Activities ALL EVENTS
Issues of developing and strengthening democracy discussed at the IPA CIS headquarters
15 September 2017
A conference, dedicated to the International Day of Democracy, took place in the Tavricheskiy Palace. The IDD was established by the UN General Assembly in 2007 and is celebrated annually on 15 September. This year the holiday is celebrated for the 10th time.
The IPA CIS joined the IDD celebration for the first time by hosting a conference dedicated to this milestone anniversary in the Tavricheskiy Palace.
The participants of the Conference, which included representatives of authorities of various levels, civil society, academia, students of leading relevant universities, discussed relevant issues of the functioning of democratic institutions, rule of law, and social development.
Chairperson of the IPA CIS Council, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko sent a message for the Conference participants. The message was delivered by member of the Federation Council Committee on Budget and Financial Markets Natalia Dementieva.
Secretary General – Head of the IPA CIS Council Secretariat Alexey Sergeev noted that over the past two and a half decades the IPA CIS member nations had gained certain experience in the prevention of armed and other conflicts, addressing their causes, and the cooperation of parliamentary structures for a peaceful resolution of conflicts.
Alexey Sergeev also delivered a message of the IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong. It was the IPU, in which the IPA CIS has the status of an associate member, that had appealed to the United Nations with the proposal to establish the International Day of Democracy and is actively supporting the celebration of this date globally.
In his message, the IPU Secretary General also noted that during the 137th IPU Assembly, to be held in St. Petersburg in October, parliamentarians would adopt a resolution to emphasize the importance of respecting the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Democracy.
Deputy Chairman of Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Vladimir Lukin stressed the importance of the debated issue and reminded that this year the theme of the International Day of Democracy was defined by the UN General Assembly as “Democracy and Conflict Prevention”.
Vladimir Lukin also proposed to host such conferences each year on 15 September within the walls of the Dumskiy Hall of the Tavricheskiy Palace to discuss development and establishment of democracy. His suggestion was unanimously supported by the participants.
