ADOPTED BY THE 11th SESSION OF THE PUIC CONFERENCE
BAGHDAD, REPUBLIC OF IRAQ
22 January, 2016
1- As part of the 11th Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States, the 5th Conference of Muslim Women Parliamentarians was opened, on 22 January 2016 at Al-Rasheed Hotel (Zawraa Hall) in Baghdad, with a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran.
2- ADDRESS BY H.E. SPEAKER OF THE IRAQI COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES:
H.E. Dr. Salim Al-Jaboury, Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives inaugurated the Conference, which was attended by a large number of participating parliaments, with an address in which he welcomed the attendees, wishing them successful and fruitful deliberations and a pleasant stay in Baghdad. He expressed his hope that the life-giving spirit of Baghdad will push forward toward further achievements in securing a life of freedom and dignity for Muslim women. He added that in the context of the protection of society from terrorism, women’s role should not be confined to social upbringing, especially in light of the harsh and complex living conditions in many Islamic countries. He stated that women represent not only half of society but rather the whole of it. It is, therefore, necessary, to devise a strategy for the enhancement of women’s role in our societies. This strategy shall seek to put an end to violence against women, to criminalize its perpetrators, and to develop practical programs with a view to eradicating it. He called for establishing dialogue among women’s committees in Islamic parliaments. He pointed out that women in Iraq are exposed to the most severe ordeals at the hands of terrorist groups. He called for taking practical measures to foster the role of Muslim women, and proposed to consider the idea of setting up a Supreme Council of Muslim Women emanating from PUIC or OIC that shall deal with counterpart parliaments in the world in order to ensure sustainable human and religious dialogue in all issues of concern to women.
- ADDRESS BY H.E. PUIC SECRETARY GENERAL
H.E. PUIC Secretary General extended his thanks to the Iraqi Council of Representatives for the hosting and excellent organization of the 5th Conference of Muslim Women Parliamentarians as part of the 11th PUIC Conference. He highlighted the remarkable progress the Conference has made since it was created in 2012. He stressed the determination of Member Parliaments to enhance the role of women in all situations. He reviewed the items included in the agenda, and expressed the wish to see the present conference come out with resolutions and recommendations that will help to face the current crises, protect Muslim women and children, particularly in areas of conflict and in those under occupation, and to establish security and peace. He also thanked the Women Parliamentarians who chaired the four previous conferences, and wished the present conference all success.
- WORKING SESSIONS:
1- Election of the members of the Conference Bureau:
Members of the Conference Bureau were elected as follows:
1.1 President of the Conference: H.E. Dr. Farah Al-Zubeidi, Member of the Iraqi Council of Representatives
1.2 Vice-President from the Arab group:
H.E. Ms. Fatima Muhammad, Member of the Mauritanian National Assembly
(There were no candidates from the African Group)
1.3 Vice-President from the Asian group
H.E. Fatima Rahbar, Member of the Islamic Parliament of Iran
1.4 Rapporteur:
H.E. Mrs. Intissar Al-Jaboury, member of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, followed by H.E. Rihab Al-Abouda, member of the Iraqi Council of Representatives
- The agenda was adopted after adding a number of items related to the fight against terrorism.
DELIBERATIONS:
Participants’ interventions were focused on items 4, 5 and 6 of the agenda, and they concerned the following:
2.1 Women’s ability to solve local and regional problems and conflicts;
2.2 Protecting Muslim women and children in areas of conflict and in those under occupation, particularly in Palestine and other countries torn by conflicts;
2.3 Preventing acts of violence against women and children, and refraining from the exploitation of women in cheap commodity promotions;
- DATE AND VENUE OF THE 6TH CONFERENCE OF MUSLIM WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS:
This conference will be held simultaneously with the date and venue of the next annual conference early 2017.
DECISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CONFERENCE:
The valuable and serious interventions of the participants yielded the following decisions and recommendations:
1. Establishing a Supreme Council of Muslim Women Parliamentarians;
- Setting up a committee composed of Muslim Women Parliamentarians to be tasked with:
a) Documenting the crimes perpetrated by terrorist and extremist groups against women and children in areas under their occupation in Islamic countries;
b) Highlighting the role of Muslim women in settling conflicts and promoting social peace in OIC Member States
c) Following up the situation of women and children in the camps of displaced persons in the regions to which local inhabitants have migrated as a result of terrorism, and protecting them from the practices of marriage jihad and marriage of underage females prevalent in these regions.
- Approving and implementing the Document of Muslim Women adopted during the previous session of the Conference, and establishing mechanisms for its implementation;
4. Demanding the non-politicization of the human rights issue, and condemning all violations perpetrated by terrorist groups against unarmed civilians;
5. Setting up a high coordination committee for the Union of Muslim Women Parliamentarians, to be in charge of following up the implementation of the Conference resolutions, and establishing and energizing a database of Muslim Women Parliamentarians;
6. Disseminating the culture of moderate Islam through conferences and symposiums to be held by the Conference of Muslim Women Parliamentarians;
7. Establishing a charter of cooperation for providing legal and humanitarian protection to Muslim men and women refugees;
8. Unifying the legal systems and the personal status laws relating to women and children, in order to achieve rapprochement and coordination, and share successful experiences in enacting legislations that promote women’s status and preserve their rights and obligations;
9. Preventing acts of violence against women and children, and refraining from exploiting them in undignified work such as prostitution and begging,
10. Denouncing the acts of violence and terrorism perpetrated against women and children by the Zionist Israeli occupation authorities and by terrorist groups such as Daesh, Boko Haram and others;
11. Expanding women’s involvement in political activities, elections, and decision-making circles, particularly in peace negotiations and agreements;
12. Calling for sharing experiences among women parliamentarians as regards the promotion of democratic practices and of partisan organizations, and paying tribute to women having accomplished an effective role in conflict resolution;
13. Commending the states of Member Parliaments for having adopted and developed laws to protect children and minors, to enhance women’s economic empowerment through micro-credit funds and other mechanisms, to promote personal status laws, and to boost social dialogue forums in order to address the issues of local and national communities.
14. Hosting an extraordinary session of the Conference by the National Assembly of Mauritania:
The Conference of Muslim women Parliamentarians welcomed the invitation extended by the National Assembly of Mauritania to host an extraordinary session in Nouakchott, 20 April 2016.
INTERVENTION BY THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT:
At the end of the meeting, H.E. Ambassador Siddig Yousif Abu Agla, Director of Cabinet of the Secretary General, expressed, on behalf of the Secretary General, his thanks and gratitude to the Iraqi Council of Representatives for hosting and the excellent organization of the 5th session of the Conference of Muslim Women Parliamentarians.
He commended the active participations, especially in the extraordinary circumstances experienced by women in areas of conflicts and wars where they are exposed to terrorist acts that undermine their dignity. He called for further action, cooperation and unity to defeat terrorism;
He stressed the need to follow up the implementation of the resolutions in order to develop the work of the Conference of Muslim Women Parliamentarians. He expressed the readiness of the General-Secretariat to cooperate in this regard;
He referred to the speech by H.E. the Secretary-General in the inaugural session in which he expressed the readiness of the General-Secretariat to prepare any extraordinary meeting to be convened by any Member Parliament, in order to follow up the execution of the resolutions before the holding of the regular conference that annually takes place simultaneously with the PUIC Conference.
SUBMISSION OF THE REPORT OF THE CONFERENCE OF MUSLIM WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS TO THE PUIC CONFERENCE
Her Excellency the President of the Conference of Muslim Women Parliamentarians will submit the report that includes the recommendations and resolutions to the 11th PUIC Conference held in Baghdad on 24-25 January 2016.