A Ukrainian parliamentary delegation participated in the 139th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and its Governing Council meeting, which were held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 14-18 October 2018
Agenda of the Assembly:
1. Election of the President of the 139th Assembly;
2. Consideration of requests for the inclusion of an emergency item in the Assembly agenda;
3. General Debate on the theme Parliamentary leadership in promoting peace and development in the age of innovation and technological change;
4. Strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation on migration and migration governance in view of the adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights);
5. Reports of the Standing Committees on Peace and International Security; Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade; and United Nations Affairs;
6. Approval of the subject item for the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights at the 141st IPU Assembly and appointment of the Rapporteurs;
7. Amendments to the IPU Statutes and Rules.
Ukraine’s delegation:
Tarasiuk, Borys. Rapporteur of the Committee on Peace and International Security, Leader of the Delegation, Member of Parliament Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs;
Ionova, Mariia. Deputy Leader of the Delegation, Member of Parliament. Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on European Integration;
Iemets, Leonid. Member of Parliament. First deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Legal Policy and Justice;
Bielkova, Olha. Member of Parliament. Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Fuel and Energy Complex, Nuclear Policy and Nuclear Safety;
Popov, Ihor. Member of Parliament. Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Corruption Prevention and Counteraction;
Ptashnyk, Viktoriia. Member of Parliament. Committee on Economic Policy;
Sotnyk, Olena. Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights; Forum of Women Parliamentarians. Member of Parliament. Committee on European Integration;
Shkrum, Aliona. Member of Parliament. Committee on State Building, Regional Policy and Local Self-Government;
Bodnar, Petro. Member of the ASGP. First Deputy Secretary General, Parliament;
Mosolov, Yurii. Deputy Head of Secretariat of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Parliament.
Pachesiuk, Yuliia. Secretary to the First Deputy Secretary General. Deputy Head of Division, Interparliamentary Relations Department, Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada;
Protasenko, Liudmyla. Chief Consultant, Parliament.
The delegates participated in a sitting of the Geopolitical group “Twelve Plus Group” (47 members), where there was considered the issue of creating an anti-terrorist task group. At the meeting, Ihor Popov shared his working experience in a similar group at the OSCE PA and declared his readiness to so undertake in the IPU group.
There were also considered such key issues as financing of parliamentary activities, developing institutional capacity of parliamentary service, openness of parliaments, in particular the use of social media by parliamentarians, and provision of parliaments’ control functions. Among other things, they discussed internal parliamentary procedures, parliamentary regulations and improving the parliaments’ strategic planning as well.
The 139th Assembly’s meeting resulted in adoption of the resolution "On strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation on migration and migration governance in view of the adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration". The Ukrainian delegation approved the said resolution with a reservation to the para 16 about dual nationality. The delegation leader Borys Tarasiuk delivered Ukraine’s position over the issue.
The next 140th IPU Assembly shall take place in Qatar.