IPU Assembly expresses concern over Rohingya situation

Moscow, Oct 20: The 137th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the largest gathering of the IPU to date, has expressed concern over the humanitarian tragedy affecting the Rohingya people, who were being forced to flee Myanmar. The Assembly, held in St Petersburg, Russia, from 14 to 18 October 2017, also took note of the democracy and human rights situation in different parts of the world, according to the reports here on Friday. The inaugural session of IPU included an address by the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, along with outgoing IPU President, Saber Chaudhury and the heads of both the Council of the Federation and the State Duma of Russia. This Assembly voted to give prominence, as an emergency item, to the humanitarian tragedy affecting the Rohingya people being forced to flee Myanmar. Other themes highlighted during the discussions were democracy and human rights, the threat of nuclear weapons, and the role of Parliaments in promoting peace. The Assembly elected a new IPU President for the next three years, Gabriela Cuevas from Mexico. UNI