1) 15 - 20 April 2011 - 124th Assembly and related meetings (Panama City, Panama) 2) 16 - 19 October 2011 - 125th Assembly and related meetings (Bern, Switzerland) 3) 31 March - 5 April 2012 - 126th Assembly and related meetings (Kampala, Uganda)

4) 21 - 26 October 2012 - 127th Assembly and related meetings (Quebec City, Canada) The theme for the next IPU Assembly in Panama City would be "Parliamentary Accountability living up to people's expectations".

A list of specialized meetings was also distributed.

Appointment of two Auditors for the 2011 accounts

In accordance with Rule 41 of the Rules of the Governing Council the following two internal auditors were appointed:

. Mr Hector Tajam (Uruguay) . Mr Duarte Pacheco (Portugal)

Amendments to the Statutes and Rules

The Governing Council approved amendments to Rules 8 and 9 of the Rules of the Standing Committees and Rule 3 of the Rules of the Secretariat as follows:

Rules of Standing Committees Rule 8 1. A Committee officer shall not be eligible for re-election to the same post, either as titular or substitute, after four years in office. 2. When a Committee officer has served for four consecutive years, two years must elapse before that person may again be elected to the post held previously. Rule 9 1. In order to ensure as far as possible a fair distribution of these posts among the Members of the Union, representatives of a Member shall not simultaneously hold more than one post as President or Vice President, or hold a post in the same body for more than four consecutive years.

Rules of the Secretariat Rule 3 1. In accordance with the recruitment procedure appended to these Rules, the Secretary General shall be elected or re-elected by the Governing Council on the proposal of the Executive Committee for a four-year term, renewable twice. 2. The Executive Committee may propose to the Governing Council that it waive the procedure set out in paragraph 1 above and vote on the re- appointment of the incumbent Secretary-General.

Elections to the Executive Committee

The Governing Council elected two members to replace Ms. J. Fotso (Cameroon) and Mr. G. Versnick (Belgium), whose terms expired at the time of the 187th session of the Governing Council.

Mrs Sophie Ngouamassana Moulengui-Mouele (Gabon) and Mr Donald Oliver (Canada) were elected to the Executive Committee. Mrs Maria Antonieta Saa (Chile) was elected to serve the remainder to the term of Mr J Coloma (Chile) on the Executive Committee. Mr Coloma had tendered his resignation.

8. Meetings of the Assembly The 123rd Assembly was opened on Monday, 4 October by the President of the IPU, Mr Theo-Ben Gurirarb.

The meeting proceeded to a statement on the current situation unfolding in Ecuador.

The meeting then considered the requests for the inclusion of an emergency item in the agenda of the Assembly. Two requests had been received, namely:

. The importance of international inter-parliamentary cooperation for natural disaster response, in particular with regard to relief aid to flood stricken Pakistan (United Arab Emirates). . The urgent need for immediate action by the IPU and its Member Parliaments to encourage international relief efforts in flood stricken Pakistan (Islamic Republic of Iran).

After a brief introduction to each proposal the President of the IPU proposed the following consolidated text for consideration:

"Immediate action to support international relief efforts in response to natural disasters in particular with respect to flood stricken Pakistan"

The proposal of the President was accepted by acclamation.

During the debate on the emergency item Speaker Sisulu expressed the sympathy and support of South Africa to the people and government of Pakistan in the face of the devastation their country faced. He acknowledged the leadership role played by the United Nations to ensure a comprehensive response to the disaster, but raised a concern around the slow pace with which the international community had responded to this natural disaster. It was pointed out that the emergency resolution adopted during the 122nd IPU Assembly in Bangkok, as a result of the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, had called upon governments to make disaster risk assessment an integral part of the planning for post disaster recovery and reconstruction. Sustainable development, poverty reduction, good governance and disaster risk reduction are mutually supportive objectives. It was for parliaments to advocate for intensified efforts to build the necessary capacity at community, regional and continental levels which would manage and reduce risks. Speaker Sisulu indicated that the main humanitarian challenges faced by the world were an increase in the number of catastrophic events, an increase in the numbers of people vulnerable to them, governments that failed or were unable to respond and an international humanitarian system that was unable to cope. He called upon those present to redouble their efforts to implement the Hyogo Framework for Action. This Framework was a comprehensive action oriented response to international concern about the growing impact of natural disasters.

Speaker Sisulu also expressed concern with the deliberate manipulation and denial of humanitarian aid. It was important to take cognizance that almost 90% of natural disasters are linked to climate change. This was especially important in ensuring that progress was made during the forthcoming Climate Change Conference taking place in Mexico at the end of the year and in South Africa in 2011. It was stressed that failure to reach an agreement could not be an option that the world or developing countries in particular could afford. He reiterated the call for developed countries to take the lead in mitigating the impact of climate change.

After a presentation by Mr B Rae (Canada), on behalf of the drafting committee on the emergency item, the resolution was adopted by acclamation (Attached as an annexure to this report).

Report of the IPU Committee on United Nations Affairs Mr Frolick presented the report of the IPU Committee on United Nations on behalf of the committee's Advisory Group. He addressed the subject items reviewed by the committee, namely, the outcome of the United Nations MDG Summit, Parliaments and the Brussels Programme of Action (BPOA): looking towards the 4th United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Cooperation between the United Nations, parliaments and the IPU and the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

On the last point it was noted that the Committee was of the opinion that in view of the poor results of COP15, urgent progress was needed to restore faith in the ability of the Parties to take the process forward. In this regard it was vital to achieve a tangible outcome in Mexico and parliamentarians should take up their responsibility of ensuring the success of the meeting. The need for a strong parliamentary presence at the conference was underscored.

The Committee also noted the new composition of its Advisory Group and indicated to the Assembly that the next meeting of the Advisory Group would take place in New York on 1 December on the eve of the Annual Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations.

9. Advisory Group on the Committee on United Nations Affairs The Advisory Group met on 5 October 2010 to draft the Committee's report and to discuss future action. Mr Frolick attended the meeting as the representative of South Africa on the Advisory Group.

The Group also considered the modalities for the functioning of the Advisory Group, the draft statement on the Millennium Development Goals and the proposed resolution to be adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. The Group was also requested to scrutinise the preliminary draft report of the IPU Committee on United Nations Affairs.

In addition, the Group deliberated on the following issues:

. 2010 Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations (2 - 3 December 2010) . Field missions in 2011 . Consideration of the agenda for the April 2011 session of the IPU Committee on United Nations Affairs

Due to time constraints the Group agreed to revisit some of these issues and to finalise the discussions during the meeting scheduled for 1 December 2010.

10. Meeting of the Committee on United Nations Affairs

The Committee on United Nations Affairs met on Monday, 4 October and resumed its work on Wednesday 6 October. Mr C Frolick attended the meetings.

Outcome of the United Nations MDG Summit

The Committee received a presentation on the outcome of the United Nations MDG Summit (September 2010) which focussed on the main lines of action and political messages for the next five years. The special guests were Mr Thomas Stelzer, Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr Nthoitha M'Mithiaru, a member of parliament from Kenya and Ms Nurhayati Ali Assegaf, a member of parliament for Indonesia. In his presentation the Assistant Secretary-General highlighted the steps still to be taken in order to achieve the MDG targets. Gender equality in particular was considered as the largest multiplier effect and an area where the IPU could make a significant difference.

The leader of the delegation of Indonesia presented the IPU report on the MDGs, tabled during the 3rd World Conference of Speakers of Parliament. The report detailed the work of the IPU to help advance the MDGs, galvanize political support, make the case for more development funding and encourage action on the ground to achieve the goals.

The Committee then proceeded to a discussion on how parliamentary engagement in the MDGs could be enhanced in light of a new study conducted by the IPU and the UN Millennium Campaign on current parliamentary practices in support of the MDGs.

Parliaments and the Brussels Programme of Action (BPOA): looking towards the 4th United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

The Committee received a keynote address by the United Nations High Representative on the LDCs. The special guests were Mr Check Sidi Diarra, Under-Secretary General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), Mr Arjun Karki, International Coordiantor, LDC Watch, Mr Ephraim Kayembe, a member of parliament from Malawi and Ms Alice Foyah, a member of parliament for Sierra Leone). An interactive discussion to assist in defining the parliamentary input to the LDC Conference taking place in June 2011 was held.

Cooperation between the United Nations, parliaments and the IPU The Committee received a presentation on progress in United Nations - IPU cooperation since 2005. It also examined the 2010 report of the United Nations Secretary General and discussed elements for a General Assembly Resolution on cooperation between the United Nations, parliaments and the IPU. The need for member parliaments to engage with their representatives at the United Nations to garner support for the resolution was emphasised.

United Nations Climate Change Conference

The Committee received a presentation on the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 16) to be held in Mexico in December 2010. The Committee was briefed on the current negotiations, challenges and requirements for the conclusion of a global agreement on climate policies encompassing adaptation, mitigation, finance, technology, forests and capacity building.

15 year review of progress in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

The Committee discussed progress and setbacks in meeting the commitments set forth 15 years ago in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. It also examined recent initiatives by the IPU in support of gender equality and the empowerment of women.

The Committee also received a briefing on UN Women a newly established UN entity aimed at integrating and boosting overall United Nations efforts for gender equality.

11. Panel discussion: Providing a sound legislative framework aimed at preventing electoral violence, improving election monitoring and ensuring a smooth transition of power (First Standing Committee on Peace and International Security) A panel discussion was held on the subject to be considered by the First Standing Committee on Peace and International Security during the 124th IPU Assembly in 2011. Mr Schneeman and Mr Selfe attended the meeting. A draft report entitled "Providing a sound legislative framework aimed at preventing electoral violence, improving election monitoring and ensuring a smooth transition of power" was submitted by the co-rapporteurs Mr Jesudasu Seelam (India) and Mr Willias Madzimure (Zimbabwe) (the text of the draft report is attached as an Annexure to this report).

The panel discussion was led by the following panelists - Mr Nicolas Kaczorowski, Head Election Department, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and Mr Andrew Bradley, Director of Global Programmes Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

In his input Mr Schneeman indicated that elections provide citizens with the opportunity to determine their future and make their voice heard. It was of utmost importance that this was done in an environment free from violence, intimidation and fear. He stated that the South African parliament had passed legislation to ensure this and that the electoral system was guided by constitutional provisions which required elections to be held every 5 years. The Independent Electoral Commission was also established to oversee and process all matters related to the holding of elections. Disputes were resolved by the electoral court and an electoral code of conduct was in place. It was indicated that despite the deeply divided past of South Africa, that elections held since 1994 have been largely peaceful. In this regard public representatives have played an important role in building a culture of tolerance. Continuous voter education also plays an important role in ensuring that the electorate are aware of their rights as well as the protection afforded in exercising their choice. Election monitoring also assists in ensuring that elections can be conducted in an environment which is free and fair. It is important that this be a process that starts months ahead of an election and not just a few days prior. Members of the South African parliament have also played an important role in the participation of election observer missions within the Southern Africa region and on the continent. Members are trained for this purpose and the approach is to ensure the mission is undertaken in an unbiased and neutral manner. In addition South Africa welcomes the participation of election observers in its own elections. The smooth transition of power and democratic elections that have taken place since 1994 is a direct result of the sound legislation in play. The proportional representation system in place in South Africa also results in an inclusive approach which gives a broad spectrum of political groupings and society the opportunity to participate in the political process.

12. Panel Discussion: The role of parliaments in ensuring sustainable development through the management of natural resources, agricultural production and demographic change (Second Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade)

A panel discussion was held on the subject to be considered by the Second Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade during the 124th IPU Assembly in 2011. Dr Mulder, Ms Ntwanambi, Mr Frolick and Mrs Oliphant attended the meeting. A draft report entitled "The role of parliaments in ensuring sustainable development through the management of natural resources, agricultural production and demographic change" was submitted by the co-rapporteurs Mr Abdekkader Cherrar (Algeria) and Ms Kathleen Ferrier (Netherlands) (the text of the draft report is attached as an Annexure to this report).

The panel discussion was led by the following panelist - Mr Ulrich Hoffmann, Head, Trade and Sustainable Development Section, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The objective of the panel discussion was to provide an opportunity to the co-rapporteurs to interact with experts and members of the IPU on the topic under discussion. The input by experts and the membership would allow for the process of broad consultation and further aspects would be captured in the final report.

The Chairperson introduced the topic under discussion by the Third Standing Committee. He pointed out that the co-rapporteur from Netherlands is not in attendance due to political issues that requires her attention.

Mr Cherrar, presented the draft report and highlighted the following issues:

. The distribution of wealth and the reduction of poverty are key challenges that need to be addressed by the international community; . Sustainable living conditions would have to be ensured for present and future generations; . An integrated and sustainable approach within the three policy areas, i.e. the management of natural resources, agricultural production and demographic change was required.

The UNCTAD Secretariat representative, Mr Hoffman, provided an expert input on agriculture to assure food security under the challenges of global warming. His input provided an overview of what made agriculture important, the requirements for agricultural transformation and what policy changes at national and international levels would be required.

In his input Mr Frolick stated that parliamentarians are responsible for approving the budgets of the executive and therefore parliamentarians should ensure that sufficient funding was set aside for programmes that ensured environmental sustainability. Parliamentarians engaged with the budget process and should therefore argue for funding to support farmers, advocate for an increase in agricultural research and programmes for multinational climate change adaptation.

He further stated that parliamentarians should encourage governments to commit more funds to support small scale farmers, support renewable energy programmes and influence government policy to provide greater access to markets and export markets.

He stated that in South Africa land reform programmes were necessary to create opportunities for all and that parliamentarians should ensure gender mainstreaming of these policies and programmes.

13. Panel discussion: Transparency and accountability in the funding of political parties and election campaigns (Third Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights)

A panel discussion was held on the subject to be considered by the Third Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights during the 124th IPU Assembly in 2011. Ms Kubayi and Mr Rametlekane attended the meeting. A draft report entitled "Transparency and accountability in the funding of political parties and election campaigns" was submitted by the co- rapporteurs Ms Mmamoloko Kubayi (South Africa) and Mr P Moriau (Belgium) (the text of the draft report is attached as an Annexure to this report). The panel discussion was led by the following panelists - Mr Nicolas Kaczorowski, Head Election Department, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and Mr Andrew Bradley, Director of Global Programmes Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

In her input Mrs Kubayi highlighted that the rapporteurs had divided the work into a comparative analysis with her report focusing on Africa and Asia and Mr Moriau focusing on Europe and the United States. An area not focused on was Latin America and it was hoped that perspectives from this region would come from the panel discussion. She indicated that the report separated private and public funding for political parties. It was fairly straightforward to define what comprised public funding and how the funds allocated were used. In many countries public funding is allocated based on proportional funding based on how each party performed at election. The question which then arose was whether this could be considered as a fair funding model? It could be argued that it was not as it perpetuates political party inequality and gives support to those already in power. The converse argument is however that the issue of equality can't be artificially promoted, as it is voters who express themselves on who their representatives are.

Mrs Kubayi indicated that while it could be argued that governments should allocate additional funds for political party funding that this was problematic for poor countries with huge social wage bills and was even more difficult for countries dependant on grants and donors to address the needs of their people.

A more contentious area related to private funding. The issue in this regard related to the disclosure of funding during elections. Systems in countries varied greatly and in many instances political parties had no choice but to run expensive election campaigns. For example, in most African countries where there are vast rural areas, poverty and high illiteracy, it is expensive to run election campaigns as you can not use technology such as TV, newspapers and/or social internet networking to reach voters.

Mrs Kubayi indicated that she did not support the notion of public funding for parties not represented in parliament as a party should be mandated by the people to access public funding. Furthermore, attempts to level the playing field or introduce campaign spending limits were not always practical. The issue of funding of individuals as opposed to parties needed to be addressed and a compromise position found in order to find a positive balance between the two.

Mrs Kubayi stressed that while she believed that regulatory mechanisms needed to be in place to protect both the public and politicians. However she indicated that it was her belief that these measures needed to be voluntary and non-punative. The best situation would be for political parties to self regulate and put their own measures in place to ensure accountability and transparency.

In conclusion Ms Kubayi stated that she believed that transparency and accountability were the pillars of democracy and that it was imperative that political parties should be part of the solution when it came to the funding of political parties.

In his presentation Mr Moriau indicated that it was difficult to find a linking element as all countries had different mechanisms in place. Political propaganda and awareness raising had changed a great deal due to the rise of television and other information and communication technologies. He focused his presentation on the funding of political parties, the regulations of campaigns and control and transparency mechanisms.

Mr Moriau also stressed that systems vary from country to country due to different political systems. He highlighted the difference between public and private funding specifically direct and indirect public funding. He stressed that there was clearly a need for control and sanctions and advocated for independent auditors to monitor the funding of political parties. He also indicated that included in the report was an example of the resolution adopted by the Council of Europe related to the framework for the funding of political parties and electoral campaigns. Mr Bradley from International IDEA focused his presentation on four broad areas - political parties and finance; the role of parliaments, strategic options for dealing with money in politics and regulation.

In regard to political parties and finance he stressed the need for a legislative framework to regulate this issue. With regard to the role of parliaments in curbing corruption and ensuring accountability he urged parliaments to take steps to ensure that codes of conduct were adopted.

He outlined two strategic options for dealing with money in politics. If the focus was to curb money and corruption in politics then emphasis should be placed on providing a sound legislative framework for regulation. Should the main focus be on leveling the playing field in relations to political parties then the focus should be on looking at distributive measures.

He stressed that regulation contributed to the public confidence in political institutions and enhanced the credibility of political institutions of democracy. However, as political systems vary greatly between countries flexibility is advisable when deciding on a regulatory mechanism. He stated that it was more effective to focus on incentives rather than constraints and sanctions. In this regard it was important to assist political parties to build develop a sustainable funding base. He also noted that access to funding was hampered the access of women in the political domain. In ensuring a balance between public and private funding it could be noted that enforcement and sanctions posed the greatest threat and solutions should be tailored to mitigate this threat. Foreign funding also deeply effected political parties and hampered the delivery of services. In conclusion he remarked that there had been some positive actions at an international level in terms of conventions to combat corruption, transnational organized crime and the negative effect of foreign funding of political parties. He expressed the willingness of International IDEA to provide assistance to the drafting process on the resolution to be considered in Panama.

In general the following matters were raised during the discussion.

. The continued need for ensuring political pluralism. . The undesirable situation with foreign funding of political parties. . Public and private funding was required by political parties especially in developing democracies. . The difficulty with providing uniform guidelines and regulation when political systems differed so substantially. . The issues related to indirect funding of political parties and access to the media. . How do we ensure transparency and accountability mechanisms that can be acceptable to the broadest range of countries.

In his input Mr Ramatlakane observed that there was a need to act in a manner that would enhance democracy and ensure trust in participatory democracy. The failure of national parliaments to comprehend and neutralize undisclosed private donor funding interests could compromise and weaken the governments' ability to deliver quality services. It was, however, clear that public funding for election campaigns remained a critical contributor to the promotion of multiparty democracy. He stated that as an international associated institution of parliaments the IPU needed to create mechanisms to ensure that we achieve uniformity on how we manage political party funding and uphold transparency and accountability. He expressed the view that political parties should adhere to procedures that do not disadvantage them financially.

He stated that a balance should be achieved between the monitoring, evaluation and regulations and rules governing political party funding with special consideration being given to self regulation within an agreed framework for reporting donor or election campaign funding. The starting point would be to advocate the uniformity around the areas of regulatory requirements for compliance by member states of the IPU. He advocated for non-punitive disclosure with a "sunset" clause for a 3 year period during which voluntary mechanisms should be put in place by parliaments.

Mr Ramatlakane's recommendation was that the IPU should advocate that all national parliaments should debate how to adopt uniform regulation rules that promote multiparty democracy which was free from corruption and that by the 124th IPU Assembly all national parliaments would have had discussions around the transparency and accountability in the funding of political parties.

14. Special Session on Migration and Development

The panellists were - Senator Rosario Green (Mexico), President of the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, Ambassador Sergio Marchi (Canada), former member of parliament and Minister of Citizenship and Immigration; Commissioner on the UN Global Commission on International Migration, Ambassador Arturo Hernandez Basave, Deputy Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations Office and other organizations in Geneva and Senator Rober del Picchia (France), member of the IPU Executive Committee. It was noted that the current global economic context is characterized by new challenges which emphasise how interconnected migration and development are. In the future the issue of global governance of migration will prove to be a matter of crucial importance. The panel aimed to provide information on the work of various intergovernmental bodies, including the United Nations, to manage migration and development in a comprehensive manner.

17. Conclusion and Recommendations

It is recommended that the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces refer the subject items to the Parliamentary Group on International Relations (PGIR) for engagement with the relevant parliamentary committees. These committees should, through their interaction with the PGIR focus group on the IPU seek to engage with the subject items from the perspective of South Africa with a view to influencing the resolutions which will be adopted on these subject items during the 124th IPU Assembly in Panama.

The delegation further recommends that the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces consider referring the resolution on the emergency item, adopted by the 123rd Assembly, entitled "Immediate Action to Support International Relief Efforts in Response to Natural Disasters, in particular with regard to flood stricken Pakistan" to the PGIR for further consultation with the PC on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the Select Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs with a view to informing the IPU on action taken by our Parliament to give effect to this resolution.

It is recommended that the PGIR engage with the content of the draft strategic plan for the IPU for 2010 - 2015. A submission on this should be formulated by 15 February 2011 for discussion by the Executive Committee of the IPU. Further discussions on the draft strategic plan will be held during the 124th IPU Assembly in Panama.

The 124th Assembly of the IPU will take place in Panama City, Panama from 15 - 20 April 2011.

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National Assembly

1. The Speaker

(a) The President of the Republic submitted the following letter dated 25 February 2011 to the Speaker of the National Assembly, informing Members of the Assembly of the employment of the South African National Defence Force for service in Mozambique waters and in international waters to monitor and deter piracy activities along the Southern Africa region of the Indian Ocean.