Kadaga urges parliaments on human rights
In charge. Speaker Rebecca Kadaga (right) chairs a session during an IPU meeting in Geneva on Monday. COURTESY PHOTO.
What you need to know:
- During deliberations, Ms Kadaga withdrew Uganda’s earlier request to include an emergency item to sponsor a motion to guarantee the safety of migrants in transit to other countries of destination.
- The motion is now to be tabled by neighbouring Kenya, which is the third biggest host of refugees in Africa, as it addresses the conflict in Southern Sudan with a presentation on the role of parliaments in safeguarding peace and security.
Kampala. The Speaker of Parliament, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, has called on parliaments the world over to prioritise discussions evolving around human rights abuses, saying they constitute the last line of defence for those who feel oppressed and abused.
Ms Kadaga, who was on Monday elected president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) for Africa, warned that human rights issues, if not addressed, can lead to conflict and social unrest.
“Parliaments are the last port of call for the population in case of violations of human rights. Conflicts can and will arise in situations of political oppression, economic despair, deprivation, exclusion despondency and social inequality” she said.
According to a press statement issued yesterday by the Clerk to Parliament, the Speaker made the call in Geneva, Switzerland yesterday while addressing members of the Governing Council of IPU at the organisation’s 135th General Assembly.
“Parliaments are therefore the institutions where the oppressed and abused seek refuge, protection and readiness,” she is further quoted to have said.
She said discussions on human rights become even more pertinent given that most countries subscribe to the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights and other regional conventions on Human Rights.
During deliberations, Ms Kadaga withdrew Uganda’s earlier request to include an emergency item to sponsor a motion to guarantee the safety of migrants in transit to other countries of destination.
The motion is now to be tabled by neighbouring Kenya, which is the third biggest host of refugees in Africa, as it addresses the conflict in Southern Sudan with a presentation on the role of parliaments in safeguarding peace and security.
Other emergency matters discussed included helping to consolidate international peace and security through the recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state, with its Capital in East Jerusalem. Also discussed were the roles of Parliament in combating terrorism.
