The 146th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) General Assembly takes place in Manama, Bahrain from March 11-15, 2023. (Photo: IPU)

Established in 1889, with its headquarters in Geneva, the IPU is one of the oldest multilateral organizations in the world. The IPU has 179 member parliaments and 14 regional parliamentary organizations. Its mission is to promote peace, democracy, and sustainable development worldwide.

Global Peace Index declines to the lowest level in 15 years

The IPU General Assembly acknowledged the complexity and unpredictability of global peace. The world is affected by hostilities, wars, natural disasters, sectarian and religious conflicts, sovereignty and territorial disputes in many parts of the world. The Global Peace Index is now at its lowest level in 15 years.

Other global challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, and epidemics, have slowed down the world’s economic recovery and affected people's lives around the world.

These challenges demand greater responsibility on the part of governments, parliaments, and leaders to guarantee equality and economic coherence on the basis of friendship, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence.

With a goal of peaceful coexistence and inclusive societies, the IPU urges the international community and legislative bodies to unite and take action to realize the 2030 UN Agenda for sustainable development and the IPU’s Action Strategy for peace, cooperation, and sustainability.

To act for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development

Documents submitted to General Assembly include a draft Resolution on “Cyberattacks and Cybercrimes, the New Risks to Global Security,” and a draft Resolution on “Parliamentary Efforts in Achieving Negative Carbon Balances of Forests”.

The IPU said billions of people are interacting with each other via the Internet and using all kinds of devices to connect and share information, personal identities, and daily activities with the world. Cybercrimes have taken advantage of the growing dependence on cyberspace among individuals, institutions, and States to organize cyberattacks against the most vulnerable.

The draft Resolution “Cyberattacks and Cybercrimes, the New Risks to Global Security” calls on parliaments to enact laws, strengthen international cooperation to combat cybercrimes and cyberattacks, take full use of their supervisory tools to ensure that governments effectively manage cybercrimes and protect the privacy of internet users. It urges the IPU Secretariat to help parliaments organize conferences on cybercrimes and cyberattacks.

The draft Resolution “Parliamentary Efforts in Achieving Negative Carbon Balances of Forests" affirms the importance of forests in human life by recalling the statement of UN Secretary-General António Guterres that repelling deforestation is an obligation of the international community.

Deforestation is having an increasingly severe impact on human life and exacerbating existing crises such as worsening climate change, loss of biodiversity and genetic resources.

The draft Resolution says combating deforestation and its impact on mankind is a global struggle which must be resolved by the international community. It urges parliaments to unite to ensure that all human beings can live well on this planet. Parliaments should acknowledge the necessity of national and international policies to tackle climate problems caused by deforestation and effectively respond to the consequences of deforestation.