SI meeting at the 141st Assembly of the IPU in Belgrade, Serbia

On 14 October 2019, the Socialist International held its regular meeting within the framework of the 141st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which on this occasion took place in Belgrade, Serbia. Chaired by the SI Secretary General, the meeting was attended by parliamentarians and representatives from Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Gambia, Ghana, Iraq, Mali, Mongolia, Montenegro, Niger, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom, Venezuela and the Global Fund.

The meeting heard reports on the national situation of the different countries with updates on their latest political and social developments, and in some cases deficit of democracy. Contributions were made on issues of international concern including the climate emergency; the humanitarian and political crisis arising from the Turkish military incursion in Northern Syria; the crisis affecting Kashmir; the situation in the Sahel region; the ongoing unresolved question of Palestine with its repercussions for the wider Middle East, and the humanitarian and political crisis in Venezuela which also impacted other countries in the region with the steady exodus of large numbers of the population. Many participants underlined that securing and maintaining peace was the key to all progress, and it was a pre-requisite for development and democracy.

The SI Secretary General spoke of the views and activities of the Socialist International, highlighting its longstanding work for climate justice and for the sustainable development goals. He underlined the SI’s commitment to achieving 50/50 in terms of gender parity and welcomed the increasing involvement of young people on crucial global issues, as we have seen with climate change.