The Interparliamentary Union

Serkan Köse (S)

Madam Speaker! In a time when authoritarian forces are gaining ground, when sovereign states are attacked – as we see in Russia's illegal war against Ukraine – when journalists are imprisoned, when the principles of the rule of law are eroded and the core of democracy is pushed back, arenas are required where elected representatives can continue to meet, where we can speak plainly, stand up for free speech and defend the values that build peace. Such an arena is the Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU.

IPU is the world's oldest international cooperation forum for parliamentarians. Since 1889, it has been based on a simple but important idea: that peace is promoted when the people's elected representatives engage in dialogue, not when those in power close doors.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union does not resolve all conflicts, Madam Speaker, and the forum lacks formal power. But it is the only global forum where parliamentarians from all corners of the world can meet, exchange experiences, and defend the fundamental principles of democracy – even when governments choose silence.

Madam Speaker! This cooperation is more pressured today than it has been in a long time. The work of the Inter-Parliamentary Union is also what makes its mission so complex and so necessary. Here, parliamentarians from all corners of the world meet, from open democracies but also from states where elections are merely sham elections and the opposition is suppressed. Some represent the people's free will, others represent regimes that systematically silence their critics.

Madam Speaker! That is exactly why we must be there. We must not leave the international conversation to those who want to control it, silence it, and fill it with fear instead of responsibility. We shall openly and fearlessly stand up for free speech, for our persecuted colleagues, and for the core of democracy. It is important. That is where our voice is truly needed.

Madam Speaker! When we as Swedish parliamentarians participate in the work of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, we do so to take our responsibility for democracy, for freedom of speech, and for our colleagues around the world who are threatened, imprisoned, or even killed because they dare to use their voice. We participate because our solidarity does not stop at national borders and because we know that peace is not built on fear but on courage, not on walls but on meetings, not on power games but on human dignity and action.

During the 149th session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva, I met colleagues from countries at war, from authoritarian regimes, and from young democracies. Many of them carried pre-written scripts from their capitals. They did not have the freedom to speak freely but could only repeat what their governments had approved. But in side conversations, in the corridors between sessions, one could sense something else – that for them, the IPU is one of the few places where they get to hear other voices and where they, albeit cautiously, dare to express something of their own.

It says something about how important this platform is and why our voice – free, elected, and anchored in democratic values – must be heard even more clearly when others' voices are held back.

Madam Speaker! During 2024, the Inter-Parliamentary Union's Committee on Human Rights documented 956 cases of abuse against elected officials, a tripling over ten years. In 55 countries, our colleagues are persecuted. 83 percent of them belong to the opposition. In Venezuela, 135 members have been subjected to abuse, in Yemen 116 members, and in Nicaragua, elected officials have disappeared.

Madam Speaker! This is not statistics. It is an attack on the heart of democracy.

When parliaments commit abuses, the Inter-Parliamentary Union reacts. When elected people are imprisoned without rule-of-law guarantees, the committee reacts. When the world is shaken by war like that we see in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and Myanmar, the Inter-Parliamentary Union holds fast to the power of the word over violence. It is this that makes the IPU more than a forum for dialogue – a democratic safety net.

It is also a task that challenges us ourselves. IPU has during the year raised issues regarding youth participation, equality, the consequences of the climate crisis, and technology's role in future societies. We have much to contribute, but we also have much to learn.

Madam Speaker! During 2024, the Inter-Parliamentary Union has had a particular focus on peace and security. Mediation efforts, parliamentary diplomacy, and inter-people dialogue have been crucial, not least against the background of the ongoing war in Ukraine. It shows that parliaments can continue to speak even when states break contact.

The 149th assembly in Geneva gathered under a theme concerning harnessing science, technology, and innovation for a more peaceful and sustainable future. It is a powerful message, Madam Speaker, because technology without ethics is dangerous. Innovation without responsibility is a threat. We must ensure that development serves humanity and not power.

Madam Speaker! Sweden has been a member of the IPU for over 125 years. We carry a tradition of standing up for freedom of speech and for equality, democracy, and justice, not as symbols but as living principles. It is not just a heritage to safeguard but a responsibility to carry forward every day.

I particularly want to highlight IPU's important work to strengthen the representation of women and youth in parliaments around the world. Democracies are weakened when voices are silenced, but when more are heard, they grow. It is our duty to stand by the women, the young, and those who are threatened into silence. We shall be there for them.

IPU's Committee on Human Rights for Parliamentarians is an institution that we should be proud of. It gives a voice to those who are silenced, it protects the elected representatives' mandate against oppression, and it reminds us that we must never become indifferent when a colleague is imprisoned for their opinions. Sweden shall not only support that work, Madam Speaker, but we shall carry it with pride and conviction.

Madam Speaker! I would like to extend a warm thank you to my colleagues in the Swedish IPU delegation. Despite our political differences, we are united in a common conviction: to stand up for democracy, not just in words but also in action. It is that kind of political cooperation that we need more of, both in Sweden and in the world.

I also want to extend a big thank you to our chair, Margareta Cederfelt, whose clear and experienced leadership has been invaluable. I also want to thank Mattias Karlsson, my colleague in the delegation, for a good and respectful cooperation. It has been a privilege to work together with the entire delegation, across party lines but with a common compass, namely to safeguard the values of democracy.

Madam Speaker! It is not possible to mention the Swedish IPU work without also highlighting two of the people who hold it all together. I would like to thank Björn Sondén and Ralph Hermansson at the Riksdag's International Office. They do not appear from the podium, Madam Speaker, but without their efforts, our work would not be possible.

I usually say that if the IPU is the world's parliamentary stage, Björn and Ralph are our directors behind the scenes, those who with precision, calm and experience ensure that everything works, that we are prepared and that Sweden's voice reaches out with clarity and power.

Of course Ralph and Björn are two different personalities – Björn with his passion for German literature, his sense for detail and his soul in Vienna, and Ralph, the Alps' diplomatic, steady and relaxed skier with his heart in Geneva. When world politics storms, they are our guiding stars.

Thank you, Ralph and Björn, for your efforts, your participation and your professionalism! The invisible work you do is invaluable.

Madam Speaker! In conclusion, I would like to say that I am proud to have been vice-chair of the Swedish delegation since November 2022 and to have, together with Margareta Cederfelt and the other members, received the confidence of the Riksdag to represent the Swedish Parliament in the world.

Madam Speaker! Inter-parliamentary work is crucial to ensure that democratic values and processes are respected and promoted throughout the world. Therefore, I would also like to extend a big thank you to the Swedish Riksdag, to the Speakers, and to the Riksdag's international department for their invaluable contributions.

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)

Margareta Cederfelt (M)

Madam Speaker! First and foremost, I would like to move for the approval of the proposal in the Foreign Affairs Committee's unanimous report UU13 Inter-Parliamentary Union. The matter is the Swedish IPU delegation's activity report for 2024. The committee's report is unfortunately very poorly written, but for those who wish to read more, I warmly recommend Report to the Riksdag 2024/25:RS3. There, full information is available regarding the delegation's work during 2024.

Madam Speaker! The IPU is a fantastic organization. It is participated in by representatives from 181 national parliaments from all continents. This means that 46,000 parliamentarians worldwide are in some way affected by the IPU.

IPU has no decision-making mandate, but the discussions and conversations are incredibly important, as are the resolutions we reach and the processing of matters. But where do the decisions go? Well, they are forwarded to the national parliaments. They are sent to the speakers of all 181 parliaments.

The IPU is the world's oldest inter-parliamentary organization and has been active for more than 130 years. The IPU has been of great significance throughout history. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to three representatives of the union. The first three recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize were all leaders within the IPU. Then there were more winners, but unfortunately not after 1927. Personally, I may think, given the world situation with extensive conflicts, wars, and a regression for human rights, democracy, and equality, that it would be a fine milestone if a leading official within the IPU could once again receive a Nobel Prize. I say this because as parliamentarians, we are elected. This means that we represent the citizens who live in the country where we are elected. I think it is important to emphasize this.

Let me mention that if we find ourselves in a time of conflict now, many conflicts have occurred during the IPU's time. If we look at it from our perspective, we are speaking not least of the first and second world wars. We also speak of the Cold War. Then, the IPU was a meeting place, a place for conversation, for parliamentarians from West and East, from democracies and dictatorships. The IPU contributed actively in many contexts, among others through its commitment to peace, security, and democracy.

IPU also contributed to the formation of the OSCE. We often talk about how it was diplomats who met in Helsinki, and that is true. But IPU was there in a corner. We all know here in Sweden and in many other countries in Europe how important the work with peace and security is and how neglected it is. That is also something that is worked on within IPU. IPU has been given a special status as an observer within the UN. This means that IPU represents the parliamentary dimension within the UN.

The security policy perspective has been broadened within IPU. It includes sustainable development, human rights, equality, women's rights, democracy, economy and research – and all of this constitutes criteria and factors that are important for long-term, lasting peace.

Let me also mention equality. Equality is an important issue. Within the IPU, a large number of delegations consist of one hundred percent men, but the Swedish delegation deviates from that pattern. I think that is positive. Three of the five delegates are women. I am very proud of this.

IPU has mechanisms to ensure that more women are elected as delegates in their national delegations, for example through weighted voting rights. This means that a delegation that is gender-balanced has more votes to use when it comes to elections and voting through resolutions. The gender balance also affects the distribution of assignments and who can be nominated to IPU's working groups and committees. It is a good way for IPU to ensure that women are included.

Another important issue for IPU is parliamentary diplomacy and that we as parliamentarians can talk with one another, raise difficult issues and work to find common solutions. They are not binding, of course, but since we are elected, we take them with us home to our national parliaments.

Now I come to the same question that the delegation's vice chairman Serkan Köse mentioned, and that is the IPU's work for parliamentarians' rights. In a large number of the world's countries, parliamentarians are imprisoned on completely unjust grounds. It may be solely because they have taken a stand on something perceived as controversial in their home country. Within the IPU, we work so that these parliamentarians shall be released and respected.

No parliamentarian should have to risk imprisonment for their opinions, for their political positions, or for their campaign work. It is obvious in a democracy. We must continue to work so that there will be more democracies around the world, not fewer.

The work that IPU does in producing documentation regarding imprisoned parliamentarians, I take with me here home. We have a cross-political MR-group in Sweden, and there we use some of the documentation that IPU produces and write letters to the respective country's authorities and governments to point out that parliamentarians should be released, alternatively be visited by relatives, have access to healthcare and so on. IPU's work truly comes into use all over the world.

Then I want to mention another concrete and important example. During the spring assembly in Geneva 2024, the IPU was very helpful. They facilitated contacts with several Muslim countries in the aftermath of the Quran burnings in Sweden. We had the honor of having the third deputy speaker Kerstin Lundgren with us, who led the delegation. The third deputy speaker had a number of conversations with other speakers to nuance the image of Sweden that had spread in the aftermath of the Quran burnings. This was important, because in this way one could provide a different image of Sweden showing that we stand up for freedom of the press and freedom of expression and freedom of religion, and that it is values that we respect.

During the autumn assembly, Swedish delegates participated in a number of different seminars, informal conversations, and meetings that continued in the spirit in which the third deputy speaker had so nicely acted during the spring assembly. What has occurred in connection with the Quran burnings has given a track of Sweden as an intolerant country, and this is completely incorrect. Sweden stands up for fundamental freedoms, and we must also convey this to the rest of the world.

Even within IPU, we cooperate with our Nordic neighboring countries. Here up north, we need cooperation to help and support each other's views and the common values we have. We had a unique meeting during the autumn assembly where the Baltic countries also participated. It took place in the classic NB8 format.

I would very much like to see us continue to develop the NB8 format. We have many common issues that we can cooperate on. Furthermore, it is a well-tested format, which is used in a number of other assemblies where Sweden is included.

We also work in another, larger constellation. In the IPU, the work is not conducted in party groups but in geographical groups. Sweden, as well as the other Nordic and Baltic countries, are therefore part of the so-called 12plus group.

Let me mention an important issue that ranks high on the IPU's agenda, as the IPU works for peace. It concerns the work to ensure that Russia's illegal war against Ukraine shall cease. The IPU has adopted a large number of resolutions in support of Ukraine. I want to emphasize how important it is.

There is also a working group that works for peace and for Russia's war to cease. This is an organization with 181 member countries, and the chairman is Doctor Ali al-Nuaimi from the United Arab Emirates. I believe it is good that people from other continents also engage in the war that is ongoing on the European continent. The war must come to an end, but the end shall occur on Ukraine's terms and not on the terms of the warring party that has attacked.

Madam Speaker! I would like to thank the delegation's vice chairman Serkan Köse for excellent cooperation during 2024. We have good cooperation now as well, but we are not debating 2025, but rather 2024. Then, I would, of course, like to thank the entire delegation. It is enjoyable to be the chair of the Swedish IPU delegation. All members are engaged and contribute in the most positive way to the values that we in Sweden hold in high regard: democracy, women's rights, peace, security, freedom of religion, and free media. We work for this, and it is positive when the commitment is there.

Finally, I would like to thank delegation secretary Björn Sondén for his fantastic work and his ability to always be one step ahead in his planning and in his thoughts on what will be the next item on the agenda. I would also like to thank assistant delegation secretary Ralph Hermansson for an excellent collaboration. He is always ready to contribute with his broad competence and his commitment, and he helps us all with writing speeches for the debates we are to participate in.

On behalf of all of us in the delegation, I would like to convey our warm and heartfelt thanks to Björn Sondén and Ralph Hermansson.

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(Decisions were made under § 8.)

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