Al-Lahham reiterates needs for activating parliamentary diplomacy in counterterrorism

HANOI,(ST)_Speaker of the People’s Assembly [Parliament] has underscored the need for reactivating the parliamentary diplomacy to confront the spread of terrorism, adding that there must be an international strategy that abide by international law and countries’ sovereignty.

Mohammad Jihad al-Lahham said that the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) must play a pivotal role in supporting countries’ sovereignty and people’s right to choose their future without foreign intervention.

His remarks came during his today’s meeting with the IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital.

The Speaker, according to a press release obtained by the Syriatimes e-newspaper, held five meetings with heads of Parliamentary delegations taking part in the 132nd Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union in Hanoi.

The talks during the meetings dealt with the role of legislative institutes in combating international terrorism and how to reactivate parliamentary relations at the bilateral level and in international forums.

The press release said that the Speaker held talks with the IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong, El Salvador’s Parliament Speaker Sigfrido Reyes, Deputy speaker of Cuba’s Parliament Yolanda Ferrer Gómez, Chairperson of Foreign Affairs Commission of the Senate of the Republic of Mexico Senate Senator Gabriela Cuevas Barron, and Head of the Dutch delegation Prof. Hans Franken.

Common strategy

The 132nd Assembly of the IPU adopted an emergency resolution on role of parliaments in confronting terror acts being perpetrated by the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), also known as Daesh in Arabic, and the Boko Haram against innocent civilians, especially women and children.

The resolution underlined that all forms of terrorism could not be justified under any circumstances.

“Acknowledging that terrorism is not limited to any one religion, nationality or ethnic group, the MPs expressed concern over the ongoing threat terrorism poses to international peace and security,” the resolution said, calling for adopting punitive measures against those who are financing ISIS and Boko Haram..

It expressed deep concern over the deliberate destruction and systematic looting of cultural property and asked for those responsible to be brought to justice.

The IPU resolution also called for developing the inter-State cooperation between intelligence and security bodies so as to facilitate the exchange of information and to bring to justice everyone helped the ISIS and Boko Haram in committing war crimes or crimes against humanity.

It called on parliaments to adopt a common strategy to confront the recruitment of combatants through social networking sites, asserting the importance of dialogue among government and parliaments in all countries that are fighting terrorism.

Basma Qaddour