Inter-Parliamentary Union Urges All Parliaments to Strengthen Multilateral Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Regimes

The Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), adopted by consensus its resolution on the role of parliaments in strengthening multilateral regimes for non-proliferation of weapons and for disarmament, in the light of new security challenges, at its 111th Assembly, held in Geneva on 1 October 2004 . The IPU, established in 1889, is the international organization of Parliaments of sovereign States. Over 140 national parliaments1 are currently members of the IPU, which is the focal point for world-wide parliamentary dialogue and works for peace and co-operation among peoples and for the firm establishment of representative democracy. The IPU Assembly is the principal statutory body that expresses the views of the IPU on political issues.

In its resolution, the IPU Assembly expressed appreciation for the benefits of the arms control agreements already concluded, such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction (BTWC), and hoped that they lead to further mutual arms reduction and disarmament agreements. Multilateral non-discriminatory disarmament treaties such as the CWC and the BTWC are recognised as playing a key role in enhancing collective security. The IPU urged national parliaments to press their governments to sign, accede to and ratify, as appropriate, all conventions, treaties and other international instruments aimed at ensuring non-proliferation, arms control, disarmament and greater international security, and to implement them fully.

To ensure that these treaties are implemented in full, parliaments are asked to monitor closely the national implementation of all arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament treaties and United Nations resolutions and to report to the IPU Assembly on progress made. To complement this effort towards universal adherence, parliaments are encouraged to adopt appropriate national legislation to control the export of armaments of all types, more particularly focusing on items relating to weapons of mass destruction, such as components and precursors.

The OPCW pursues an Action Plan to achieve full implementation of the Convention at the national level. National implementation is crucial since it grants the Convention the ability to meet new challenges, including the possible use of toxic materials by non-state actors such as terrorists.

Member States, including their Parliaments, are called upon to enact national implementing legislation, including penal legislation, and to adopt administrative measures so that National Authorities can be established and effectively operated in order to implement the Convention in accordance with their constitutional processes. The IPU's resolution strengthens the call to Parliaments all over the world to contribute to the struggle against weapons of mass destruction by providing the indispensable legal underpinning that makes treaties banning these weapons, such as the CWC, truly effective.

1 Albania , Algeria , Andorra , Angola , Argentina , Armenia , Australia , Austria , Azerbaijan , Bahrain , Bangladesh , Belarus , Belgium , Benin , Bolivia , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Botswana , Brazil , Bulgaria , Burkina Faso , Burundi , Cambodia , Cameroon , Canada , Cape Verde , Chile , China , Colombia , Congo , Costa Rica , Côte d'Ivoire , Croatia , Cuba , Cyprus , Czech Republic , Democratic Republic of the Congo , Democratic People's Republic of Korea , Denmark , Djibouti , Ecuador , Egypt , El Salvador , Estonia , Ethiopia , Fiji , Finland , France , Gabon , Germany , Ghana , Greece , Guatemala , Guinea , Hungary , Iceland , India , Indonesia , Iran (Islamic Republic of) , Ireland , Israel , Italy , Japan , Jordan , Kazakhstan , Kenya , Kuwait , Kyrgyzstan , Lao People's Democratic Republic , Latvia , Lebanon , Liberia , Libyan Arab Jamahiriya , Liechtenstein , Lithuania , Luxembourg , Malaysia , Mali , Malta , Mauritania , Mauritius , Mexico , Monaco , Mongolia , Morocco , Mozambique , Namibia , Nepal , Netherlands , New Zealand , Nicaragua , Niger , Nigeria , Norway , Pakistan , Panama , Papua New Guinea , Peru , Philippines , Poland , Portugal , Republic of Korea , Republic of Moldova , Romania , Russian Federation , Rwanda , Samoa , San Marino , Sao Tome and Principe , Saudi Arabia , Senegal , Serbia and Montenegro , Singapore , Slovakia , Slovenia , South Africa , Spain , Sri Lanka , Sudan , Suriname , Sweden , Switzerland , Syrian Arab Republic , Tajikistan , Thailand , The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia , Togo , Tunisia , Turkey , Uganda , Ukraine , United Arab Emirates , United Kingdom , United Republic of Tanzania , Uruguay , Uzbekistan , Venezuela , Viet Nam , Yemen , Zambia , Zimbabwe.

56/2004

Categories: Outreach, Parliamentarians