Speaker of the National Assembly Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila will lead a delegation of Namibian lawmakers to the 151st Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) assembly in Geneva to discuss global humanitarian issues.
The event will take place from 19 to 23 October, and the Namibian delegation will include members of both houses of parliament.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila’s delegation includes National Assembly members Winnie Moongo, James Uerikua, Iipumbu Shiimi, Alpheus !Naruseb, Emma Muteka, and Abner Shikongo, as well as National Council representatives Sakeus Nangula and vice chairperson Victoria Kauma, who heads the council delegation.
Held under the theme ‘Upholding Humanitarian Norms and Supporting Humanitarian Action in Times of Crisis’, the assembly will bring together hundreds of legislators from around the world to deliberate on urgent humanitarian issues.
“The discussions come amid a backdrop of over 120 active conflicts and an estimated 310 million people globally in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs,” a statement released by the parliament on Friday says.
The debate will centre on safeguarding international humanitarian law, strengthening multilateral cooperation, and defending the independence of relief efforts.
Lawmakers will also focus on the plight of the most vulnerable in conflict situations, including displaced people, women, the youth, minorities, and those affected by food insecurity and disease. Broader topics such as building peace, gender equality, sustainable development, and climate action will also be discussed.
The assembly is expected to adopt key resolutions, including one on recognising and supporting the victims of illegal international adoption and taking measures to prevent this practice.
It will conclude with the adoption of an outcome document summarising the collective parliamentary commitments under the main theme.
Founded in 1889, the IPU is the world’s first multilateral political organisation, comprising 181 national parliaments and 15 regional parliamentary bodies.
It promotes peace, democracy and sustainable development, while supporting parliaments to become more inclusive, transparent, and gender-balanced.
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