EP launches program to defend rights of parliamentarians globally

(MENAFN - Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BRUSSELS, June 30 (KUNA) -- The European Parliament Wednesday launched a program called "Solidarity with Parliamentarians" to support elected representatives worldwide who are confronted with threats and harassment."Parliamentarians need protection against harassment, against intimidation and arbitrary judicial procedures and against imprisonment.The idea behind our program called "Solidarity with Parliamentarians" that we are launching today is exactly to do this," said German MEP Hannah Neumann who is the initiator of the program."The program provides twinning partnerships with the members of the European Parliament and parliamentarians around the world.This program will provide a more personal approach in defending democracy and human rights around the globe with the members of the European Parliament," said Neumann, who is chairperson for Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula and Vice-Chair Subcommittee on Human Rights in the EP.The event was held to mark International Day of Parliamentarism, which falls on 30 June.On her part, Maria Arena chair of the EP subcommittee for human rights said the program is a new tool within the EP's global democracy support strategy, and is organized by the European Parliament's Democracy Support and Elections Coordination Group."We will work very hard with this program with our counterparts and it is very important to have this program in the EP," she stressed.Representatives of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the NGO Parliamentarians for Global Action as well as ASEAN parliamentarians also took stock of the global state of parliamentarians' rights in a live online debate hosted by the EP in Brussels. (end) nk.mb MENAFN30062021000071011013ID1102370942