Kigali, Friday 14 October 2022. For immediate release.
The 145th IPU Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda has adopted a resolution on Ukraine entitled Condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine and of the subsequent annexation of territories, in defence of the territorial integrity of all States.
The resolution calls for “an immediate end to the Russian military occupation of sovereign Ukrainian territory, restoring its territorial integrity back to its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters, and consequently the rule of international law”.
It supports “the resolutions of various international bodies to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of possible war crimes committed in Ukraine” as well as the creation of courts with specific jurisdiction to investigate them.
The resolution also reaffirms support for the ongoing work of the IPU Task Force for the peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine.
At the Assembly, the IPU Task Force, met high-level parliamentary delegations from both the Russian Federation and Ukraine separately.
The Task Force, led by MP Dr. Ali Al Nuaimi of the United Arab Emirates and composed of eight prominent parliamentarians representing the global parliamentary community, was set up following the adoption of a resolution at the 144th IPU Assembly in March 2022, Peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine, respecting international law, the Charter of the United Nations and territorial integrity.
Any Member Parliament of the IPU may request the inclusion of an emergency item in the Assembly agenda, which is then debated by the parliamentarians attending. A drafting committee, made up of representatives of the different geopolitical groups at the IPU, then adjusts the resolution, taking into account comments made during the debate.
The IPU resolution follows a resolution adopted at the United Nations General Assemblyearlier this week which demanded that Moscow reverse course on its “attempted illegal annexation” of four regions of Ukraine.
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The IPU is the global organization of national parliaments. It was founded more than 130 years ago as the first multilateral political organization in the world, encouraging cooperation and dialogue between all nations. Today, the IPU comprises 178 national Member Parliaments and 14 regional parliamentary bodies. It promotes democracy and helps parliaments become stronger, younger, gender-balanced and more diverse. It also defends the human rights of parliamentarians through a dedicated committee made up of MPs from around the world.