From the 23rd to the 27th of March 2024, the 148th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) took place in Geneva, Switzerland, with the General Debate themed “Parliamentary Diplomacy: Building bridges for peace and understanding”. Leading the Seychelles delegation was the Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Roger Mancienne, accompanied by Hon. Waven William, Hon. Audrey Vidot, and IPU Desk Officer Ms. Emma Didon.
From the 20th to the 22nd of March 2024 Hon. Waven William, in his capacity as the President of the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development of the IPU, attended the Villars Summit in which discussions took place on the topic of engagement on climate action and solutions to address the ongoing climate crisis. Hon. Speaker Mancienne also took the opportunity prior to the commencement of the Assembly to attend and chair a SADC PF meeting, in his capacity as the President of the SADC PF. During this meeting, the President of the IPU Hon. Dr. Tulia Ackson made an appearance in which she sincerely thanked the SADC PF for their support in her tenure and emphasized the inclusion of various topics of mutual importance such as women, youth, and the disabled.
On the 23rd of March, Hon. Vidot attended the Forum of Women Parliamentarians, the first session of which was focused on the draft resolution of the Standing Committee on Peace and International Security titled “Addressing the social and humanitarian impact of autonomous weapon systems and artificial intelligence”. The second session was titled the “Panel Debate on Women, Peace and Security”, in which Hon. Vidot made a poignant intervention where she addressed the work of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) of the National Assembly. It was assured that the WPC has a vested interest in lending a hand to NGOs concerned with women empowerment, gender-based violence, and the advocation of strengthening the development of human resources dedicated to such causes. On the same day, Hon. William reported on his participation at the recent COP28 to the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development where he discussed the need for continued parliamentary oversight, and the adoption of a resolution reiterating the Committee’s commitment to climate change action and the inclusion of and focus on vulnerable countries and communities.
On the 25th of March, Hon. Speaker Mancienne made a robust intervention during the General Debate where a notable emphasis was placed on the importance of collective action and the need to overcome the North-South divide on certain matters of global significance. Hon. Mancienne shared in the call on the IPU to engage with global conflict resolution more consistently and dynamically, remarking that “we want our organisation to be a stronger force for finding peace”. Speaker Mancienne then commended President Ackson for her efforts in promoting such values within the IPU.
The Seychelles delegation then had the opportunity to conduct a bilateral meeting with a delegation from the United Arab Emirates comprised of H.E. Dr. Ali Alnuaimi and Ms. Meera Al Suwaidi of the UAE’s National Federal Council. During this brief meeting, H.E. Alnuaimi remarked on Hon. Mancienne’s diplomatic and fruitful approach to matters of importance. The Speaker thanked the delegation for their continued bilateral relations, with a call for continued friendly relations between the two countries and parliaments in the future.
Hon. Mancienne then led the delegation during the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Meeting where discussions centred on the unique plights and challenges of SIDS and the increasing need for unity among such countries especially at forums such as the IPU Assembly. The Speaker was invited to share his remarks in the reformation of the SIDS group at the previous Assembly of the IPU, where he thanked and congratulated the continuation of this initiative by the Fiji Chairmanship. A final call was made on the IPU President Hon. Dr. Ackson, where the delegation, with the exception of Hon. William,had the opportunity once again to convey their congratulations on her presidency. Amongst various topics of discussion, President Ackson acknowledged the importance of climate change issues for Seychelles and of the predicaments experienced by Small Island Developing States.
