The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga who has just been elected Chairperson of the African Geo-Political Group at the ongoing International Parliamentary Union (IPU), has spoken against human abuses saying it is a recipe of conflict around the world.
Kadaga urged legislators from across the globe currently in Geneva, Switzerland to interest themselves in matters regarding human rights abuses since most countries subscribe to the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights, as well as regional conventions on human rights.
“Parliaments are the last port of call for the population in case of violations of human rights. Conflicts can and will rise in situations of political oppression, economic despair, deprivation, exclusion despondency and social inequality,” Kadaga said.
She challenged IPU member states to have the issue of human rights violations feature prominently on the order of business of their respective Parliaments.
The IPU assembly discussed emergency matters that included helping to consolidate international peace and security through the recognition of a viable, independent and sovereign Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Other items discussed were the role of parliaments in combating terrorism for sustainable peace, security and development. It was presented by Bangladesh while the item on Restoring Peace and Security in Syria was requested by the Russian Federation and Syrian Arab Republic.
The Assembly also discussed the issue of separation of powers as an essential element of democratic systems and as a guarantor of the proper functioning of parliaments.
It also discussed the role of parliamentarians in protecting the principles of State sovereignty and State immunity from prosecution in the national courts of another State, and in preventing the adoption of unilateral legislation undermining these principles.