VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The 144th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has agreed on a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Thousands of delegates representing parliaments from 115 countries agreed on the peaceful resolution following a series of sessions and debates, which were led by Indonesian House Speaker Puan Maharani in her capacity as chief of the IPU Assembly this year.

“Indonesia has played a pivotal role in drafting the resolution. We joined the formulation committee. Indonesia has, from the beginning, underscored the significance of IPU’s central role in seeking a balanced solution to the Ukrainian issue,” she said at a press conference following the conclusion of the 144th IPU Assembly in BICC, here on Thursday.

During the Assembly, which was held from March 20 to 24, 2022, each member state was allowed to propose a draft resolution (emergency item).

The Ukrainian parliamentary delegation’s draft resolution on the Russia-Ukraine conflict urged IPU to denounce the military action by Russia and Belarus in Ukraine.

However, according to the Indonesian delegation, the view can risk deteriorating the conflict and hindering peace efforts, chief of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Board (BKSAP) at the House of Representatives (DPR,) Fadli Zon, said.

Zon is an Indonesian representative who joined the team formulating the final draft resolution on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Hence, during the general debate on March 21, 2022, Indonesia proposed a draft resolution, followed by New Zealand.

With Ukraine withdrawing its proposal, only draft proposals from Indonesia and New Zealand were presented. Although Indonesia’s draft proposal received less support, several points of Indonesia’s draft proposal were incorporated in New Zealand’s draft proposal.

The points stressed the collective role of parliaments to open up dialog between Russia and Ukraine and set up a task force to serve as a liaison for the two conflicting parties.

"Indonesia has convinced IPU to agree on the setting up of a task force to encourage the creation of peaceful solution to the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Of course, at the session, Indonesia discussed the importance of mainstreaming gender equality and women’s and youths’ participation in decision-making,” Maharani said.

The effort to mainstream gender equality was taken up by the Forum of Women Parliamentarians — an IPU body comprising women members of parliament. This year, the IPU Forum of Women Parliamentarians was led by Irine Yusiana Roba Putri of the Indonesian House of Representatives. (Antaranews)