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Dear PGA Friends,

The year 2018 was defined by many achievements by Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), the largest non-governmental, multi-party international network of individual legislators with more than 1,350 members in 140 parliaments around the world committed to human rights and the Rule of Law, democracy, human security, inclusion and gender equality.

We are delighted to share with you our efforts towards a more equitable, just and peaceful world, with growth and progress in each of our three programmes: International Law and Human Rights, International Peace and Security and Gender, Equality and Inclusion.

PGA is excited to begin our 2019-2021 strategic plan which builds on our 40 years of experience and incorporates results, innovations and lessons-learned, and includes the introduction of a new Global Parliamentary Campaign for Democratic Renewal and Human Rights. This new campaign will promote norms, regulations and best practices reinforcing and protecting civil and political democratic space; and protect the human rights of democracy activists, especially parliamentarians in opposition, women in politics, minorities and vulnerable groups.

The promotion of Gender Equality is an important theme across the organisation: in our governance, structure, administration and in all Programs and Campaigns. Since its inception, PGA has played a pivotal role in the global movement for gender equality. In the organisation’s governance structure, the PGA Executive Committee maintains a 40:60 gender ratio and National Groups must have gender balance in addition to cross-party representation.

The impact of PGA’s work relies on the commitment of parliamentarians to advocating for prevention of, and accountability for, human rights violations, in turn contributing to the reinforcement of the Rule of Law both at the international level and within national systems. It is the very active engagement of committed Members that enables PGA to be effective in its campaigns.

A highlight of the past year was the 40th Annual Forum of PGA and 10th Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians for the International Criminal Court and the Rule of Law (CAP-ICC) in Kyiv, Ukraine. The two-day conference brought together 200 participants and provided a unique opportunity to discuss the ICC on the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute. It also built momentum to advance ratification and implementation of the Rome Statute in the host country. The event concluded with the adoption of the Kyiv Plan of Action, through which the parliamentarians in attendance committed themselves to take steps towards the universality and effectiveness of the Rome Statute system of the ICC in their respective jurisdictions.

Thank you to all of our PGA friends for your continued encouragement and support of the PGA mission to contribute to the creation of a rules-based international order for a more equitable, safe and democratic world. With your help, we achieved significant results across all of our campaigns to end injustice and oppression around the world. I invite you now to continue learning about our significant achievements in the following 2018 Annual Report.

On behalf of PGA, I am grateful to our invaluable network of parliamentarians and our steadfast partners and look forward to continued success in 2019.

Faithfully,
Margareta Cederfelt, MP (Sweden)
President, Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA)
& Vice-President, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly