The Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Mr Raseriti Tau, has been elected President of the International Peace and Security Committee of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) at the Union’s assembly held in Geneva last month.
Mr Tau’s term as President of the committee ends in October 2018. He was appointed to the position of NCOP Deputy Chairperson in May 2014 after serving Parliament in various roles including that of House Chairperson for Committees and Oversight.
The IPU has 166 Parliaments as its members. It is a key organisation in the promotion of Parliamentary dialogue on issues of world-wide mutual interest including social and economic development, human rights, gender equality, peace and security amongst others. Additionally, the IPU promotes and defends good practices that assist in the growth and maintenance of democracy and the law.
To that end, it:
- Fosters contacts, co-ordination, and the exchange of experience among parliaments and parliamentarians of all countries;
- Considers questions of international interest and concern and expresses its views on such issues in order to bring about action by parliaments and parliamentarians;
- Contributes to the defence and promotion of human rights - an essential factor of parliamentary democracy and development;
- Contributes to better knowledge of the working of representative institutions and to the strengthening and development of their means of action.
The Union also co-operates with regional inter-parliamentary organizations, as well as with international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations which are motivated by the same ideals.
The committee on Peace and International Security deals with peace and security matters of concern to Member Countries.
Mr Tau will Chair the next meeting of the Committee during the 132nd IPU Assembly in March 2016 in Vietnam.
