NordenBladet —
Members of the Estonian delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) are attending the 144th IPU Assembly, with focus on the role of the parliaments in responding to climate change, and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine as an emergency item on the agenda.
The Head of the Riigikogu delegation Toomas Kivimägi described environmental protection and shift towards climate neutrality as one of the biggest global challenges.
“Sadly, this is one of the topics that has been sidelined by the war in Ukraine, at least for us. This is why we are putting in the effort to make sure that the IPU Assembly condemns Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. To achieve this, the geographical Twelve Plus Group (which unites the European countries, incl. Ukraine, as well as Canada, New Zealand, and Australia) is working on submitting the condemnation of aggression and a call on Russia to immediately end the war as an emergency item on the Assembly agenda,” Kivimägi explained.
Kivimägi also emphasised that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is not merely a war between Russia and Ukraine. “It is a war between the authoritarian and the free world. It is a war that concerns all of us. No country in the world can remain indifferent or fail to support Ukraine,” he stressed.
“The war has set new challenges to the environment as well. The deficit of energy carriers, mostly in Europe, has created the pressure to take fossil fuels into more extensive use. This can only be a short-term solution and we need the whole world’s contribution to make sure that it remains so. If not, we would fall behind the set ambitious goals in achieving climate neutrality, and would also slow down the pace of introducing renewable energy carriers,” Kivimägi added.
The Assembly brings together all the statutory bodies of the IPU, including the Governing Council, Standing Committees, Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, and Committee on Middle East Questions, as well as the Forum of Women Parliamentarians, and the Forum of Young Parliamentarians. The Standing Committees report to the Assembly on their work, and the Plenary Assembly adopts the resolutions of the Standing Committees, as well as the General Debate Outcome Document on the response to climate change.
Estonia is represented at the Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Indonesia on 20–24 March by the President of the Estonian IPU Group Toomas Kivimägi, and Vice-Presidents Helle-Moonika Helme, Helmen Kütt, and Marika Tuus-Laul.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union is the oldest and largest organisation of parliaments in the world. It was established in 1889 and has 178 member states from the entire world. Estonia was a member of the Union between 1921–1940, and restored its membership after regaining independence in 1991.
Source: Parliament of Estonia