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Parliamentarians
A vital link in the chain
By Jean-François Berger |
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part of its humanitarian diplomacy, the ICRC fosters continuous
and close relations with all political players, particularly
governments. More broadly, what are the Movement’s ties
with the little-known world of parliamentarians? Starting point
of our enquiry: the 100th Inter-Parliamentary Conference held
in Moscow in September 1998. |
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In the grandiose setting of the Kremlin, the annual meeting
of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has brought together
some 1,200 parliamentarians from 123 countries for one week
to discuss a variety of themes and mutual concerns. Hailing
from a diverse array of cultural and political backgrounds,
these parliamentarians have one thing in common: they have
been elected by ballot to represent the interests of their
electors. In other words, they have been chosen to draft laws
and to oversee government activity in their respective countries.
So, what then is the connection with humanitarian action?
Clearly, the links are significant and present a tremendous
area of cooperation for all the components of the International
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. |
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A humanitarian agenda
“The victims of war are not electors. They don’t
have votes and so carry little weight,” observes Spaniard
Miguel Angel Martinez, president of the IPU. “That’s
why parliamentarians have a moral duty to mobilize in support
of humanitarian issues.” Mobilize – the image
keeps recurring. But around what priorities and how? A number
of possibilities are currently under review.
On the sidelines of the Moscow statutory conference, women
parliamentarians have gathered to discuss the situation of
women in times of war. Svetlana Goriatcheva, vice-president
of the Russian Douma (parliament), believes that:
“Women can contribute to stemming violence by taking
on more responsibilities, particularly in legislative matters.
For a woman is a mother who has the safety of her children
at heart. If women’s voices had been heard, maybe there
would never have been a war in Chechnya.”
According to Elizabeth Knecht, ICRC delegate in Moscow, “It
is important that humanitarian law, which accords the same
rights to men and to women, be truly applied at a time when
the role and vulnerability of women in war is growing before
our eyes.”
For the parliamentarians, this is also the occasion to mark
the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights by appealing for respect for these same rights. Ahmed
Fathi Sorour, president of the Egyptian People’s Assembly,
says: “Parliamentarians are front-line players when
it comes to the protection of human rights, for they have
the mandate to observe the reality of daily life.” Of
course, the perception of human rights and their order of
priority varies according to the level of economic and social
development of the country that a parliamentarian represents.
Another topic of interest: conflict prevention. This is of
vital importance when it comes to the really tangible issues.
For example, water: the question of access to water, its preservation
and management are some of the major themes of mutual concern
requiring a joint interactive approach from parliamentarians.
According to Moutari Moussa, president of the national assembly
in Niger and general secretary of the Union of African Parliaments,
“Parliamentarians must deal with development issues,
such as water, in a regional context, so that the countries
concerned can harmonize their legislation.”
Everyone agrees that adoption by regional consensus favours
the settlement of contentious issues. This implies a certain
tenacity on the part of parliamentarians, because it is well
known that any modification of national legislation requires
infinite patience. “The allocation and rational use
of water is a central priority in our region. This entails
an in-depth dialogue between all our national members before
we can reach a formal agreement,” says Francisco Campbell,
secretary of the Committee of Central American Parliaments.
His words take on particular significance in light of the
devastating floods that ravaged Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala
last October. |
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The key role of parliamentarians
Besides the main items on the conference agenda, the parliamentarians
seized the opportunity to raise other matters. The question
of anti-personnel landmines, for instance, does not figure
on the agenda, but continues to marshal energies. The success
of the campaign to ban anti-personnel landmines owes much
to parliamentarians all over the world and to the effectiveness
of the IPU’s coordination. Many parliamentarians defended
and promoted the interests of the current and future victims
of these vicious weapons within their respective political
circles. In this respect, the Canadian delegation is mounting
an intensive drive to promote signature and ratification of
the Ottawa treaty, led by the fiery Linda Finestone, for whom
the battle is far from over: “Parliamentarians have
shown that they can carry weight, above all when it comes
to ratification, because without their approval, a treaty
is just a dead letter.”
Ratification is not all. The next stage consists of incorporating
the provisions of a treaty into national legislation. With
this in mind, a special committee of the IPU has been set
up and charged with promoting respect for humanitarian law
and is currently leading a worldwide enquiry at the parliamentary
level into the national implementation of humanitarian law.
This process is being carried out in close cooperation with
the ICRC, in particular its advisory service, which has the
mission to support states in their efforts to adapt their
national legislation. Often, this is also done in association
with the National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society and the
International Federation.
Pierre Apraxine, the ICRC’s legal delegate for the
Commonwealth of Independent States, stresses that “the
first steps to be taken towards implementation of humanitarian
law in the region are to adapt national legislation to enable
the repression of war
crimes, which often means modifying penal codes. To prepare
these measures effectively, it is essential to
unite the various players concerned
at the national level by creating implementation committees.
Legislation on the emblem is also an issue parliamentarians
are taking up.”
His point is re-emphasized by Ludmilla Potravnova, president
of the Russian Red Cross and vice-president of the International
Federation: “For us, conferences of this kind enable
us to meet parliamentarians from all over the world and to
draw their attention to the legal aspects of the activities
of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, notably
with regard to respect for the red cross and red crescent
emblem.”
Arnold Luethold of the ICRC’s division of international
organizations says that “the parliamentary forum is
a good place for dialogue and for drawing attention to new
problem areas, such as, for instance, the emergence of private
armies that operate in a legal void.” By raising this
phenomenon in the IPU’s plenary session, Luethold called
on parliamentarians to regulate the activities of private
companies that provide armed services. Even if the impact
of this type of intervention is hard to gauge, especially
in the short term, the message should be repeated regularly
so that it is heard and assimilated into the parliamentarians’
humanitarian agenda.
In the words of Anders Johnson, secretary-general of the
IPU, “Parliamentarians are the institutional relays
of society’s concerns. They provide a milieu in which
society can express its aspirations in all their diversity
and in which they are channelled and transformed into the
collective will. At the same time, both as an institution
and through the intervention of each individual member, parliamentarians
are the means by which the norms and recommendations voted
by international governmental bodies are conveyed back to
the people.” This fact constitutes an important element
on which today’s humanitarian diplomacy must place an
ever-greater reliance. |
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Point
of view
Cornelio Sommaruga ICRC president Cornelio Sommaruga,
in what way can parliamentarians prove useful to humanitarian
action?
First, as legislators who draft and adopt the norms and treaties
intended to protect victims. Secondly, as promoters of humanitarian
values in the democratic debate. And finally, as experts well
placed to push through the budgets indispensable to humanitarian
action.
By what channels do you hope to reach the parliamentary
world?
Through existing bodies, such as the Inter-Parliamentary
Union, which is an exceptional forum for conveying humanitarian
messages. Alongside, we maintain strong ties with regional
assemblies, such as the Council of Europe. Not forgetting
bilateral contacts in each country, with strong emphasis on
the Foreign Affairs Committees of the national parliaments.
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Jean-François Berger
Jean-François Berger is the ICRC editor of the
Red Cross, Red Crescent magazine. |
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