A delegation from the San Marino National Group to the Inter-Parliamentary Union is taking part in the 153rd IPU Assembly in Arusha, Tanzania, running from 5 to 9 October. The delegation includes councillors Lorenzo Bugli, head of delegation, Silvia Cecchetti and Giovanni Maria Zonzini. At the heart of the proceedings is the election of the organization’s new president.
“The election of the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union is the central moment of the Assembly,” reads the statement from the Secretariat. The Governing Council, made up of representatives from member Parliaments, will choose by secret ballot the successor to Tulia Ackson of Tanzania, for a three-year term.
Three candidates have been put forward: Sahiba Gafarova of Azerbaijan; Milton Dick of Australia; and Rojo Edwards Silva of Chile. “San Marino’s delegation will take part in the vote on an equal footing with every other member Parliament,” the statement specifies.
The communiqué also underscores the organization’s role on the international stage: “Founded in 1889, the Inter-Parliamentary Union today brings together 183 national Parliaments and remains one of the last multilateral forums where representatives from nearly all the world’s countries still sit side by side, including those involved in conflicts or in open opposition to one another.”
According to the Secretariat, at a time marked by war and the weakening of traditional diplomatic channels, the IPU continues to offer a space for dialogue between Parliaments. “For the Republic of San Marino, taking part in its work is a coherent expression of the country’s tradition of active neutrality and its vocation for dialogue among peoples,” the statement notes.
Alongside the election, the programme includes meetings of the Standing Committees, the Forum of Women Parliamentarians and the Forum of Young Parliamentarians, as well as gatherings of the Twelve Plus Group. In plenary session, delegates will vote on whether to add an emergency item to the agenda and will take part in the general debate on the theme “Promoting good governance and empowering communities through inclusivity, trust and opportunities for all.”
The Committees will tackle issues related to conflicts, new technologies and the protection of rights. “The work of the Committees will focus on some of the most pressing issues in international affairs today: the role of Parliaments in the face of the military use of artificial intelligence and its impact on the world of work, parliamentary diplomacy as a tool for mediation toward lasting peace, maritime security and the protection of critical infrastructure in times of conflict, the safeguarding of mountain and ocean ecosystems, and the rights and empowerment of persons with disabilities.”
