G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit

Context- The Parliament of India will host the 13-14 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20 Summit) in October 2023 in New Delhi in collaboration with the IPU.

Key Highlights 

• • The 9th P20 summit was held in New Delhi. It is organized by the Indian Parliament during India’s G20 Presidency.  
  • The theme of the summit was “Parliaments for One Earth, One Family, One Future”. 

• India announced its protest 

• • • On the recent initiative of the European Parliament to adopt a resolution on the Manipur issue. 
    • India insisted that each nation and parliament was sovereign and that others should not discuss their internal affairs.
    • The Speaker of the Lok Sabha raised this issue in a bilateral meeting with the Vice President of the European Union. 

• Operation Dost symbolizes India’s friendship with Turkey 

• • • In discussions with his Turkish counterpart, the Lok Sabha Speaker mentioned Operation Dosti as a symbol of India’s friendship with Turkey. 
    • Operation Dost was a search and rescue operation launched by the Indian government to help Syria and Turkey after the Turkey-Syria earthquake in 2023. 

• Approves the joint statement unanimously 

• • The joint statement was unanimously adopted by the participating Speakers under the leadership of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. 

Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) 

• • The IPU is a global organization of national parliaments.
  • It began in 1889 as a small group of parliamentarians.
  • Since then it has  grown into a truly global organization with 179 members and 14 associate members.
  • Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland. 
  • Slogan: For democracy. For everyone. 

• The objectives of the IPU 

• • Promotion of representative democracy and world peace 
  • Let us encourage cooperation and dialogue among all nations 
  • Improving the knowledge about the activities of representative institutions 
  • Strengthening and development of operational tools of representative institutions 
  • Empowering parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development 

Resolution of the European Parliament on the Manipur issue 

• In July 2023, the European Parliament passed a motion calling on the Indian government to immediately end the ongoing ethnic clashes in Manipur and protect its religious minorities. 
• The  European Union parliament also condemned in the strongest terms the nationalist rhetoric used by leading members of the National Party in the national government.  

Key points of the resolution 

• Protect all religious minorities 

• • • The final EP resolution asks the government to protect all religious minorities, such as the Christian community in Manipur, and prevent their further expansion. 

• Unobstructed access to the area 

• • • It also calls on the authorities to ensure unfettered access to the region for journalists and international observers and to end internet shutdowns.  
    • Repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in accordance with the recommendations of the UN Universal Periodic Review.  
    • It invited the E.U. to make human rights visible in its dialogue and relations with India. 

• Government of India’s response 

• • India rejected this movement as unacceptable and a reflection of colonial thinking. 
  • India said it had  been made clear to relevant EU parliamentarians that this was entirely an internal matter for India.

Source: PIB

Practice question:

Q. What is the primary purpose of parliamentary diplomacy in India?

1. To create new laws and regulations for the country.
2. To manage international relations and diplomacy on behalf of the government.
3. To conduct foreign trade negotiations with other nations.
4. To oversee the functioning of the judicial system in India.

 

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