Parliament delegation attends IPU 135th Assembly
A delegation led by the Speaker of Parliament Hon. Dr Jiko Luveni is in Geneva for the Inter Parliamentary Union (‘IPU’) 135th Assembly. The Fijian delegation also comprises the Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Mereseini Vuniwaqa; Opposition Member, Hon. Semesa Karavaki and secretariat support staff.
The IPU Assembly and its related meetings began on Sunday, 23 October 2016 and continue through to Thursday, 27 October 2016.
The Hon. Speaker participated as a panelist during a side event coordinated jointly by the IPU, the World Health Organisation and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health. The event focused on Parliaments at the forefront of Protecting Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents Health in Migration Crises.
Hon. Luveni spoke on the Fijian experience: migration due to climate change (including natural disasters), rural-urban drift (giving rise to informal settlements) and our political upheavals. Hon. Luveni also outlined all that had been achieved culminating in the promulgation of the Constitution of the Republic of Fiji and the ongoing commitment to tackle the problems facing women, children and adolescents.
“What Fiji has done is truly amazing when considering the size of the nation and its developing status, especially in the short span of time since the Parliament’s reestablishment,” shared the session Chairperson, Hon. Habibi Millat of Bangladesh whilst summing up.
When invited to share closing remarks, Hon. Luveni stated unequivocally, “We need to do more and move beyond just making policy statements and focus on programmes and activities that have real outcomes.”
