CASE No - Inter-Parliamentary Union

- 19 - CL/183/SR.1
possibility to discuss the budget, and particularly welcomed the efforts to improve transparency
and accountability. It approved the draft programme and budget for 2009.
Mr. J. Austin (United Kingdom), speaking on behalf of the Twelve Plus Group, said he
welcomed the emphasis placed by the President on the importance of eliminating violence
against women, which had recently been the subject of a campaign in the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe. He drew attention to the Council of Europe’s Convention
against Trafficking in Persons, which was open to all for signature.
The Twelve Plus Group endorsed the statement made on behalf of the African Group.
Although in the past the Twelve Plus Group had expressed scepticism with regard to carbon
offsetting schemes, it welcomed the Organization’s commitment not to use third parties, but
rather to engage in direct investment in energy renewal and advocacy. The Twelve Plus Group
also welcomed the efforts to account for the gender impact of IPU activities, which was better
refined each year. The programme of work for 2009 was more detailed and documented than
ever before. His Group welcomed the 2.5 per cent increase in assessed contributions.
The Twelve Plus Group felt that targets for voluntary funding should be more realistic,
while it acknowledged that often the criteria for use of voluntary funds were set by donors.
The increase in funds for the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians and the
Committee on Middle East Questions was particularly positive, since the work of those
Committees, in particular the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, was a core
function of the IPU. The Twelve Plus Group wished to know the real impact of the financial
crisis on the Legacy Staff Pension Fund. He also asked why the budget item entitled "Peacebuilding
in Africa" was not in the project section of the budget, and would be interested to see
the results of the implementation of the recommendations from the Saatchi and Saatchi report
of 2006. He wished to draw attention to the comments of the Internal Auditor, regarding
several projects with significant travel costs that had been started, but not completed. In that
regard, the Executive Committee should give due consideration to the recommendations made
by the African Group.
Mr. V. Popov (Belarus), speaking on behalf of the Eurasia Group, noted that the budget
was increasing owing to increased contributions from Member States, while at the same time,
increased cooperation with the United Nations and other organizations would require further
funding. It was therefore necessary to continue to appeal for voluntary funding. The Eurasia
Group supported the draft programme and budget for 2009.
Mr. C.S. Atwal (India) said that while the Secretary General had stated that the net result
of the volatility in financial and capital markets in 2008 on IPU finances had been neutral, it
might not be wise to assume that the same would be true for 2009. The only medium term
concern expressed by the Secretary General had been that falling equity and bond values and
rising interest rates had diminished the value of the Legacy Staff Pension Fund. His delegation
urged the Governing Council to consider making provisions for the pension fund from as early
as 2009. Although the 2.5 per cent increase in assessed contributions had been achieved
through increased voluntary funding commitments, it would be prudent to revise the proposed
Member contributions in light of current developments, and raise the increase to 3 per cent,
which might prove more adequate. The need for increased contributions was also indicated
by the reduction of CHF 220,000 in the regular budget for the human rights programme.
While spending on parliamentary input to the United Nations agenda had been increasing over
time and in 2009 would amount to almost 10 per cent of total IPU spending, new activities to
address violence against women and children’s rights would be contingent on the availability of
voluntary funding. Some seed money would be required in the regular budget to formulate
projects and solicit funds from donors, the use of which should be guided by the IPU agenda,