Most member states of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on Sunday stood against external interference by any country in internal affairs of a sovereign nation.
“Some 35 countries, out of 40, took the stance against the external interference in a sovereign country’s internal affairs,” Col (retd) M Faruk Khan, who joined the debate as Bangladeshi delegate, told reporters after a debate on a draft resolution.
The IPU member countries took part in the debate on a draft resolution on the role of parliament in preventing external interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states.
But the debate will continue till Wednesday, the last day of the 136th IPU assembly being held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.
Expressing their stance on the issue, they said external interference could be allowed only on special circumstances taking the mandate from the United Nations, Faruk Khan said. The resolution, drafted by IPU Standing Committee on Peace and International Security, will finally be adopted through voting on Wednesday.
Four developed countries, including Germany, proposed annulment of the draft resolution citing that there are lots of instances of such interference in history.
Deputy Speaker of Bangladesh Parliament Fazle Rabbi Miah told reporters that peace and security have become crucial issues in the world. “The stance of Bangladesh is very clear in this regard. Bangladesh doesn’t support any interference in other neighbouring countries’ internal affairs as its foreign policy also does not support it,” he said.
Miah also said Bangladesh would extend active support to IPU’s move in stopping interference in internal affairs of any country.
Supporting the draft proposal, Dipu Moni, who participated in the debate on behalf of Bangladesh, issued a statement. She said Bangladesh does not support such interference as many countries try to do so through non-government organisations. “Such practice should be stopped.”
The draft resolution also denounced any attempt of unseating any elected government through military or other forces.
Supporting the proposal, China said the influence of foreign power in internal affairs of a country cannot be accepted. A country invaded Iraq in 2003 on the plea of producing mass destruction weapons but finally found nothing, the Chinese MPs said.
Russian delegates also supported the IPU’s initiative to adopt the resolution.
At a briefing in the afternoon, IPU media relations officer Jean Milligan told reporters that the three resolutions were drafted on Sunday in special committee meetings, which will be finally adopted on Wednesday.
“The draft resolutions are the role of parliament in preventing outside interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, promoting enhanced cooperation on the SDGs, in particular on the financial inclusion of women as a driver of development as well as emergency item resolution,” she said.
She said the lawmakers discussed the issues while IPU standing committee on peace and international security drafted the resolution on the role of parliament in preventing outside interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states.
Besides, outcome documents on the general debate on ‘redressing inequalities: delivering on dignity and well-being for all’ will be adopted in the IPU Assembly on Wednesday, she told UNB.
Three emergency items-two items were placed by Mexico and Palestine, while another jointly by Belgium, United Kingdom and Kenya-were also discussed in the plenary session on Sunday.
In its emergency item, Mexican lawmakers focused on tougher migration policies around the world and risk of human rights violation while on behalf of Arab group Palestine Speaker portrayed an issue of legalising settlements by Israeli revolution law: a violation of international law.
Belgium, the United Kingdom and Kenya delegates focused on famine affecting the population of Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and Northern Kenya.
But the emergency items of Mexico and Arab group were rejected as those items failed to get two third-majority votes while the item of Belgium was accepted.
IPU secretary general Martin Chungong after the vote said there will be general debate on Monday morning on the emergency item placed by Belgium, the United Kingdoms and Kenya on ‘the famine affecting the populations of Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and northern Kenya’.
Apart from the discussions on the issues, two countries—Central African Republic and Tuvalu became the member of the IPU on Sunday, raising the number of IPU states at 173 from 171.
