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-Founding Meeting of the IMPD-

Washington, DC
February 4, 2003

The founding meeting of the International Movement of Parliamentarians for Democracy (IMPD) met in Washington DC to explore the establishment of a structure and activities of such a network.

The following were in attendance:

Nereus Acosta, Philippines
Tom Andrews, United States
Keiichiro Asao, Japan
Anna Benakis, Greece
John Brademas, United States
Young Dal Chang, South Korea
Irwin Cotler, Canada
Chris Cox, United States
Eliot Engel, United States
Jean Dominique Giuliani, France
Dolma Gyari, Tibet
Serhiy Holovaty, Ukraine
Bi-Khim Hsiao, Taiwan
Luis Iberico, Peru
Yoshitake Kimata, Japan
Ranko Krivokapic, Montenegro
Edward McMillan-Scott, European Parliament
Geun Hye Park, South Korea
Axel Poniatowski, France
Sam Rainsy, Cambodia
Nouzha Skalli, Morocco
Saumura Tioulong, Cambodia
Ven. Pema Woeser, Tibet
Tony Worthington, United Kingdom

Irwin Cotler of the Canadian House of Commons and Carl Gershman, president of the National Endowment for Democracy chaired the meeting.

Presentations by three participants-Mr. Cotler, Edward McMillian Scott and Tom Andrews-led off the meeting. Mr. Cotler reviewed two other existing international parliamentary organizations-the Inter-Parliamentary Union and Parliamentarians for Global Action. He said that while the two groups have democracy components, democracy promotion is not their main focus. Mr. Andrews then spoke of the importance MPs in international campaigns. Drawing on his own experience in the international day to honour democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi, Mr. Andrews said because of the position MPS have, their participation in democracy promotion activities are vital to their as MPs have greater capacity to make connections, influence the press, create a climate of change, and reach international audiences. Finally, Mr. McMillan-Scott spoke of the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights, a European Union aid program he founded to support democracy promotion programs, as an example of what parliamentarians can do to promote democracy.

Following the presentations, participants discussed why an IMPD was need. Participants agreed there was void the IMPD could fill to promote the cause of democracy, to include the United States, to strengthen the role of parliamentarians in foreign policy, and to promote the importance of international solidarity, of the empowerment of women, and the defence and promotion of democracy and activists.

Following this discussion of a niche for the IMPD, meeting participants reviewed a draft declaration outlining the purpose and priorities of the Movement. After some suggested changes, participants agreed to a list of elements fundamental to democracy and agreed that the purpose of the Movement would be to support international human rights campaigns, especially in defense of elected Members of Parliament who are denied the right to take office or who are the victims of persecution, and challenge undemocratic practices.

In addition to the adoption of the declaration, participants agreed the IMPD should strive to:

Promote the creation of democracy assistance foundations;
Protect weak parliaments from strong executive branches;
Network with other parliamentarians;
Educate parliamentarians on the nature and purpose of parliaments;
Strengthen the role of parliaments within democratic states; and
Expand democracy within developing states.

Many participants also agreed that the IMPD should have an academic focus. Several participants suggested that the IMPD actively study and evaluate how democratic parliaments are, with the annual publication of a state of parliaments in the world. Another suggestion was the production of guides to address corruption in parliaments.

The meeting concluded with a number of follow-up actions to be taken, including a list of solidarity actions to be followed, issuance of IMPD responses to undemocratic actions, membership outreach, and research of and outreach to parliaments with human rights caucuses and democracy promotion working groups.