, when left unpunished, not only violate the

fundamental rights of individual parliamentarians and of those who elected them, but also affect

the integrity of parliament and its ability to fulfil its role as an institution

–

even more so when

leading figures of parliament and the opposition are targeted in the context of a broader pattern

of repression, as in the present case;

points out

that the widespread or systematic practice of

enforced disappearance constitutes a crime against humanity;

stresses

the legitimate right of

the relatives of the victims to know about the fate of the disappeared persons, the

circumstances of their enforced disappearance and to receive adequate compensation;

Reaffirms its view

that the Parliament of Belarus continues to have a direct responsibility for

ensuring that every effort is made by all relevant authorities to investigate thoroughly and

diligently the many leads and concerns that have emerged, to identify and punish those

responsible for the enforced disappearance of one of its members and to do everything possible

to ensure that such violations do not recur in the future;

urges

parliament to take decisive and

effective measures to this end; and

wishes

to be informed of progress made in this regard;

Deeply regrets

that the long-requested mission by the Committee to Belarus to obtain first-hand

information on the investigation and any prospects for progress in this case has still not received

official endorsement from the national authorities;

expresses the firm hope

that parliament and

other relevant authorities will respond favourably to this request so that a Committee delegation

can travel to Belarus as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic-related travel restrictions are lifted;

Calls

on all IPU Member Parliaments, IPU permanent observers, parliamentary assemblies and

human rights organizations active in the region to take concrete actions in support of the urgent

resolution of this case in a manner consistent with respect for democratic values and human

rights; and

hopes

to be able to rely on the assistance of all relevant regional and international

organizations;

Requests

the Secretary General to convey this decision to the relevant authorities and to any

third party likely to be in a position to supply relevant information, as well as to continue seeking

the authorities’ agreement to a visit;

Requests

the Committee to continue examining this case and to report back to it in due course.

10.

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Egypt

Decision adopted by consensus by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary

virtual session,

3 November 2020)

EGY-07

–

Mostafa al-Nagar

Alleged human rights violations

✓

Enforced disappearance

Threats, acts of intimidation

Violation of freedom of opinion and expression

Failure to respect parliamentary immunity

Impunity

Summary of the case

Case EGY-07

Egypt:

Parliament affiliated to the IPU

Victim:

male, independent member of the

House of Representatives

Qualified complainant(s):

Section I.1.(a)

and (d) of the

Committee Procedure

(Annex I)

Submission of complaint:

February

2020

Recent IPU decision(s):

May 2020

Recent IPU Mission(s):

- - -

Recent Committee hearing(s):

- - -

Mr. Mostafa al-Nagar allegedly disappeared in the southern

governorate of Aswan on 27 September 2018. His family and

lawyers have been unable to contact him or obtain information on

his whereabouts. They fear that he might have been arbitrarily

arrested and held incommunicado.

The complainants allege that Mr. al-Nagar was a symbol of the 2011

revolution and a vocal critic of the Egyptian Government during his

parliamentary term, which lasted from 23 January to 14 July 2012,

when the Egyptian Parliament was dissolved. In December 2017, he

was fined and sentenced to three years in prison for "insulting the

judiciary" in a speech he reportedly delivered during a parliamentary

sitting in 2012. In its ruling of 30 December 2017, the Cairo Criminal

Court found that Mr. al-Nagar’s

statements

at a parliamentary

sitting in 2012 had been intended to defame and harm the judiciary

and judges, and disregarded his parliamentary immunity.

Recent follow-up:

- Communication from the authorities:

---

- Communication from the complainant:

October 2020

- Communication addressed to the

authorities: Letter addressed to the

Speaker of the House of

Representatives (September 2020)

- Communication addressed to the

complainants: October 2020

The Egyptian delegation expressed its reservations regarding the decision.

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Mr. al-Nagar has not served his time in prison as he has remained in hiding, although it was clear to his

family members where he was. He disappeared a few days before his appeal trial, which took place on

15 October 2018.

The complainants reported that, on 10 October 2018, Mr. al-Nagar’s

family received an anonymous

telephone call informing it that he was in police custody at Aswan's Central Security Forces Al-Shallal

camp. Despite Mr. al-Nagar's

lawyer’s request to the Egyptian authorities for an official response

concerning his client’s alleged detention in the Al-Shallal

camp, no information was provided in this regard.

Egypt’s State Information Service denied playing a role in Mr.

al-Nagar's disappearance and said, in an

official statement issued on 18 October 2018, that he had wilfully disappeared to avoid serving his prison

sentence, accusing him of being a fugitive.

The Egyptian Court of Cassation adopted a decision on 15 October 2018, in which the Court allegedly

declared Mr. al-Nagar’s

appeal inadmissible and upheld the sentence against him

in abstentia

because he

had not been present at the proceedings and had not complied with a 2017 imprisonment order. In its

decision, the Court of Cassation also found that it was not competent to examine the appeal, since the

appealed decision was not final, as it had not been handed down by a “last degree”

court. According to the

Court of Cassation, it was still possible to challenge the 2017 decision before the Court of Appeal.

On 29 July 2019, the complainants filed a complaint at the Cairo Court of Administrative Justice against

the Egyptian Ministry of the Interior for failing to disclose Mr. al-Nagar's whereabouts and failing to make

serious efforts to locate him. In its decision handed down on 18 January 2020, the Cairo Court of

Administrative Justice recalled the State's responsibility, and indicated that the State Information Service

statement was insufficient. The Court noted that the State had a duty to locate disappeared individuals,

especially when a complaint had been filed about their disappearance. The complainants indicated that

the Egyptian authorities had not yet responded to the ruling of 18 January 2020.

During its virtual session held in October 2020, the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians

invited the Egyptian authorities for a hearing. The parliamentary authorities had initially accepted the

Committee’s invitation. However, due to the parliamentary elections, the authorities were unable to meet

with the Committee.

Decision

The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Notes

that the complaint concerning the situation of Mr. Mostafa al-Nagar, a member of the

Egyptian Parliament at the time of the initial alleged violation of his parliamentary immunity and

right to freedom of expression, was declared admissible by the Committee on the Human Rights

of Parliamentarians under its procedure on 29 May 2020;

Thanks

the Egyptian parliamentary authorities for their willingness to meet with the Committee for

a hearing;

regrets,

nevertheless, that such a hearing did not take place;

points out

that the

Egyptian authorities have yet to share their views about the case, despite several previous

requests;

Is deeply concerned

by the alleged disappearance of Mr. al-Nagar since 2018 and the absence of

any measures taken by the authorities

to investigate his disappearance despite the complainants’

repeated requests;

questions

why the Egyptian Government is unable to locate Mr. al-Nagar

considering that he was under surveillance, as alleged by the complainants;

considers

that Mr. al-

Nagar’s alleged

disappearance should be taken seriously by the authorities regardless of his

conviction and the fact that he did not serve his prison sentence;

Stresses

that the State of Egypt is duty-bound to do everything possible to find Mr. al-Nagar and

that by not taking any measure to locate him under the pretext that he is a fugitive, the authorities

are wilfully denying justice to his relatives, who have the legitimate right to know about his fate,

and are giving weight to the complainants’ allegations that they are partly or wholly responsible

for his disappearance;

stresses

that the authorities have yet to provide convincing evidence to

refute the allegation that Mr. al-Nagar is being held incommunicado;

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Urges,

therefore, the authorities, in particular the Ministry of the Interior, to take appropriate

measures to locate Mr. al-Nagar in accordance with the decision of the Administrative Court of

Justice issued in January 2020 and to start a genuine and effective investigation into his

disappearance;

wishes

to be kept informed as a matter of urgency about steps taken in this

regard;

Is concerned

that Mr. al-Nagar’s

conviction seemed to be in violation of

his parliamentary

immunity and hindered the legitimate exercise of his parliamentary mandate;

wishes

to receive

copies of the decisions of the Cairo Criminal Court and Court of Cassation of 2017 and 2018

respectively;

Requests

the Secretary General to convey this decision to the relevant authorities, the

complainants, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of the Interior and any third party likely to be in

a position to supply relevant information on the whereabouts of Mr. al-Nagar;

Requests

the Committee to continue examining this case and to report back to it in due course.

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Palestine/Israel

Decision adopted by consensus by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary

virtual session,

3 November 2020)

Ramallah, 15 April 2015

–

Palestinian protesters wave flags bearing portraits of

Fatah leader, Marwan Barghouti, during a march to mark the anniversary of his

arrest. AFP Photo/Abbas Momani

Case PSE-02

PSE-02

–

Marwan Barghouti

Alleged human rights violations

✓

Torture, ill-treatment and other acts of violence

Arbitrary arrest and detention

Lack of fair trial proceedings

Summary of the case

Palestine/Israel:

The Palestinian Legislative

Council and the Parliament of Israel are

affiliated to the IPU

Victim:

Member of the Palestinian Legislative

Council (member of the majority)

Qualified complainant(s):

Section I.(1).(b) of

the

Committee Procedure

(Annex I)

Submission of complaint:

April 2002

Recent IPU decision(s):

October 2018

Recent IPU mission(s):

- - -

Recent Committee hearing(s):

Hearing with

the head of the parliamentary group of Fatah at

the 137

IPU Assembly (October 2017);

hearing with the Palestinian complainants

(October 2020)

Recent follow-up:

- Communication from the authorities: Letter

from the head of the Knesset delegation to

the Inter-Parliamentary Union (October

2020);

- Communication from the complainant:

October 2020

- Communication addressed to the

authorities: Letter addressed to the

Speaker of the Knesset (September 2020)

- Communication addressed to the

complainant: October 2020

Mr. Marwan Barghouti, a member of the Palestinian

Legislative Council (PLC), was arrested on 15 April 2002

in Ramallah by the Israeli Defence Forces and

transferred to a detention facility in Israel. He was

charged with murder, attempted murder and involvement

in terrorist organizations. His trial before the Tel Aviv

District Court started on 14 August 2002 and ended on

6 June 2004, when the court sentenced him to five life

sentences and two 20-year prison terms. The

complainants have raised a series of legal objections to

Mr. Barghouti's arrest and prosecution, alleging that he

was ill-treated, especially at the start of his detention, and

was denied access to legal counsel. The Committee

appointed a legal expert and lawyer, Mr. Simon Foreman,

to report on the trial. His report states that, “the numerous

breaches of international law …

make it impossible to

conclude that Mr.

Barghouti was given a fair trial”.

On 17 April 2017, Mr. Barghouti initiated a mass hunger

strike, joined by more than 1,000 Palestinian inmates, to protest against the abusive and inhumane

conditions in which Palestinian inmates were allegedly being held by the Israeli authorities. The

“Freedom and dignity hunger strike” reportedly ended on 30

May 2017, as the Israeli Prison Service had

agreed to grant some of the detainees’ requests. According to the information gathered

during a hearing

The delegation of Israel expressed its reservations regarding the decision.

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with the Palestinian complainants held in October 2020, the strike had also been triggered by the 2017

decision of the Israeli authorities to reduce the number of monthly visits to one instead of two visits per

month. The complainants stated that the Israeli authorities had promised to increase the number of

monthly visits; however, this has yet to be done.

In their letter of 18 October 2020, the Israeli parliamentary authorities did not provide any information on

Mr. Barghouti’s current

conditions of detention, including his visiting rights.

During the hearing held with the Palestinian complainants in October 2020, the Committee on the

Human Rights of Parliamentarians gathered the information summarized below on the situation of

Mr. Marwan Barghouti and other Palestinian inmates in Israeli prisons:

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Barghouti has allegedly received only two visits from his

spouse in 2020. According to the complainants, Mr. Barghouti is due to receive a third family visit

in November 2020, which is facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

–

the main focal point between the Israeli authorities and the inmates’ families and the only

international organization allowed to conduct visits to Israeli prisons. Family visits are also

restricted to one relative instead of five, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and phone calls are

allegedly prohibited. Prison guards may, however, allow an inmate to have a phone call in the

event of emergencies. Nevertheless, there appears to be no consistency with respect to phone

calls, which, according to the complainants, are arbitrarily granted or refused by prison guards;

According to the complainants, visits are restricted to spouses and first-degree relatives (children,

parents and siblings). During one visit, the Israeli authorities had promised Mr.

Barghouti’s family

that he would be able to meet his eight-month-old granddaughter. The complainants alleged that,

after passing three prison gates and being only one gate away from Mr. Barghouti, the authorities

arbitrarily denied her access and refused to let her to be brought in;

The complainants described the last visit granted to Mr. Barghouti, which was in August 2020.

According to the complainants, before any visit could take place, the family had to receive

confirmation from the ICRC and be granted a permit to enter Israel. In August 2020, those

conditions were met and Ms. Fadwa Barghouti, his spouse, was able to visit him for 45 minutes.

The visit took place in the visiting room, where they communicated by phone in front of a glass

window separating them. The complainants added that preparing a visit was a time-consuming

process; the round trip took almost eight hours, owing to the family’s place of residence, the

location of the prison, and the number of checkpoints to cross. The complainants stated that

those conditions also applied to other inmates, and were more complicated for inmates from

Gaza. According to the complainants, the Israeli authorities purposely detained inmates in prisons

located far away from their place of residence, making it difficult for their families to visit;

According to the complainants, detention conditions in Israeli prisons were dire. They said that

prison buildings were obsolete, with poor sanitary conditions, and that they were infested with

fleas and mosquitoes, while prison overcrowding was prevalent. The complainants alleged that

inmates were not allowed to have a fan in times of high temperatures. The same applies during

colder times, as prisons did not have central heating. Reportedly, prisoners were constantly being

moved from one prison to another, or from prison to an investigation centre or to court, which

meant that they spent several hours handcuffed inside a vehicle with aggressive and strict

guards. The complainants also alleged that there were clothes shortages in prison and that

inmates were allowed to have a new shirt only every three months. Inmates were required to first

signal their needs to the prison guard, and wait for the guard to grant the request. Once the

request was approved, inmates had to wait for a family visit before informing their relatives of

their needs. The shirt could then be provided during the following family visit. The complainants

also stated that detainees of all ages were held together, including children and young adults.

Inmates suffering from serious diseases, including cancer or diabetes were allegedly denied

appropriate medical care. The complainants also denounced Israel's overuse of administrative

detention.

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Decision

The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Takes note

of the Israeli parliamentary authorities' letter of 18 October 2020;

deeply regrets,

however, the lack of information about Mr. Barghouti's detention conditions;

Takes notes with grave concern

that Mr. Barghouti was allegedly denied his visiting rights for

three years for allegedly taking part in the 2017 mass hunger strike;

is also shocked

that, after

three years without a single visit, Mr. Barghouti was only able to receive two visits from his

spouse in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic;

firmly recalls

that Article 37 of the United Nations

Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners stipulates that "prisoners shall be

allowed … to communicate with their family and reputable friends at

regular intervals, both by

correspondence and by receiving visits";

requests

the relevant Israeli authorities to give

assurances that the upcoming visit scheduled for November 2020 will take place without

hindrance;

Strongly reaffirms

its long-standing

position that Mr. Barghouti’s arrest and transfer to Israeli

territory was in violation of international law;

deplores

his continued detention for over 18 years

following a trial that failed to meet the fair-trial standards that Israel is bound to respect as a party

to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

recalls

in this regard the compelling

legal arguments put forward in Mr. Foreman's report; and consequently

renews its call

on the

Israeli authorities to release Mr. Barghouti forthwith;

Is deeply concerned

about the complainants' account of the detention conditions in Israeli

prisons, including the prevailing crowded conditions and the alleged obsolete state of prison

buildings;

is also worried

about the prohibition of phone calls and the arbitrary practice of prison

guards in this regard;

urges

the Israeli authorities, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and

subsequent visiting restrictions, to enable detainees to call their relatives;

Reiterates its long-standing wish

to be granted permission to visit Mr. Barghouti; and

urges

the

Israeli authorities to give serious consideration to this request;

Questions

why the Israeli authorities decided to reduce the number of visits to one visit per month

instead of the two monthly visits that were allowed until 2017;

wishes

to receive more information

on the reasons pertaining to this decision;

also notes

that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, family

visits would be limited to one person instead of five;

deplores

the fact that Palestinian prisoners

feel compelled to resort to hunger strikes to have their demands heard and acted upon; and

eager

to receive updated information on Mr. Barghouti’s current conditions of detention;

Considers

that the many national and international reports denouncing the conditions of detention

of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails should be of concern to the Knesset;

reaffirms

that the

Knesset can, and should, exercise its oversight function of the Israeli prison service with regard to

the treatment of Palestinian prisoners and thereby help ensure that all persons under the

jurisdiction and effective control of Israel are afforded the full enjoyment of the rights enshrined in

the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

wishes

to know if the Knesset and

individual members are allowed to carry out impromptu prison visits and, if so, to receive

information on the applicable legal framework;

Requests

the Secretary General to convey this decision to the competent authorities, the

complainant and any third party likely to be in a position to supply relevant information;

Requests

the Committee to continue examining this case and to report to it in due course.

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Palestine/Israel

Decision adopted by consensus by the IPU Governing Council at its 206th session

(Extraordinary

virtual session,

3 November 2020)

Palestinian supporters of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) take part

in a protest outside the UNDP office calling for the release of Ahmad Sa’adat,

leader

PFLP, in Gaza city on 29 July 2015. MAJDI FATHI/NurPhoto/NurPhoto via AFP

PSE-05

– Ahmad Sa’adat

Alleged human rights violations

✓

Arbitrary arrest and detention

Inhumane conditions of detention

Lack of fair trial proceedings

Summary of the case

Case PSE-05

Palestine/Israel:

The Palestinian Legislative

Council and the Parliament of Israel are

affiliated to the IPU

Victim:

Member of the Palestinian Legislative

Council (member of the majority)

Qualified Complainant(s):

Section I.(1).(b) of

the

Committee Procedure

(Annex I)

Submission of complaint:

July 2006

Recent IPU decision(s):

October 2018

Recent IPU mission(s):

- - -

Recent Committee hearing(s):

Hearing with

the Palestinian complainants (October 2020)

Recent follow-up:

- Communication from the authorities: Letters

from the head of the Knesset delegation to

the Inter-Parliamentary Union (October

2020)

- Communication from the complainant:

October 2019

- Communication addressed to the

authorities: Letter to the Speaker of the

Knesset (September 2020)

- Communication addressed to the

complainant: October 2020

On 14 March 2006, Mr.

Ahmad Sa’adat was abducted by the

Israeli Defence Forces from Jericho Jail and transferred to

Hadarim Prison in Israel, together with four other prisoners,

after being accused by the Israeli authorities of involvement in

the October 2001 murder of Mr. R. Zeevi, the Israeli Minister

of Tourism. The Israeli authorities concluded one month later

that Mr.

Sa’adat had not been involved in the killing, but went

on to charge the other four suspects. Subsequently, 19 other

charges were brought against Mr.

Sa’adat, all arising from his

leadership of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

(PFLP), which Israel considers a terrorist organization. None

of the charges allege direct involvement in crimes of violence.

On 25 December 2008, Mr.

Sa’adat was sentenced to

30 years in prison. While detained, Mr.

Sa’adat reportedly did

not receive the medical care he required, nor visits from his

family. In March and June 2009, he was placed in solitary

confinement, prompting him in June 2009 to go on a nine-day

hunger strike. He remained in solitary confinement for three

years, until May 2012.

In April 2017, Mr. Sa’adat

took part in a mass hunger strike

by Palestinian detainees to protest against their detention

conditions in Israeli prisons. He was reportedly moved at that

time to solitary confinement in Ohlikdar Prison. According to

The delegation of Israel expressed its reservations regarding the decision.

IPU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 8: Resultat af Governing Council session 1.-3. november 2020

Inter-Parliamentary Union

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Agenda, reports and other texts of the Governing Council

the information gathered during a hearing with the Palestinian complainants in October 2020, the strike

had also been triggered by the 2017 decision of the Israeli authorities to reduce the number of monthly

visits to one instead of two visits per month. The complainants stated that the Israeli authorities had

promised to increase the number of monthly visits; however, this has yet to be done.

In their letter of 18 October 2020, the parliamentary authorities did not provide any information on

Mr.

Sa’adat’s current conditions of detention, including

his visiting rights. The authorities suggested that

the IPU should consider whether future correspondence relating to the case of Mr.

Sa’adat was

appropriate, given his involvement in terrorism-related crimes.

During the hearing held with the Palestinian complainants in October 2020, the Committee on the

Human Rights of Parliamentarians gathered the following information on the situation of Palestinian

inmates in Israeli prisons:

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is allegedly the main focal point between

the Israeli authorities and the inmates’ families, and the only international organization allowed to

conduct visits to Israeli prisons. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, family visits are allegedly

restricted to one relative instead of five, and phone calls are allegedly prohibited. Prison guards

may, however, allow an inmate to have a phone call in the event of emergencies. Nevertheless,

there appears to be no consistency with respect to phone calls, which, according to the

complainants, are arbitrarily granted or refused by prison guards;

According to the complainants, visits are restricted to spouses and first-degree relatives (children,

parents and siblings). They said that, before any visit could take place, the family had to receive

confirmation from the ICRC and be granted a permit to enter Israel. Visits lasted for 45 minutes

and took place in the visiting room, where prisoners and their relatives communicated by phone in

front of a glass window separating them. The complainants added that preparing for a visit was a

time-consuming process;

the round trip could take almost eight hours, owing to the family’s place

of residence, the location of the prison and the number of checkpoints to cross. The complainants

stated that those conditions also applied to other inmates, and were more complicated for

inmates from Gaza. According to the complainants, the Israeli authorities purposely detained

inmates in prisons located far away from their place of residence, making it difficult for their

families to visit;

According to the complainants, detention conditions in Israeli prisons were dire. They said that

prison buildings were obsolete, with poor sanitary conditions, and that they were infested with

fleas and mosquitoes, while prison overcrowding was prevalent. The complainants alleged that

inmates were not allowed to have a fan in times of high temperatures. The same applied during

colder times, as prisons do not have central heating. Reportedly, prisoners were constantly being