The autumn assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union will take place from 23 to 27 October in Luanda, Angola. Its theme will be ‘Parliamentary action for peace, justice and strong institutions’ and it will provide a platform for delegates to discuss, exchange views and galvanise parliamentary action in this area. A delegation of five National Council members and one Council of States member will represent the Swiss parliament.

At the invitation of the National Assembly of Angola, the 147th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will be held in Luanda, Angola, from Monday, 23 October to Friday, 27 October. More than 1,000 parliamentarians from around the world are expected to attend, including delegations from countries at war or in conflict. The Assembly will be of particular importance because of the election of the 31st IPU president.

Every three years, IPU members elect their president on a rotating basis from one of the six geopolitical groups. For the Twelve Plus Group, to which Switzerland belongs, the upcoming election is significant because it means the end of the term of office of the current president, Portuguese parliamentarian Duarte Pacheco, and the start of a new era for the African geopolitical group. What is more, the fact that it is taking place in Angola, an African country with historic links to Portugal, lends a symbolic dimension to the event. In addition, the election will mark the return of a female IPU president, as all the candidates (Tanzania, Senegal, Somalia and Malawi) are women. Factors that members will have to take into consideration before casting their vote (three per mixed delegation) include the candidates’ political and IPU experience, the separation of powers within their respective countries and knowledge of international politics.

Other topical issues will also be on the agenda. While the recent tragic events in Israel will loom large in the discussions, a side event for parliamentarians on children displaced by the armed conflict in Ukraine will ensure that the international community does not lose sight of the war there.

In addition, the Standing Committee on Human Rights and Democracy will adopt a resolution to combat the trafficking of children from orphanages. A specific part of the Assembly’s general debate will be devoted to the measures taken by its members to follow up on IPU resolutions – an important topic for the Swiss delegation. Furthermore, three of the IPU’s four Standing Committees will adopt their priority areas for the 2024–26 period to support the implementation of the IPU Strategy. The aim of defining priority areas is to harmonise the work of the IPU secretariats and enhance the credibility of IPU resolutions.

The Swiss delegation will consist of the following parliamentarians:

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