At the invitation of the Parliament of Rwanda, the 145th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was held in Kigali, Rwanda, from Tuesday, 11 October to Saturday, 15 October 2022. It was originally scheduled for October 2020 but had been postponed twice on account of the pandemic. More than 1,000 parliamentarians attended. The overall theme of the conference was the concept of gender-sensitive parliaments, with a particular focus on gender equality. Given the geopolitical situation, the war in Ukraine was also included on the agenda, and both Ukrainian and Russian delegations were present.

Emergency item:

In accordance with the IPU Statutes and Rules, two proposals for an emergency item were put to a vote: one on the creation of a fund for climate-vulnerable countries (Pakistan) and one on the condemnation of Russia's annexation of Ukrainian territories (Chile). Following a close vote and strong advocacy by the geopolitical groups Twelve Plus (47 parliaments, including Switzerland) and GRULAC (Group of Latin America and the Caribbean, 25 parliaments), the emergency resolution 'Condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine and of the subsequent annexation of territories, in defence of the territorial integrity of all States' was adopted. This condemns in the strongest terms the serious violations of human dignity and the flagrant violations of human rights perpetrated in the regions of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernihiv. It also reaffirms the importance of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States, in connection with Russia's territorial annexation.

Assembly:

The IPU Task Force for the peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine presented a report on its visit to Moscow and Kyiv in July 2022. This task force was set up following the adoption of the emergency resolution 'Peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine, respecting international law, the Charter of the United Nations and territorial integrity' (144th IPU Assembly in Nusa Dua) which, among other things, called for a task force to be established to facilitate the role of parliaments in formulating feasible peaceful solutions.

During its visit to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the IPU Task Force was briefed 'in detail' on developments in relations between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, as well as on Russian perspectives on the ongoing war. The report's conclusions urge parliaments to continue efforts through individual consultations with Russian and Ukrainian parliamentarians, preferably in a neutral location such as IPU headquarters.

The Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights adopted a resolution to stop all forms, including state-sponsored, of human-trafficking and humans rights abuses. The draft resolution came under some criticism, with the co-rapporteurs divided on the use of the word 'full-scale' in relation to Russia's military attack. At the opening of the sitting, Senator Kosachev (Russian Federation) unsuccessfully called for the deletion of the contested word 'full-scale' from the text and for removal of paragraph 5 of the preamble (paragraph 9 in the final version): 'Stressing that war and violence are among the main drivers of migration and displacement, as has been witnessed following the unjustifiable and unprovoked war of aggression unleashed by the Russian Federation in 2014 and radically escalated by the full-scale military attack on 24 February 2022 against the sovereign nation of Ukraine and its people; and recalling the subsequent IPU resolution Peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine, respecting international law, the Charter of the United Nations and territorial integrity (adopted at the 144th Assembly, Nusa Dua, March 2022), which addresses the migration and displacement that has resulted from that war'.

The first ever Cremer-Passy Prize, created for parliamentarians who make an outstanding contribution to a more united, fair, secure, sustainable and equitable world, was awarded in 2022 to two nominees: all members of the Ukrainian parliament as a group, and Cynthia López Castro of Mexico.

During the General Debate, National Council member Laurence Fehlmann Rielle took the floor to remind the audience that "nothing has yet been definitively achieved" in terms of women's emancipation, which she described as "one of the greatest battles of the 20th century".

Elections:

National Council member Laurence Fehlmann Rielle was elected to the Committee on Middle East Questions. She succeeded fellow National Council member Laurent Wehrli, who joined the Group of Facilitators for Cyprus. Their respective mandates run until October 2026.

Twelve Plus:

Senator Andrej Gryffoy (Belgium) took over the chair of the Twelve Plus Group for a two-year term from October 2022, succeeding Arda Gerkens (Netherlands).

Swiss delegation:

The Swiss delegation consisted of the following members:

  1. Daniel Jositsch (SP/ZH), Council of States member, delegation president
  2. Thomas Hurter (SVP/SH), National Council member, delegation vice-president
  3. Christine Badertscher (Greens/BE), National Council member
  4. Andrea Caroni (FDP/AR), Council of States member
  5. Laurence Fehlmann Rielle (SP/GE), National Council member
  6. Laurent Wehrli (FDP/VD), National Council member.

While in Kigali, the Swiss delegates met bilaterally with the national delegations of Austria and Ukraine. They also took the opportunity to visit the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) regional office in Kigali, where they learnt about the SDC's work in the field and specifically the projects it supports in dual-track vocational education and training.

 Inaugural ceremony in the presence of Rwanda's head of state, President Paul KagameInaugural ceremony in the presence of Rwanda's head of state, President Paul Kagame

Laurent Wehrli, Acting President of the Standing Committee on United Nations AffairsLaurent Wehrli, Acting President of the Standing Committee on United Nations Affairs

Members of the Swiss delegation at the meeting of the Twelve Plus Group in Kigali
Members of the Swiss delegation at the meeting of the Twelve Plus Group in Kigali

Laurence Fehlmann Rielle at the General Debate
Laurence Fehlmann Rielle at the General Debate

Laurence Fehlmann Rielle and Christine Badertscher defending the Swiss amendments at the plenary sitting of the Standing Committ
Laurence Fehlmann Rielle and Christine Badertscher defending the Swiss amendments at the plenary sitting of the Standing Committ

Daniel Jositsch, Swiss delegation president, at the special accountability segment on implementation of IPU resolutions and othe
Daniel Jositsch, Swiss delegation president, at the special accountability segment on implementation of IPU resolutions and othe

Meeting between the Swiss and Ukrainian delegations in Kigali
Meeting between the Swiss and Ukrainian delegations in Kigali

Presentation of the 2022 Cremer-Passy Prize to the Ukrainian delegationPresentation of the 2022 Cremer-Passy Prize to the Ukrainian delegation