30th June was the International Day of Parliamentarism

Ranjan K Baruah *

We are familiar with the term ‘Parliaments’. In India it is commonly used as whenever we talk about government or governance then terms like Parliament or more specifically Member of Parliaments and ministers comes to our mind. In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government.

Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Every country in the world has some form of representative government. Indian Parliament is the supreme legislative body of India. It comprises the two Houses - Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and Lok Sabha (House of the People). Members of Parliament are commonly known as MPs in India and other parts of the world.

We are aware that parliamentary systems fall into two categories: bicameral (with two chambers of parliament) and unicameral (with one chamber). Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) membership is made up of 179 national parliaments.

Out of 190 countries, 78 are bicameral and 112 are unicameral, making a total of 268 chambers of parliament with over 44,000 members of parliament.26.2% of the world's members of parliament are women. Half the world’s population is under 30 and yet only 2.6% of MPs globally represent this age group

Like many other global events one of the international events is the International Day of Parliamentarism (IDP) which is celebrated every year on 30 June, the date in 1889 on which the IPU was founded. The Day was established in 2018 through a United Nations General Assembly Resolution.

Instituting an international day for parliaments is particularly important at this critical time for parliamentary democracy, when people are losing trust in political institutions and democracy itself is facing challenges from populist and nationalist movements.

If democracy is to thrive, then parliaments, as the cornerstone of functioning democracies, need to be strong, transparent, accountable and representative.

The IDP is a time to review the progress that parliaments have made in achieving some key goals to be more representative and move with the times, including carrying out self- assessments, working to include more women and young MPs, and adapting to new technologies.

The United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/72/278, recognized the role of parliaments in national plans and strategies and in ensuring greater transparency and accountability at national and global levels.

IPU: It is the global organization of national parliaments and began in 1889 as a small group of parliamentarians, dedicated to promoting peace through parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue, has since grown into a truly global organization with 179 Members and 14 Associate Members.

The IPU facilitates parliamentary diplomacy and empowers parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development around the world. It is financed primarily by its members out of public funds and its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. It also has offices in New York, US and Vienna, Austria.

The focus of this year is related to climate actions as we know that climate action begins at home. Parliaments and those who work in them can take concrete steps to reduce their carbon footprint, both as institutions and individuals. By adopting greener policies and embracing a culture of sustainability, parliamentarians can help address the climate crisis and pave the way for stronger climate action.

In India, this is needed because the actions of the MPs are going to be reflected and they can create a new bench mark. There is no doubt that climate change is killing people and destroying lives, development, peace and security all over the world.

The IPU helps parliaments make progress on the Paris Agreement as well as other climate treaties, accelerate decarbonization and reduce the carbon footprint within Parliaments themselves.

Parliaments and parliamentarians must lead by example before preaching to the people. These actions cover three categories: institutionalizing the greening of parliament, greening the way parliaments and their members work, and leading and fostering a culture of sustainable change.