Brussels/The Hague
On the occasion of the International Day of Parliamentarism 2022, PGA participated in the conference organized by the European Parliament Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group (DEG), dedicated to “Solidarity with Parliamentarians: Defending the Human Rights of Parliamentarians.”
Chaired by Dr. Hannah Neumann, MEP (Germany) and Founding Member of PGA’s Parliamentary Rapid Response Team (PARRT), this annual stocktaking debate focused on the challenges MEPs and their twinning partners have faced since the implementation of the Solidarity with Parliamentarians Program, an initiative launched by the DEG in 2021 to promote twinning partnerships between MEPs and parliamentarians at risk. Three MEPs supporting and defending parliamentarians at risk, Mr. Nikolaj Villumsen (Denmark, PGA Member), Mr. Chris MacManus (Ireland), and Mr. Jordi Solé (Spain), shared the human rights situation of three Turkish legislators, Ms. Leyla Güven, Ms. Figen Yüksekdağ, and Mr. Musa Farisoğullari, who have been persecuted and imprisoned due to their political dissidence. Underlining the importance of solidarity and expressing support, MEPs conveyed concerns over the current global geopolitical context and stressed that their political actions on the international scene must never be taken at the expense of fundamental human rights.
On behalf of PGA, Hon. Rozaina Adam, Board Member and Chair of the PARRT -an initiative launched by PGA in 2018 to support and counteract human rights violations against lawmakers worldwide - highlighted that countries are confronting more challenges to democratic practices each day. Indeed, as already expressed by experts, 2021 has been marked as the year of the rise of dictatorship and toxic polarization. Hon. Adam stressed that remaining faithful to universal values is vital to defend and preserve democracy, the Rule of Law, human rights, and fundamental freedoms; she introduced to MEPs and participants in the event PGA’s Global Parliamentary Code of Democratic Conduct as an essential tool for parliamentarians to combat disinformation and misinformation and to encourage them to refrain from using hate speech in their interactions.
Emphasizing the importance of parliamentary solidarity, Mr. Rogier Huizenga, Manager of the Human Rights Program of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), provided worrying data on the grave human rights violations that members of parliament are facing, especially in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Furthermore, Mr. Huizenga shared with the audience insights of the Parliamentary Solidarity Initiative – a project through which the IPU Human Rights Committee has developed an international mechanism to help, protect, and assist MPs who face abuse, mistreatment, or even death.
Mr. Teddy Baguilat, Board Member of the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) and a representative of the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) - theMyanmar democratically elected Parliament before it was dissolved following the 2021 military coup - made a compelling intervention with a focus on the ASEAN region where many MPs have been threatened, persecuted, and imprisoned for the past months following a concerning democratic decay.
The situation in Myanmar was yet another illustration of the main concerns raised during the debate. At PGA, particularly on the day of International Parliamentarism, we believe in the utmost necessity of showing support, standing in solidarity, and defending Members of Parliaments worldwide. Political statements may not be enough; we must unite to ensure that authoritarian regimes are condemned and that the freedoms and rights of MPs are not curtailed.
Democracy is an aspiration of many, and we need to preserve it. Parliaments are the heart of democracy, and parliamentarians are the engine that ensures that the system functions properly. If parliamentarians cannot perform their duties in a safe environment, we jeopardize the opportunity to evolve and thrive as a society.
