Kadaga roots for Parliaments role in protecting Rule of Law

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Speakers under the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) have expressed the need to have Parliaments across the world share in the responsibility of protecting the rule of law and human rights.

According to Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga, the exclusion of Parliaments stand on the universal human rights reporting system has come at a great cost to the oversight role, which she says ought to be urgently addressed and check on human rights violations worldwide.

Kadaga was speaking at the on-going 141st Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Belgrade, Serbia under the theme “Strengthening international law: Parliamentary roles and mechanisms, and the contribution of regional corporation”.

The Assembly is being attended by Speakers and Members of Parliament from 179 countries under the Africa Group, Arab Group, Asia-Pacific Group, Group of Latin America and the Caribbean and the Twelve Plus Group.

Kadaga said that the oversight role of Parliaments can be key in identifying and ending human rights abuses.

She emphasized the need for Parliaments to be involved in reporting systems of government concerning human rights.

Kadaga recommended the establishment of regional human rights parliamentary bodies, which she said would facilitate regular intervention and follow up on issues at an international level.

“I also propose solidarity debates in our Parliaments, where elected representatives can take ownership of fundamental values and ultimately facilitate domestic implementation of, and compliance with human rights standards,” Kadaga added.

Catherine Gotani, the Speaker of the Parliament of Malawi told the IPU Assembly that executive branches of counties across the world ought to involve their Parliaments in all decisions made, for the benefit of the electorate they represent.

She said that in order to ensure that Parliaments play the appropriate oversight role, the executive must to go further and allow them to have a meaningful say in the formulation of international instruments.

The General Assembly is being chaired by Speaker of the Serbia National Assembly Maja Gojković who is the current President of the IPU and will conclude deliberations on Thursday, 17 October 2019.

Member Parliaments will be given till Friday, 27th March 2020 to submit written amendments to draft resolutions for the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade, and the Standing Committee on Peace and International Security. The resolutions will thereafter be formally adopted by the 142nd IPU Assembly to be held on 19th April 2020 in Geneva, Switzerland.

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