The Interparliamentary Union

Serkan Köse (S)

Mr. Speaker! Today we face many global challenges that require coordinated action and strong international cooperation. In this context, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU, constitutes an irreplaceable platform for dialogue and cooperation. As the world's oldest multilateral organization, founded 135 years ago, the IPU has long been at the forefront of promoting peace and parliamentary diplomacy.

With 180 national parliaments as members, the IPU strives to bridge cultural and political differences by promoting personal contacts between parliamentarians across the world. This unique ability to bring together legislators from different political landscapes and cultures has been crucial for understanding and managing international crises and conflicts.

Mr. Speaker! As one of the oldest democracies in the world, Sweden has since 1902 been an active and influential member of the IPU. We strongly believe in the organization's role in promoting peace and democracy globally. Sweden is also a major donor to the IPU's aid activities through Sida, where we support a number of strategic goals such as strengthening parliaments, promoting equality and human rights, and contributing to peacebuilding.

I am proud that Sweden actively contributes to creating a better world through these efforts. The past year has been intense, with significant progress in crucial areas for our common future. Agenda 2030, with its global commitment to combat poverty and promote a sustainable and just future for all, has been at the center of our discussions. IPU has actively engaged in promoting parliaments' role in monitoring and accelerating the implementation of these goals.

Mr. Speaker! The IPU meets annually at two general assemblies, one in the spring and one in the autumn. At the spring assembly in Manama in Bahrain, we focused on the climate crisis, and through the initiative Parliaments for the Planet, parliaments around the world have been urged to adopt more ambitious environmental legislation. This campaign is a clear sign of how parliamentary work can and should be a driving force in global efforts for a sustainable future.

Another pressing area has been to handle cybercrime, which requires robust parliamentary strategies for cybersecurity. Our digital infrastructure is the backbone of modern society, and its protection is crucial for both our security and our freedom.

Mr. Speaker! At the autumn assembly in Luanda in Angola, the issue of child smuggling and human smuggling, particularly of children from orphanages, was raised, which is a tragic reality that requires immediate action. IPU has taken the initiative to develop new strategies to prevent this despicable trade. It is important that by strengthening legislation and international cooperation, we put a stop to these crimes against humanity.

Mr. Speaker! Russia's unlawful and illegal war in Ukraine has been a constantly recurring point on the IPU's agenda. The Swedish delegation has at every occasion highlighted Russia's illegal war and wholeheartedly supported Ukraine's brave defense. Ukraine's brave defense protects not only the country's own sovereignty but also the security of all of Europe and the free world.

At the same time, we face challenges from pro-Russian, far-right forces and their troll factories, as well as other extremist groups that actively attempt to undermine our societies, our democracy, and our parliamentarism. These threats require uninterrupted activity and attention from our side to ensure stability and protection for democratic values across the entire world.

Mr. Speaker! Furthermore, the IPU has played a central role in strengthening democratic institutions and processes through training, seminars, and direct cooperation with member countries. This work is fundamental to ensuring that our systems not only survive today's challenges but are also resilient for the future.

One of IPU's most important missions during the year has been to defend and protect human rights, especially for parliamentarians who are subjected to political persecution and repression. Through its committee for parliamentarians' human rights, IPU has acted in 768 cases where parliamentarians' freedoms and rights have been threatened. For example, they have been involved in cases from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Libya, and Uganda, where parliamentarians have been targeted because of their political activities or opinions.

Mr. Speaker! During 2023, the IPU has highlighted an increase in abuses against parliamentarians, particularly an increase in threats against parliamentarians and elected officials. These cases are often concentrated in countries with significant political unrest or authoritarian rule, including countries such as Venezuela as well as various countries in Africa and the Middle East. Despite these challenges, the IPU has also seen successes, such as the release of imprisoned members of parliament following its interventions.

The committee holds regular sessions to review and act on cases of human rights violations and to support parliamentarians by urging national governments to take responsibility, offering legal assistance, and sometimes even sending observers to trials to ensure fair proceedings. These efforts are part of a broader IPU strategy to strengthen parliaments' role in protecting democracy and human rights across the world.

Mr. Speaker! Overall, IPU's ongoing work is crucial to ensure that parliamentarians can perform their duties without fear of retaliation, which supports the fundamental principles of democratic governance and the rule of law globally. The imprisonment of elected politicians goes against the will of the people, democratic principles, and international conventions on human rights. It is necessary that we work to ensure that parliamentarians, regardless of political conviction, can work freely and without fear of abuse. This is crucial to strengthen democracy and guarantee that the voice of the people is heard and respected.

IPU also works to increase the number of female parliamentarians globally, even though the increase has been modest. This work is complemented by a powerful push to increase youth participation in politics, which is important given that less than 3 percent of the world's parliamentarians are under 30 years old.

Mr. Speaker! The IPU's work is also of great importance for building up and strengthening parliamentary institutions and democratic functions all over the world. By offering support and resources to newly formed democracies and countries in transition, the IPU plays an important role in promoting global stability and democratic development.

For Sweden, with its long tradition of international law and human rights, participation in the IPU is not only a duty but an opportunity. Through the IPU, we can contribute to global dialogues and push forward for the values that are close to us. It is an honor to represent Sweden and the Swedish Riksdag in this forum and work together with international partners to strengthen the bonds that unite nations and promote a dialogue that transcends cultural and political boundaries.

Mr. Speaker! Through our continued work in IPU, we contribute not only to a more coherent global community but also to a world where peace, justice, and democracy are accessible to all. Let us continue to support and engage in this important organization to achieve these goals.

I am happy and proud to have been the vice-chair of the Swedish IPU delegation since November 2022 and, together with other members of the delegation, to have been entrusted with representing Sweden and the Swedish Riksdag. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Swedish IPU delegation for its efforts during the past year. The delegation has worked hard to promote democracy and human rights and to strengthen the role of parliaments around the world. The inter-parliamentary work is crucial to ensure that democratic values and processes are respected and promoted throughout the world.

Finally, I would like to thank the Swedish Parliament, the speakers, the Speaker's Bureau, the Parliament's International Department – I would particularly like to highlight Björn Sondén and Ralph Hermansson – and all the committee staff for their enormous and invaluable contribution in making the inter-parliamentary work possible and for their support to us.

Mr. Speaker! I vote in favor of the Committee on Foreign Affairs' proposal in the report.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Yasmine Eriksson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Many are familiar with the UN, but few know that the Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU, exists. Even fewer know what the IPU does.

It is actually the world's oldest multilateral organization. It was founded in 1889, 100 years before I was born. It was founded with the purpose of working for peace and international cooperation.

Unlike the UN, this is a forum where parliamentarians meet, parliamentarians who are to be elected by the people and thus also be its voice and ears. Unfortunately, this is not the case in all countries and not even in this organization. Since almost all the world's parliaments are represented, countries with authoritarian leaders, pure dictatorships, and other rogue states are also included.

But there are still advantages to gathering in this way. There are good opportunities for dialogue with politicians from like-minded countries but also, and perhaps more importantly, with politicians from different-minded countries. For it is precisely for this that the IPU exists – to strengthen peace and security in the world, to strengthen democracy through parliaments and to work for human rights and equality. If we can engage in dialogue with those who think differently, we can hopefully also work towards a better future where we can turn the democratic development in a positive direction again.

From Sweden's side, it has also been important that our members have been able to speak with many of the Muslim countries where disinformation about Sweden has been spread, precisely to provide a correct picture face-to-face instead of through biased news or social media.

Mr. Speaker! The Inter-Parliamentary Union is not a legislative assembly, and that is fortunate. But we have collaborations, and we adopt resolutions. Before each session, the Swedish delegation to the IPU meets, which consists of five members of Parliament with Margareta Cederfeldt of the M as chairperson, Serkan Köse of the S as vice-chairperson, as well as Mattias Karlsson of the SD, Janine Alm Eriksson of the MP, and myself.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Swedish delegation for good cooperation where we can unite in what we have in common: our belief in democracy, the principles of the rule of law, human rights and equality. On the international arena, we can set aside many of the domestic political differences and pursue a coherent line for our Swedish views and values in the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

I also want to take the opportunity to thank our now outgoing chair of the Swedish delegation, Arin Karapet, for his efforts for Sweden and the world within the IPU.

Mr. Speaker! I would like to highlight that there are a few things that the IPU does really well.

I have previously mentioned IPU as a platform where parliamentarians from all over the world can meet and converse. But the organization also follows, highlights, monitors, and assists parliamentarians who are subjected to persecution or risk being imprisoned around the world - parliamentarians like ourselves who risk being or have been imprisoned solely because they are oppositional to their country's regime or for some other reason are not desirable in an open debate or in an election.

During 2023, IPU's Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians reviewed 762 cases distributed across 47 countries.

This provides a situational picture of how dangerous it can be to be a politician and make your voice heard in certain countries.

Mr. Speaker! Something else that the IPU does really well – and perhaps the only time I myself consider it to be good with quotas – concerns the participation in the IPU. It is desired that there should be a more equal gender balance among the delegates, which in the long run can strengthen women's participation in their respective countries' parliaments.

In Sweden, we were at the top of the class for a long time. Now we are among the countries at the top of the list of most equal parliaments. Globally, it is not as even. The global average is around 27 percent women and 73 percent men in parliaments.

In IPU's votes, a country lacking representation of both genders loses voting shares. If this occurs repeatedly, even more voting shares are lost.

Mr. Speaker! Even though the IPU is for and does many good things, it does not come for free. Sweden, despite being a relatively small country, is nevertheless one of the countries that, through Sida, pays the most to the organization. Perhaps it should be a bit more equal between the countries there as well. But that may be another debate.

I vote in favor of the Foreign Affairs Committee's proposal for a decision.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Arin Karapet (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks, honored colleagues, for the warm words!

During the 2023 fiscal year, until December, I had the privilege of being the chairperson of the Swedish IPU delegation. It has been a fantastic job where I and my colleague Serkan Köse, from two different parties, have traveled outside Sweden's borders and collaborated in a simple and smooth manner.

It also applies to the rest of the delegation. Not even once have we been in disagreement. We are very much in disagreement in this chamber, and with every right to be. We are from eight different parties – it would be completely crazy if we always thought alike. But when you fly from Sweden out into the big world, you notice that there are certain principles that unite us. It is the view on equality – that there is no difference between men and women. It is the rights of hbtqi persons, tolerance, democracy, and respect for differences of opinion. One should not lock up one's political opponents. It is the spoken word that should be the conflict, so to speak. It is the importance of democracy and respect for listening to one's opponent.

In December, my colleague Margareta Cederfelt took over the chairmanship. I have instead gone to the Swedish OSCE delegation as group leader for Moderaterna.

The business year began with us traveling to Geneva. It was a regular session where we met the Swedish representation.

Then we had our spring session in Bahrain, in Manama, where we had second Deputy Speaker Julia Kronlid with us as the highest representative for the Swedish IPU delegation.

What was incredibly important specifically in Bahrain, given what we went through during the Natoprocess, the Quran burnings, and the LVU campaign with the disinformation that exists about Swedish social services kidnapping Muslim children, was that in this forum one gets the opportunity to meet representatives from other countries and the opportunity to be met individually. The conversations do not take place via media, via TikTok, or via Facebook, but they take place on a personal level where one can be very sincere. One gets a handshake and looks at each other. One has a cup of coffee. One feels each other's pulse. One explains how we think and hears how they think, and then one can solve many knots.

During my trip to Bahrain, I met representatives from very many Muslim countries, and after a conversation, the tone changed very much.

I also had to listen to their reactions. Is what I have read on social media or heard correct? What does the chairman of the United Arab Emirates' foreign affairs committee or the representative for Egypt actually say? These are two influential Arab countries. What does the Saudi Arabian delegation say? What does Kuwait say?

That prompted us to continue these conversations when we were in Angola. Now it was more friendly.

It is also about building some kind of respect, and respect can also be built by saying: I agree with you on this, but this is absolutely not okay. You can say it straight and clearly, and when you have a certain type of conversation, they sometimes concede that you have a point. Then they nod. You notice that it takes some effort.

When we were in Angola, there was much focus on the humanitarian crises we see in Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen.

In Bahrain, questions about women's rights, vulnerable women, and women who have been deprived of their rights after the protests in Iran were very topical and geopolitically close. It is only the Persian Gulf that separates Bahrain from Iran.

Mr. Speaker! I wish the new Swedish delegation good luck - or it is the same delegation, but Yasmine Eriksson is new from Sverigedemokraterna. I also wish my colleague Margareta Cederfelt great luck in the chair.

I also want to concur with my colleague Serkan Köse and extend a big thank you to our two fantastic civil servants Björn Sondén and Ralph Hermansson.

I will miss Björn Sondén's wonderful, marvelous laughter, his stress in the morning, that he makes quick decisions and all the stories. At every airport we have been to, he wanted to go to Pocket Shop and see if he could find any new German literature. Björn Sondén loves German literature. I do not speak German myself but have understood that it is of very high quality and something for those who speak German and like to read books.

I will also miss Ralph Hermansson. They are like Piff and Puff. They cannot be separated.

Ralph stresses in the morning, because we Swedes must always be on time. We Swedes always arrive on time, at nine in the morning, and we always know that the other colleagues will arrive at a quarter to ten. One hears all the time: Why don't people arrive on time? Then I said to Ralph: Maybe we should try to arrive at least at half past nine? Then we are still on time. He said: No, we shall be there at nine o'clock.

Then he can relax and say: Can't we just have a good beer? We have worked so hard tonight. Then one answers: Of course!

These are two officials who, with soul and heart, step up for us members, who take their assignment with the utmost seriousness and who show how significant the Riksdag's international office actually is. It is a small office, but it is people with a great deal of competence who work devotedly for us members but also for Sweden's interests.

I also have the privilege of working with a new person at RIK, namely Fredrik Svensson. I shall not praise Fredrik yet, but I can say that I am at least as satisfied to have received such a good official.

It is a message to the Speaker's Bureau to take good care of the staff at the Riksdag's International Office, as we members who are in daily contact with them are deeply dependent on them and appreciate them very much.

Thank you very much from me!

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Margareta Cederfelt (M)

Mr. Speaker! I am the newly appointed chair of the Swedish IPU delegation, and during the previous operational year, I believe I managed to manage for two weeks. It is not much, but I would like to start by thanking my party colleague Arin Karapet for the work in the Swedish IPU delegation.

Arin Karapet is a committed person with great knowledge and a person whose name is included in the IPU. When I have participated in IPU meetings during 2024, I have often received greetings that I have promised to convey to Arin Karapet. I believe those greetings will return, because the member has had the ability to build networks, establish contacts, listen to delegates, and exchange thoughts and visions about the future. It is something that I take with me in the assignment that I have succeeded the member in.

I would like to wish Arin Karapet good luck with the upcoming assignment within the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. I have had the privilege of having assignments within the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly for a period of 14 years, and it is an exciting delegation. The reason I have now finished is that I finished as president. I have great hopes that Arin Karapet, with his knowledge, will be able to move further within the OSCE, because Swedes are needed. We stand for democracy, the principles of the rule of law, and human rights. These are skills that are needed all over the world.

I am very pleased to have been given the trust to become chairperson of the Swedish delegation to the IPU, the Inter-Parliamentary Union. I look forward to the cooperation with the delegation's members.

Mr. Speaker! I also want to - even though I was only part of the delegation for a couple of weeks in 2023 - thank delegation secretaries Björn Sondén and Ralph Hermansson for their work. They are, just as has been said here earlier, very good. They have given me a fine introduction.

Mr. Speaker! There are similarities between the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the IPU. The work for security focuses on democracy, human rights, and the principles of the rule of law. I am more and more convinced that if we are to live in a safe, secure world where we can prevent wars and conflicts, it is about precisely democracy, the principles of the rule of law, and human rights.

We must also be able to defend ourselves; that is a self-evident fact. But I will not go into that here, as it is not part of the IPU's work. One issue that I did pick up on very quickly and which is important concerns the implementation of Agenda 2030. Agenda 2030 is to be implemented by 2030 and concerns the UN's sustainability goals. We have come far in Sweden, but we can do more. It is also something that all the world's countries must continue to work on. I look forward to continued work.

(Applause)

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(Decisions were made under § 19.)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)