Riyadh - e-Media

Shoura Council Chairman Abdullah Al-Asheikh has said a key Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting will review its role in Arab and Islamic countries in maintaining peace and security in the region.

The 125th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union will be held in the Swiss capital of Bern beginning Sunday, and Al-Asheikh is leading the Kingdom’s delegation to this congress. The assemblage is expected to decide on a course of action based on its past experiences in these countries, Al-Asheikh said Friday before leaving for Bern.

Delegates at the IPU meeting are to debate a host of issues of international concern. These include nuclear disarmament, recent events in the Middle East and North Africa, regulation of the financial markets, global governance, access to health care for women and children and green economy.

The Shoura Council will also participate in the meetings of the union of the members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab Group who are members of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The Saudi delegation would include Saleh Al-Husseini and Sadaqa Fadhil.

"Saudi Arabia has been an active member of the IPU since 2003. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has shown keen interest in the activities of the IPU since the union promotes peace and security both in the region as well as in other parts of the globe," Al-Asheikh said.

The delegates will interact with distinguished personalities, such as Bertrand Piccard (inventor of Solar Impulse), Jorge Sampaio, UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, and Cheick Sidi Diarra, UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries.

"The Bern Assembly offers members of Parliament a wealth of opportunities for bilateral talks. Many of the consultations will focus on resolving conflicts in different parts of the world," Al-Asheikh said.

The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians will report on its work to end violations of the human rights of legislators. The assembly will conclude with the election of a new president of the IPU. The two nominees for the post include Abdel Wahed Al-Radi, speaker of the Moroccan House of Representatives, and Ms. Nurhayati Ali Assegaf, a member of the Indonesian House of Representatives and currently serving in the executive committee of the IPU.

Earlier, on hearing the announcement of King Abdullah on the enrollment of Saudi women as members of the Shoura Council, IPU President Theo-Ben Gurirab said the union was delighted by the king’s decision that Saudi women are to be given the right to vote, run in future municipal elections and be appointed to the Shoura Council. "This is a historic moment, finally, there is no country left in the world that discriminates against women when it comes to the right to vote and be elected,” he added.