Parliamentary solidarity: Supporting MPs under threat
Online panel discussion
Tuesday, 26 September 2023
15:00 – 16:30 CEST (Geneva time)
Concept note
Background and objectives
Every year, many MPs around the world face abuse, mistreatment or even death. The IPU Committee on the
Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CHRP) seeks to protect and defend them. The only international
mechanism with such a remit, it has an outstanding track record of helping MPs under attack.
The principle of parliamentary solidarity underpins the Committee’s work. This approach is based on the
belief that parliaments and their members can do much to help their colleagues at risk, wherever they are.
The Committee therefore seeks to enlist the assistance of the global parliamentary community in helping to
promote satisfactory settlements in the cases before it and to give prominence to parliamentary action to
promote such solutions. Other parliamentary institutions and stakeholders also engage in critical efforts and
initiatives to provide support and accompany parliamentarians facing human rights violations.
This online panel discussion aims to bring together diverse parliamentary institutions and parliamentarians
from all regions of the world in order to share examples of good practice in the field of parliamentary
solidarity. It is hoped that these initiatives will inspire others.
The event will give participants a better understanding of what parliamentary solidarity entails and how to put
this concept into practice. Attendees will learn about concrete steps taken by the parliamentary community to
help MPs at risk and discover how to give visibility to these efforts, including by reporting back to the IPU.
Following the presentations, participants will be able to interact with the panelists, share examples of
initiatives taken at the national level and identify challenges in this area. Participants may also wish to make
recommendations on how the IPU and the global parliamentary community can improve existing practices
and better contribute to satisfactory solutions to human rights cases submitted to the CHRP and to the
protection of MPs in danger in general.
Participation
The online panel discussion will be open to MPs and parliamentary staff from IPU Member Parliaments and
to representatives from Associate Members and permanent observers.
Platform and languages
The online event will take place on Zoom. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English,
French and Spanish.