Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ben Kalu, proposed the amendment of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) General Assembly rules to accommodate more emergency items for consideration.
The Deputy Speaker of Nigeria's House of Representatives, Ben Kalu, has requested the amendment of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) General Assembly rules to accommodate more emergency items for consideration.
The deputy speaker is part of the Nigerian delegation to the 148 IPU General Assembly in Switzerland.
Details of his proposal are contained in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Levinus Nwabughiogu, on Thursday.
Mr Kalu is proposing to amend section 11.1 of the IPU rule on the introduction of emergency items for consideration by the Assembly. The amendment, if adopted, would allow every continent to present at least one emergency item for consideration.
According to the existing rule, only one emergency rule can be proposed and such must get a two-thirds majority of all members.
"A request for the inclusion of an emergency item must relate to a recent major situation of international concern on which urgent action by the international community is required and on which it is appropriate for the IPU to express its opinion and mobilise a parliamentary response. Such a request must receive a two-thirds majority of the votes cast in order to be accepted.
"The Assembly may place only one emergency item on its agenda. Should several requests obtain the requisite majority, the one having received the largest number of positive votes shall be accepted," Rule 11.1(an and b) reads.
However, about five emergency items were proposed at the ongoing Assembly.
The rule allows multiple items on the same subject matter to be consolidated.
The five proposals before the Assembly
There is a proposal by South Africa with support from the Arab group and the African group, titled; Raising awareness of the International Court of Justice provisional measures for Israel in relation to Palestinians in Gaza, and of the need for urgent action on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza."
Israel also has a proposal for the immediate release of the hostages in Gaza. And there is also the proposal by Indonesia and Malaysia on parliamentary diplomacy for peace in Palestine.
Also, Denmark, France, Hungary, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom have a proposal for the "Call for urgent action regarding the conflict in the Middle East."
Meanwhile, there is another proposal on Africa on the "Call for urgent action to end the aggression and massive violations of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Finally, Argentina, on behalf of the delegations of Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay also proposed Free, fair and transparent elections without prohibitions: Towards an orderly and peaceful democratic transition in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
In line with the rule, the proposal on Gaza got the attention of the Assembly while the one on Congo was not considered.
Rules not in Africa's favour
In his debate, Mr Kanu said the existing rule does not favour Africa, noting that the continent has several issues that require emergency interventions.
He proposed that every continent should present one item at every Assembly.
"I am proposing one item per continent at every Assembly to energise the voices of concern across the globe", he said.
Speaking further, Mr Kalu said, "We must reconsider our approach to addressing emergency items. Rule 11.2 allows for flexibility, suggesting the possibility of addressing multiple urgent issues. Neglecting regions like Africa, where significant challenges persist is unacceptable. Let us interpret the rule's purpose - addressing pressing issues - to allow for consideration of multiple emergency items. By reforming our processes, we can ensure parliamentary diplomacy truly reflects the world's diverse needs.
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"It's concerning that Africa's plight, where ongoing conflicts claim thousands of lives, hasn't been addressed urgently. From Sudan's horrific situation with over 13,000 lives lost to the ongoing tragedy in the D.R. Congo and the militancy and terror in Sahel Africa, the human cost of these conflicts can't be overlooked. These crises in Africa have ripple effects that ultimately impact the world," he said.
Lamenting the poor percentage of women in politics, the deputy speaker called for gender equality and inclusion in governance, stressing that women's underrepresentation in parliament impeded progress.
"Gender equality and inclusion in governance and peacebuilding is essential. Statistically, the representation of women in parliament in the world, hovering around 26 per cent, is a stark reminder that we have yet to fully utilise the talent and perspective of half of the world's population," Mr Kalu said.
