Why In News?
An Indian Parliamentary Delegation led by the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, participated in the 153rd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Arusha, Tanzania.
What Is The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)?
It is the global organization of national parliaments, serving as the focal international forum for legislative dialogue and parliamentary diplomacy.
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Origin: Founded in 1889 in Paris by Frédéric Passy (France) and William Randal Cremer (United Kingdom), making it the world's oldest permanent international political organization.
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Headquarters: Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland (at the House of Parliaments since 1921), with permanent observer liaison offices in New York and Vienna.
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Membership: Comprises 184 Member Parliaments and 15 Associate Members.
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Objectives: Promotes democratic governance, peace, human rights, gender equality, youth empowerment, climate action, and the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through legislative action.
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Relationship with the United Nations: Granted Permanent Observer Status at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) under Resolution A/RES/57/32 in 2002.
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UNGA Resolution 72/278 (2018) officially designated 30 June as the International Day of Parliamentarism in honor of the IPU's founding date.
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India's Engagement: India joined the IPU in 1949.
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India's participation is anchored by the Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG) (est. 1949), which acts as the National Group for both the IPU and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), with the Speaker of Lok Sabha serving as ex-officio President.
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India hosted the 57th Assembly (1969) and 89th Assembly (1993) in New Delhi.
Outcomes of the 153rd IPU Assembly in Arusha
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Overall Theme: The General Debate focused on "Enhancing good governance and empowering communities through inclusivity, trust and opportunities for all".
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Emergency Climate Resolution: Adopted a major resolution titled "Urgent parliamentary action to address climate-related disasters and strengthen resilience in the Himalayan region and other vulnerable regions" (proposed by Nepal and supported by India).
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Disability Rights Resolution: Adopted the resolution submitted by the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights entitled "Inclusive social development for all: Parliamentary strategies to promote the rights and empowerment of persons with disabilities".
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Outcome Document: Adopted the Arusha Communiqué, committing parliaments to ethical AI, transparency, public trust, and inclusive democratic institutions.
Source: PIB
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. With reference to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), consider the following statements: 1. Established in 1889, it is the oldest multilateral political organization of sovereign national parliaments in the world. 2. It holds permanent observer status at the United Nations General Assembly. 3. The Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG) acts as the autonomous body linking the Parliament of India with the IPU. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Answer: (d) Explanation: Statement 1 is correct: The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was founded on June 30, 1889, in Paris by William Randal Cremer (United Kingdom) and Frédéric Passy (France). It is recognized as the world's first and oldest multilateral political organization for sovereign national parliaments. Statement 2 is correct: By virtue of UN General Assembly resolution 57/32 adopted on November 19, 2002, the IPU was granted Permanent Observer status at the United Nations General Assembly, allowing it regular participation and a standing voice in UN sessions. Statement 3 is correct: The Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG) is an autonomous body established in 1949 (pursuant to a Constituent Assembly resolution passed in 1948). It serves as the National Group of the IPU and the Main Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in India, functioning as the key institutional link between the Parliament of India and global parliaments. |
