Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly To Debate International Migration And End To Human Trafficking Among Other Things

The 145th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly taking place in the Rwandan capital, Kigali from 11 to 15 October will debate the high levels of international migration, means to stop human trafficking and human rights abuses.

The only draft resolution for this assembly is the“Parliamentary impetus to local and regional development of countries with high levels of international migration and to stopping all forms, including state-sponsored, of human-trafficking and human rights abuses”.

Conference documents from Parliament's International Relations and Protocol Division say the resolution is an appeal to parliaments, in cooperation with their governments, to expand the legal pathways for migration to facilitate labour mobility and skills training, family reunification, and migration for reasons such as armed conflict, gender-based violence, natural disasters, and climate change.

National Assembly (NA) Speaker, Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, is leading a South African delegation to the 145th IPU Assembly. The delegation includes the Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Ms Sylvia Lucas, NA's House Chairperson for International Relations, Mr Madala Ntombela, the Chief Whip of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Mr Floyd Shivambu and Dr Annelie Lotriet.

The South African Parliament has proposed amendments that seek to enhance and strengthen the draft resolution, and these are the inclusion of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and its Protocols to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, which provide a framework to effectively prevent and combat trafficking in persons and the Global Compact on Refugees, an important blueprint for States to considerably improve cooperation and partnerships to ensure that host countries get the support they need and that refugees can lead productive lives.

The South African Parliament is also arguing for the inclusion, in the assembly resolution, of the Protection of human rights of all migrants, particularly unaccompanied migrant children within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction, without discrimination of any kind, including in particular based on national origin, other migration push factors: persecution and armed conflict that compel a person to migrate.

Furthermore, the South African Parliament argues for the inclusion of gender-based violence as the main push factor for the majority of girls and women to migrate, and the importance of protecting and assisting victims of trafficking as a way of encouraging them to testify against traffickers and to ensure their rights are respected throughout criminal justice procedures.

“The criminalization of trafficking, strengthening law enforcement capacity, as well as awareness campaigns are part of an effective strategy to combat, and deter existing and potential criminals from engaging in the illicit trade,” said Parliament in its proposed amendments to the resolution.

The IPU is an international organization of national Parliaments and its primary purpose is to promote democratic governance, accountability, and cooperation among its members. Among its other initiatives, includes advancing gender parity among legislatures, empowering youth participation in politics, and sustainable development.

The overall theme of the 145th Assembly is Gender equality and gender-sensitive parliaments as drivers of change for a more resilient and peaceful world.

There will also be panel discussions on various subjects in the committees of the IPU, and some of the topics to be discussed include the impact of war and atrocity on civilian populations, war and climate change as triggers of global food insecurity.

The assembly will also debate parliamentary efforts in achieving negative carbon balances of forests, and hold a panel discussion on the theme: Reconnecting local communities with a local sustainable inclusive economy to achieve the targets of SDG 8.- which is about promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

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