The Parliament of Rwanda will host the 145th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and its related meetings in Kigali from October 11 to 15, which seek to ensure gender equality driven legislature, tackle human trafficking, climate change, and food insecurity among other topics.

More than 1,000 delegates from Member Parliaments of the IPU, including some 60 Speakers and Deputy Speakers, are expected to attend, according to a statement from parliament.

Some 120 parliaments, including high-level delegations from both the Russian Federation and Ukraine – which are currently involved in a war – are expected to attend.

The IPU is the global organisation of national parliaments, which works to empower legislatures and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development.

The Assembly will be held under the overall theme "Gender equality and gender-sensitive parliaments as drivers of change for a more resilient and peaceful world.”

Here is what is on the agenda for this global meeting.

Gender-driven legislation

Organisers of this gathering said the forum will facilitate exchanges on good practices to make parliaments more gender-sensitive as well as encouraging parliaments to pledge transformative action.

Rwanda leads the way when it comes to gender equality in parliament. In 2008, the Rwanda Chamber of Deputies was the first elected national parliament with more women than men, indicates the above-mentioned statement.

With the proportion of MPs who are women standing at 61.25 per cent today, well above the current global average of 26.4 per cent, Rwanda has been at the top of the IPU’s monthly ranking of women in national parliaments for years.

Rwanda also has a relatively young parliament, with half of its deputies under 45 years old, well above the global average of 29.85 per cent, also tracked by the IPU.

At its assemblies and meetings, the IPU said it continues to push for gender parity and youth participation, using incentives but also sanctions (affirmative actions) to encourage inclusive parliamentary delegations.

Thanks to these efforts, it indicated, the results are visible, with currently, over 35 per cent of MPs who attend the IPU Assembly being women, compared with an average of 7 per cent in 1978 – 44 years ago.

Around 25 per cent of the participating MPs are under the age of 45.

Ukraine situation

As part of the Assembly due in Kigali, the IPU Task Force for the peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine will meet to follow up on its initial mission to Kyiv and Moscow.

The Task Force will report to the full membership on the outcome of its mission and the steps ahead, according to the statement.

The objective of the Task Force – led by MP Ali Al Nuaimi of the United Arab Emirates and composed of eight prominent parliamentarians – is to explore possible parliamentary solutions to contribute to an end to the war in Ukraine.

Its efforts aim to complement ongoing peace efforts at the governmental and UN level.