Delegation to the 141st Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly, Belgrade, Serbia The Belgian Federal Parliament Parliament of Wallonia/Parlement de Wallonie European Parliament - 23rd Inter-Parliamentary Meeting The Hungarian National Assembly Országgyűlés Brussels, Namur, Belgrade and Budapest, October 2019 Report of the New Zealand Parliamentary Delegation to the 141st Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly, Belgrade, Serbia, and Bilateral visits to Belgium and Hungary, 9-19 October 2019 Introduction The New Zealand Parliament is a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and was one of 149/179 member parliaments present at the 141st Assembly held 13-17 October in Belgrade, Serbia. The New Zealand delegation was led by Hon Anne Tolley MP, Deputy Speaker, and included Rt Hon David Carter MP, Hon Paul Goldsmith MP and Kieran McAnulty MP. Report The IPU issued a comprehensive report of the Assembly with video highlights: https://www.ipu.org/event/141st-assembly-and-related-meetings https://www.ipu.org/event/141st-assembly-and-related-meetings#event-sub-page-21300/ The Assembly General Debate was on the theme of Strengthening international law: Parliamentary roles and mechanisms, and the contribution of regional cooperationHon Anne Tolley spoke to this and her speech is attached. The New Zealand delegation video report is available. This includes their comments on the bilateral visits to Belgium and Hungary https://ondemand.parliament.nz/inter-parliamentary-relations/?itemId=60660 The New Zealand Parliament is a member of the Asia-Pacific and Twelve Plus geo-political groups of the Assembly, and delegates participated in meetings with those groups before and during the Assembly. The groups coordinate positions on key Assembly issues and propose candidates for vacancies on committees and groups in the IPU. The delegation also met with the Australian, British and Canadian IPU delegations (CANZUK meeting) and the Rwanda IPU delegation. These meetings discussed developments at the Assembly as well as bilateral and inter-parliamentary relations. The meeting with the Rwanda delegation followed the Speaker’s official visit to Rwanda in April 2019. IPU 141: New Zealand Delegation at the Assembly including with the Rwanda IPU delegation, Hon Anne Tolley MP delivering a speech and presiding an Assembly session. Belgium Federal Parliament - with Patrick European Parliament - Dewael MP, President of the Chamber of 23rd Inter-Parliamentary meeting Representatives and Özlem Özen MP, NZ delegation with Ulrike Müller MEP, Chair, Deputy, Chairwoman, Committee on and other Delegation for Relations with Constitution and Institutional Renewal Australia and New Zealand MEPS. Flanders: Pou maumahara, Passchendaele Memorial Park, Zonnebeke and at Tyne Cot Parliament of Wallonia, Namur with Jean-Claude Marcourt MP, President (Speaker) National Assembly, Budapest Hungary – with Foreign Affairs Committee Deputy Chairs Mr Zsolt Csenger Zalán MP and Ms Katalin Csöbör MP, Deputy Chair, and with Deputy Speaker Mr István Jakab MP. Programme 9 October Arrivals 10 October Federal Parliament of Belgium Chamber of Representatives European Parliament – 23rd Inter-Parliamentary Meeting Think-Tank Representatives on the EU 11 October Parliament of Wallonia Flanders – including Menin Gate Memorial, Ieper 12 October Flanders – including Passchendaele Commemoration Depart Belgium 13 October IPU – Belgrade, Serbia 17 October Depart for Budapest, Hungary 18 October National Assembly of Hungary Museum of Terror (1956 Uprising) Meeting members of the New Zealand community 19 October Departures Belgrade, Serbia Hungarian National Assembly Budapest Appendix One Official Delegation Hon Anne Tolley, MP, Deputy Speaker and Leader of the Delegation IPU Bureau of Women Parliamentarians Rt Hon David Carter MP IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians Hon Paul Goldsmith MP Kieran McAnulty MP Accompanied by: In Belgium – HE Greg Andrews, Ambassador to Belgium European Parliament, Brussels – HE David Taylor, Ambassador to the EU In Hungary – HE Nicole Roberton, Ambassador to Hungary Appendix Two General Debate – IPU Assembly Strengthening international law: Parliamentary roles and mechanisms, and the contribution of regional cooperation Hon Anne Tolley MP, New Zealand October 2019 Tena koutou katoa. Greetings colleagues. I am Anne Tolley, Deputy Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives. It’s my pleasure to contribute to this Assembly’s General Debate, on a topic that affects all the legislatures that are represented here today. In a world that is increasingly marked by division and conflict, the need for parliaments and global institutions to cooperate is more important than ever. As the theme for this General Debate suggests, the international legal order is one of the foundations on which we can nurture peace and security around the world. All of us here today have a responsibility to contribute to maintaining order and the rule of law, at the domestic, regional, and global levels. New Zealand may be geographically distant from most countries, but that doesn’t mean we don’t share this responsibility as well. Today I’d like to share how our small nation strives to be a responsible actor in the international community, with a particular focus on our role within the Pacific. It all starts at home, by having a strong legislative framework in place. This is where Parliament comes in. Around the world, parliaments have a key role in ensuring the wellbeing of citizens and preserving the rule of law. In New Zealand, the Executive branch of Parliament has the power to enter into or withdraw from international treaties. However, many treaties, both multilateral and bilateral, are presented to the House of Representatives for consideration by select committees, ensuring they are thoroughly scrutinised before being ratified. A recent example is the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which New Zealand ratified in July 2018. As with similar treaties, this was examined by our Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee, who received written and oral submissions before reporting back to Parliament. This process gives such significant international treaties the opportunity for scrutiny by a wide cross-section of voices, ensuring the best interests of our citizens are met. But of course, it’s not enough to maintain order and peace on our shores. Regional cooperation, particularly with our neighbours in the Pacific, is essential to sharing knowledge and fostering stability in the region. Just last month, the IPU and the New Zealand Parliament hosted a security seminar for Pacific region parliaments. Focusing on the UN Security Council resolution 1540 and tackling the global spread of illicit weapons, this was a valuable opportunity for the New Zealand Parliament to help build capacity in the Pacific and share our knowledge and experience of contributing to global security. And a year ago, I was part of a New Zealand delegation to Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands, led by our Speaker, the Rt Hon Trevor Mallard. Meeting a broad cross-section of society, I was particularly proud of the discussions we had with women leaders in both these nations about the contributions women can make in Parliament. It’s so essential that we help foster equal representation in parliaments, which can help contribute a diversity of voices to the quest for regional peace. I’d like to close my address by reflecting on what I believe to be one of the biggest hurdles to maintaining legal order and stability at home and across the world. Although we’ve seen improvements, maintaining public trust in Parliament and its related institutions is a challenge in New Zealand, as I am sure it is in many other states. My call for my colleagues here today is to consider how we build, and keep, our people’s trust and confidence in parliaments to achieve the objectives we’re discussing at this Assembly. The greatest threat to international democracy and law and order is the loss of faith in our democratic processes. We all have a duty to give our citizens a reason to hold onto this faith. Thank you. Appendix Three 141st IPU Assembly Belgrade (Serbia) 13-17 October 2019 Belgrade Declaration Strengthening international law: Parliamentary roles and mechanisms, and the contribution of regional cooperation Endorsed by the 141st IPU Assembly (Belgrade, 17 October 2019) We, Members of Parliament from over 140 countries and 25 regional and other parliamentary organizations, gathering in Belgrade, Serbia, at the 141st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), mark the IPU’s 130th anniversary, uphold its dedication to peace, and underscore that international law is the bedrock of a world order based on solidarity and cooperation. We firmly support the Purposes and Principles enshrined in Articles 1 and 2 of the Charter of the United Nations and acknowledge that a better world for our peoples is possible only within an international order based on the rule of law. We express our support for strong and effective multilateral institutions, with the United Nations at their core, designed to find solutions to common challenges; settle disputes between States; ensure accountability for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity; combat impunity; and verify that States abide by their international commitments. We also pledge our support for regional cooperation which helps to enhance the international legal order and enables the full implementation of our shared commitments. Today, the world is witnessing grave