Report

1. Introduction

Article 25 of the Statutes and Rules of the Inter-Parliamentary Union permits members of the IPU to form geopolitical groups.  These groups play an important role in the functioning and activities of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). 

There are six geopolitical groups formally recognized by the IPU: the African Group (46 members), the Asia-Pacific Group (31 members), the Arab Group (18 members), the Eurasia Group (7 members), the Latin American Group (22 members) and the Twelve Plus Group (47 members). Each group decides on working methods that best suit its participation in the activities of the Union and informs the Secretariat of its composition, the names of its officers, and its rules of procedure.

Canada belongs to the Twelve Plus Group and the Asia Pacific Group.  Because Canada belongs to more than one geopolitical group, it submits candidatures for vacant positions within the Union through the Twelve Plus Group.

2. Background on the Twelve Plus Group

The Twelve Plus Group was formed in 1974 (as the Nine Plus Group) by IPU members from the European Community.  Its purpose is to coordinate the action and policy of its member Groups and, where possible, to arrive at common positions on IPU matters. The word “Plus” was intended to indicate the openness of the Group to new members of the EC as well as other like-minded nations, such as Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Today, the Group has 48 members, including Central and Eastern European countries. [1]

The Twelve Plus Group holds meetings on a regular basis during the IPU’s spring and fall Assemblies. These meetings provide a venue for the Group’s members to discuss the functioning of the Assembly and related meetings. Members also use these meetings to discuss administrative and substantive matters of consequence to the future activities of the Union.

The Chair of the Twelve Plus Group is elected for a term of office of two years.  The Chair is advised by a Steering Committee of representatives from approximately seven to nine member countries and normally meets in the weeks prior to an IPU Assembly.  The Steering Committee appoints a Vice-Chair among its members by consensus.

According to the Guidelines of the Twelve Plus Group, the Steering Committee shall include: the two most recent predecessors of the current Twelve Plus Chairperson (as long as they are members of their national IPU delegation); members of the Twelve Plus Group serving on the Executive Committee; further members, invited by the Chairperson on account of their particular abilities or merits, who could benefit the activities of the Twelve Plus Group as a whole.

3. The Meeting of the Twelve Plus Steering Committee

Nine parliamentarians participated in the meeting of the Twelve Plus Steering Committee in Berlin, Germany on September 22^nd, 2014. The countries represented were: France, Germany, Canada, Poland, United Kingdom, Sweden and Switzerland.

The Canadian parliamentarian in attendance was Senator Salma Ataullahjan, from the Senate of Canada.

The agenda for the meeting included issues and questions for consideration by the Twelve Plus Group at the 131st IPU Assembly (Geneva 12^th-16^th of October, 2014). The purpose of the meeting was to debate and make recommendations concerning these matters.

4. Seminar on Ending Violence against Women and Girls

From Berlin, Senator Ataullahjan travelled to Dhaka, Bangladesh from September 23^rd-26^th to attend the IPU and Parliament of Bangladesh’s seminar Ending the cycle of violence against girls in Asia-Pacific. The IPU head office in Geneva, Switzerland paid for her expenses as she attended this seminar at their request. She gave two speeches and participated in the meetings.

Respectfully submitted,