Announcement of the House of Representatives
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs Anita Demetriou, participated today in the Meeting of Women Speakers of the Parliaments of the European Union (EU) Member States on the role of women in foreign policy. On the sidelines of the meeting, the President of the Parliament attended a working dinner hosted by the President of the Czech Parliament, Ms Markéta Pekarová Adamová.
In her intervention, the President of the Parliament stressed the importance of establishing the Meeting of Women Presidents of Parliaments on the eve of the annual Conference of Presidents of Parliaments, as it provides an opportunity to exchange views on the integration of the gender dimension into the agenda of the Conference of Presidents and to take joint action on topical issues of concern to the EU, in particular the gender dimension. He informed about the work of the Parliament in general, and in particular about the adoption of legislation on combating sexism, protection from harassment, prevention and combating violence against women and domestic violence, which bring Cyprus in line with the provisions of the Istanbul Convention, through which femicide is recognised as a criminal offence punishable by life imprisonment. She also stressed the need to establish effective mechanisms for monitoring the legislation passed on gender issues, as it is not enough at this stage to pass and effectively implement such legislation.
Furthermore, Ms Demetriou criticised the under-representation of women in key leadership positions, especially in foreign policy issues, which, she said, demonstrates the immediate need to take action to address this phenomenon. He stressed the need to undertake joint efforts to strengthen peace, security and the defence of human rights in the context of the Union's cooperation with regional and international organisations. Ms Demetriou welcomed the decisions on gender mainstreaming in EU policies, including security, conflict prevention and resolution, as enshrined in the UN Agenda for Women, Peace and Security. The President stressed that in the current geopolitical spectrum and the alarming security environment, the implementation of the UN agenda and the implementation of the EU Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security 2019-2024, consisting of accountability and reporting mechanisms to review its implementation, is crucial. Important and multi-dimensional, as Ms Demetriou noted, is also the issue of strengthening the presence of women in key foreign policy positions, and in this context the exchange of best practices and the participation of civil society in the dialogue on this issue.
In conclusion, Ms Demetriou stressed the importance of strengthening the gender dimension by providing equal opportunities for the strengthening of representative democracy, highlighting the crucial role of national parliaments in this direction.
The President of the Parliament also held a bilateral meeting today with the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Mr. Ruslan Stefanchuk. The meeting reaffirmed the excellent relations between the House of Representatives and the Ukrainian Parliament and Cyprus' support for the suffering Ukrainian people. In the same context, specific issues concerning the provision of expertise and training in security matters were discussed, while the commitment of the Republic of Cyprus to the implementation of sanctions against Russia by the EU was underlined. The President of the Parliament accepted the invitation of the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine to visit Kiev as soon as possible, leading, at her own suggestion, a bipartisan inter-parliamentary delegation, in order for everyone to see the consequences of the Russian invasion of the country. Ms Demetriou also pledged to table a motion for the adoption of a resolution by Parliament condemning the Great Famine of 1932 in Ukraine as genocide of the Ukrainian people by the then Soviet Union.
Moreover, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the two Parliaments, whereby the House of Representatives will provide support to the Ukrainian Parliament by providing expertise and best practices in order to successfully pass the stage of negotiations and alignment with the acquis communautaire as prerequisites for EU membership.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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