Report

1.    Introduction^[1]

In accordance with the Statutes[2] of the Inter-Parliamentary Union's (IPU), a 17-member body of parliamentarians oversees the administration of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and provides advice to its Governing Council[3].

The Executive Committee advises the Council on matters relating to affiliation and reaffiliation to the Union, fixes the date and place of Council sessions and establishes their provisional agenda. It also proposes to the Council the annual work program and budget of the IPU. The Executive Committee controls the administration of the Secretariat as well its activities in the execution of the decisions taken by the Assembly and the Council.[4]

Fifteen members of the Executive Committee are elected by the Council for a four-year term. The President of the IPU is an ex officio member and President of the Committee. The President of the Co-ordinating Committee of Women Parliamentarians is an ex officio member of the Executive Committee for a two-year term which can be renewed once. Not less than 12 members of the Executive Committee are elected from among members of the Governing Council and at least three members must be women.

In October 2010, the Honourable Donald H. Oliver, Q.C, from the Senate of Canada, was elected to a four year term to serve on the IPU Executive as a representative of the Twelve Plus Group, a geopolitical association of European and like minded nations.[5]

2.    Agenda for the 259th Session of the IPU Executive Committee

The IPU Executive Committee holds sessions twice a year prior to its spring and fall Assemblies and, exceptionally, will hold a third session between assemblies to address matters of high priority. This was the case for the 259^th Session of the Executive Committee, held from 17-19 February 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland, at which time the Committee debated and made recommendations regarding the following agenda items:

·         A strategy for the future development of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

·         Draft programme and budget for 2012

·         Other business

3.    Results of the 259th Session of the IPU Executive Committee

Meetings of the IPU Executive Committee are held in camera. The list of those who participated in the 259^th Session is appended to this report.

Most of the meeting was dedicated to the development of a concise and focused draft strategy for the IPU’s future development.  As a basis for discussion, Committee members used a document entitled “Draft strategic plan for the IPU - 2010-2015,” which was circulated to the full IPU membership in October 2010. It also examined comments and suggestions received from IPU members since that time. Following a lengthy discussion, the Secretary General noted that he and his team would take on board the proposals made by the various members and reflect them in a revised document. Subsequently, they would have to agree on how to achieve the specific objectives and with what funds. These new documents would be submitted to the full membership for their comments and during the Assembly in Panama in April 2011 and further amendments would be incorporated into a revised text for adoption thereafter. The final version of the document would be accompanied by a budget estimate and approved at the Assembly in Bern in October 2011.

The Committee also held a preliminary discussion about the draft 2012 budget on the basis of a paper prepared by the Secretary General and formulated guidelines for the preparation of the detailed budget estimates for 2012. On the basis of this discussion, the Secretary General proposed to prepare a revised version of the budget document taking into consideration the various Committee members’ comments and proposals.

As for other business, the Committee:

·         received an update on preparations for the 124th IPU Assembly to be held in Panama City from 15-20 April 2011;

·         examined a draft parliamentary statement on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness and decided to recommend to the Governing Council that the SALW Forum and the Cluster Munitions Coalition be permitted to attend the Assembly as Observers; and,

·         discussed the membership status of certain parliaments, in particular the situation in Egypt and the status of the People’s Assembly, after which the Committee decided to revert to the question to its forthcoming session in Panama.

The 260^th Session of the IPU Executive Committee will be held in Panama City on 12, 13, 14 and 19 April 2011.

Respectfully submitted,