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The Inter-Parliamentarians for Social Service Association (IPSS) held its third assembly August 22 to 25, 2007 in Seoul, Korea. Mr. Bryon Wilfert, M.P., P.C. was the delegate from the Parliament of Canada. Eight-three parliamentarians from 29 countries were present. The Conference aimed to support social services at the parliamentary level and to promote exchanges and cooperation among parliamentarians. The first Executive Committee meeting was held prior to the General Assembly. The Executive Committee deliberated on the meeting agenda, the IPSS Charter, and the nominations of IPSS President and two Vice-Presidents. The Canadian delegate was re-elected to one of the two international vice-presidents positions. At the Opening Ceremonies, the Honourable Lee Kyeong-Jae, President of the IPSS made opening remarks followed by welcoming words by H.E. Lee Sang Deuk, Vice-Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, and congratulations were extended by the H.E. Han Duck Soo, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea and by President-elect Mr. Lee Dong Geun of the Rotary International. In the first Plenary Session, the membership of Laos, Serbia, Uruguay and Uzbekistan all of which sent delegations for the first time, was approved. The Hon. Kee Kyeong-Jae of the Republic of Korea was elected as the President and the Hon. Bryon Wilfert from Canada and the Hon. Usamah Mohammed Alkurdi from Saudi Arabia were elected as the Vice Presidents. In addition to current executive committee member counties, Canada, Korea, Mexico, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, three more countries, Vietnam, Bulgaria and Kenya were elected as new Executive member countries. At the first Plenary Session, there were discussions on the business plan and action plan of the IPSS as proposed by Vice President Wilfert. Vice President Wilfert stressed that there should be discussions for more specific ideas about the organization’s visions, missions, goals, aims, executive plans and advocated outcomes. In general discussions, representatives from 18 countries made presentations, exchanged views and experiences in coming up with realistic alternatives to the ‘Role and experience of each parliament in establishing legal and institutional infrastructure to promote social services’ an agenda that was resolved in the Joint Communiqué of the Inaugural General Assembly. The second executive committee reviewed the draft joint communiqué and agreed on the need for a separate resolution regarding the kidnapping of Korean social workers in Afghanistan. Sudan confirmed their intention to host the next executive committee while considering the possibility of hosting the fourth General Assembly. The second Plenary Session on August 24th began with the adoption and signing of the joint communiqué which was followed by Special Social Service Awards Ceremony and came to a close with closing remarks by the IPSS President. Participants point out in discussions that agenda such as the protection of human rights of migrant workers and the promotion of the employment of people with disabilities are important areas of social service as they create a basis for a society where every one can live in harmony, and also indicated that a society where everyone lives in harmony can be obtained when there is a co-production of a good public system and active social service activities in the private sector. In the discussions for Agenda 1 on International Labour Migration and Protection of Human Rights, the participants agreed that the protection of human rights of migrant workers, who will be working side by side with us in the 21st century of multi-cultural society, lays the groundwork for an active migration of labour, and such protection is possible when there is an overall welfare service that includes education, interpretation, medical service and information. In the discussion for Agenda 2 on Promoting the Employment of the Physically Challenged and Vocational Training, participants focused their attention on the promotion of the employment of people with disabilities saying it is an important activity that realizes the respect for human rights namely “equal opportunity and participation,” and added that to expand this respect further it is necessary to have the provision of institutional and legal framework as well as the interest and participation by the employer based on the voluntary spirit, the essence of social service. Moreover in the ensuing presentations, participants expressed interest in expanding education and rehabilitation of people with disabilities, their right to movement as well as their access to information saying that such an expansion is critical in facilitating the employment of people with disabilities, and to this end shared successful cases of social service activities while emphasizing further the promotion of exchanges of programs and cooperation. With regard to the kidnapping of Korean social workers in Afghanistan, which was submitted as an emergency agenda item, the participants of the IPPS expressed their deep regret over the fact that Koreans who went to Afghanistan for social service activities became targets of terror and kidnapping. In addition, in line with a call for a peaceful resolution to the Korean hostage situation and increasing cooperation in the exchanges of social service activities in the international community, each parliamentary delegation agreed to make concerted efforts and cooperate with each other so that social service activities can be carried out safely without being intervened by state or non-state actors. The IPSS General Assembly after putting together the result of discussions formulated the following resolution of five provisions as well as an additional resolution on a newly-added agenda. The resolution is a s follows: The Third IPSS General Assembly, Pledges to elevate the spirit of social service and play a leading role in promoting social service to enhance social welfare at both home and abroad, Asks participants to create an organization within their respective parliament with other representatives who share the goal of the IPSS, to promote mutual understanding and cooperation among representatives and member countries and to urge non-member countries to join the IPSS, Urges each parliament to face the fact that international migration of labour and globalization go hand in hand, to strive to provide institutional and legal framework for the protection of human rights of migrant workers and international cooperation, and to provide necessary social service through cooperation with the government and the private sector, Cooperates with parliaments to devise a system that will provide opportunities to equal life by promoting the employment of people with disabilities who are susceptible to marginalization, to induce voluntary participation of the employers which will consolidate the system, and to expand ways for social service organizations at the private sector to take active participation, Lastly, resolves to continuously develop the Inter-Parliamentarians for Social Service, a venue not only for parliaments to consolidate international solidarity for detailed development of social service activities but also for sharing information, experience and engaging in debates among parliaments.
Respectfully submitted,
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