CIS MPs Approved Model Laws to Support Cinematography and Theater Activities

A meeting of the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Culture, Information, Tourism and Sport took place today in the Tavricheskiy Palace - the IPA CIS headquarters.

The event brought together MPs from the Azerbaijan Republic, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as academia, experts and representatives of the IPA CIS Council Secretariat.

The meeting began with the election of the Chair of the Commission. On the proposal of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Chair of the Committee of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Science, Education, Culture and Sport Erkin Zakhidov, who has been a member of the IPA CIS Permanent Commission for several years, was unanimously re-elected to this post.

The MPs also re-elected member of the Committee of the Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic on Labor and Social Policy, member of the Committee of the Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic on Family, Women’s and Children’s Affairs Rauf Aliyev, as the Deputy Сhair of the Commission.

The meeting continued with the discussion of the proposals to draft Long-Term Plan for Model Law-making in the Commonwealth of Independent States for 2023-2025, including the Model Law on Ensuring the State Protection of Cultural Heritage on Water Bodies.

First Deputy Chair of the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Culture Elena Drapeko emphasized that this document would contribute to implementation of international law in the model legislation of the CIS countries, for example the Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, adopted on 2 November 2001 by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Chair of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on State and Legal Affairs, Deputy Chair of the the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Legal Issues Vladimir Vardanyan agreed that the development of such model law was extremely relevant and particularly noted the need to protect cultural heritage in water areas located outside the borders of sovereign states.

In addition to this document, the MPs decided to include in the Long-Term Plan for Model Law-making in the Commonwealth of Independent States for 2023-2025 years revised Model Laws on Protection of Children from Information Harmful to their Health and Well-Being, on Professional Sports and on Personal Data. All three documents have been adopted by the Assembly and require revision.

Leading expert of Strategic Solutions Lab Oleg Ivanov presented to the Commission members information on drafts of revised Model Laws on Public Support for Cinematography, on Theaters and Show Business.

According to the expert, the revised Model Law on Public Support for Cinematography was aimed to create conditions for improving the quality and competitiveness of national films of the CIS Member Nations, the availability of film screening services for the population, transparency and investment attractiveness of the film industry, increase visibility and recognition of national cinema in the CIS countries and abroad.

The revised Model Law on Theater and Show Business is aimed at promoting the development of theatrical activities in the new conditions. It was decided to submit both model laws to the IPA CIS plenary session.

The meeting also considered the draft of the revised Model Code of Intellectual Property for Member Nations of the CIS and presented general approaches to the development of Model Laws on Television and Radio Broadcasting and on Electronic communications.

In addition, the Commission members discussed the list of political and public figures presented by the parliaments for awarding the medal of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly and the International Television and Broadcasting Company “Mir” “Tree of Friendship”.

The candidacy of the IPA CIS Chingiz Aitmatov Prize winner was also approved. The MPs decided to propose to the IPA CIS Council to award the Chingiz Aitmatov Prize in 2022 to Rector of the Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature named Alisher Navoi, Doctor of Sciences in Philology, Professor, Honorary Doctor of the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, famous literary critic and scientist Shukhrat Sirozhiddinov.