UN Geneva - Multimedia Newsroom : IPU - Press conference: Secretary General-Elect Anda Filip

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much for attending this special IPU press briefing.

I am delighted to be here with Ambassador and Philip who is the future 10th Secretary General of the Inter Parliamentary Union, taking office on the 1st of July next week.

The first woman and the first Eastern European to hold the post in the IP US 137 year history.

She succeeds Martin Chim Gong, who you know well, who was who was the 9th IPU Secretary General and whose 3rd and final term will end on the 30th of June next week, which is actually the anniversary of the IP US Foundation in 1889 and which is now celebrated as the International Day of Parliamentarism.

Ambassador Anda Phillip was elected at the 152nd IPU Assembly just last April in Istanbul, where she secured A landslide victory of 72 percent, 72% of the votes in a single round, up against three other candidates and with hundreds of parliamentarians, hundreds of IPU lawmakers from our global membership who elected her.

So I am delighted to welcome Anda and I will now give her the floor for her opening remarks.

And then we'll we'll take any questions from the the press corps.

Thank you Anda Ovich.

Thank you so much, Thomas, and good morning.

I'm absolutely delighted to be here this morning.

This is my first press conference as IPU Secretary General Elect, and I feel that it is only fitting that this first briefing take place here with the accredited correspondence to the United Nations.

And I'd like to thank you all for the fantastic work that you are doing covering international Geneva and of course, also the work of the Inter Parliamentary Union.

As I prepare to take office next week on the 1st of July, I would like to share with you my three main priorities, which are fully aligned with the new IPU strategy also adopted in April in the context of the Istanbul Assembly, a strategy for the next 5 years, 2027 to 2031.

First, I will step up parliamentary diplomacy.

Diplomacy and parliamentary dialogue are the foundational values of the IPU.

You may know that the IPU was born out of the peace movement in the late 19th century, when British and French MPs imagined a world where disputes could be resolved around the table rather than by conflict.

That was true in 1889, and certainly it's true today as well.

We see parliamentary diplomacy as the fifth pillar of parliamentary action, alongside legislation, representation, government oversight and budgeting, and over the decades we have seen countless examples that have helped that testify to the value of parliamentary diplomacy.

The IPU has a very unique global convening power.

It brings together 183 member parliaments as well as basically all the major parliamentary organisations around the world and it is open to all 45,000 parliamentarians worldwide through its biannual assemblies, through the specialised meetings, through a variety of activities that we convene both in person and online.

This allows us to support other peace building efforts, catalyse dialogue, build common ground and encourage collective action.

And given the current strains on the international order, the IPU has sought to intensify parliamentary diplomacy as a vital complement to the work of the United Nations and other multilateral bodies.

At the IPU we have several specialised bodies that bring together MPs from countries that are in conflict.

We have a Middle East Committee, one of the few places where still MPs from both Israel and Palestine meet on a regular basis.

We have a task force on Ukraine which engages actively with high level parliamentary delegations from both Russia and Ukraine.

Another example, over the past two years for example, the IPU has facilitated, has offered its good offices for four direct meetings between the speakers of parliament of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

These were historical, they started in at IPU headquarters.

And these talks, we believe, did help overcome deep seated mistrust and now we are talking about a regular parliamentary dialogue mechanism between the two countries that is also endorsed by the two respective heads of state.

Secondly, I will strengthen the IP US role in empowering parliaments and those who work within the institution of parliament.

This is particularly important today in light of democratic backlash that we see all over the world, executive overreach, stagnation in women's political empowerment and in youth representation, and a widespread pushback on human rights.

And I should mention here that we have designated this year, 2026, as the year with a priority theme on human rights.

And from our own records that we know that around 840 MPs are currently being monitored by the IP US own Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians.

Most of these 840 cases are opposition members who face overall harassment, suspension, loss of mandate or restrictions on free expression.

And then they are the the extreme situations of actual assassinations.

We are also seeing more political violence from the public.

Earlier this year, the IPU published the first comprehensive study on the issue and based on the survey of more than 500 MPs, it found that 71% had experienced violence from the public in the exercise of their parliamentary mandate.

We Much of this abuse is online and it is being worsened clearly by AI.

Just yesterday, the IPU published guidance on non consensual intimate imagery, including sexualized deep fakes.

AI has made it easier, cheaper and faster to create abusive synthetic images, and UN Women reports a 550% increase in deep fake videos between 2019 and 2023.

And we see that women, parliamentarians, journalists, human rights defenders, they are the among the categories of people that are most at risk.

This is clearly not just a technological issue, it also has to do with democracy because it deters good candidates and especially young women from entering politics.

So the challenge is urgent.

Women currently make up only 27.5% of parliamentarians worldwide, the slowest rate of growth since 2017.

For the second consecutive year, youth representation has also stalled, with MPs aged 30 or under still at 2.8% worldwide.

And we believe that this guidance is highly topical, also bearing in mind the fact that half of only less than half of the countries around the world actually have laws or legislation covering online abuse.

The good news is that solutions do exist and the IPU helps to develop, identify and share good practise from parliaments that are taking action and getting results.

And thirdly, my priority will be to make the IPU more inclusive, responsive and accountable.

This also means deepening engagement within the parliamentary community and strengthening ties with the wider ecosystem, which includes the UN and its specialised agencies, civil society, academia and the media.

For example, in July of last year, the IPU together with the United Nations convened the 5th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament.

This is a meeting that started in 2000 that we convene every five years, focusing on multilateralism and the role of the United Nations.

It took place here in Geneva.

We were the first meeting after the renovation to convene in the Saudis Assembly upstairs and the World Summit produced a declaration calling for key transitions needed to advance peace, justice and prosperity, for stronger parliamentary engagement with the UN and generally for more effective multilateralism.

And maybe as the last point, since I was talking about inclusion and representation, we feel that the IPU has made strides in becoming a truly democratic and inclusive organisation.

It walks the talk.

Members recently have amended the IPU statutes and rules.

For 30 years we've been talking about gender equality.

Now gender parity is the new norm that is enshrined in the IPU statutes and that it is being implemented.

We see that in the IPU structures, the bureaus of the standing committees or the executive committee.

Perfect gender parity.

We see it in the voting mechanisms.

All of our members have a vote, all of them have a voice.

They actually have three votes, provided that delegations have MPs, both men and women.

And we see it also in the composition of the delegations because again, we are calling from our national parliaments, the members, we are inviting the delegations to be gender equal, to have young MPs and to include parliamentarians from vulnerable and other under represented groups.

So it's only fitting therefore, and I'm absolutely honoured that after 137 years, the IPU now has a woman Secretary general.

We hope this will also set the tone for the United Nations later this year.

And these were my comments and I'm very, very happy to take your questions.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much, Madam Secretary General Elect and Philip.

And just to say that this morning you should have received a press, a press release with an embargo for next Tuesday, the 30th of June, which is the the International Day of Parliamentarism.

And in that press release, you'll find more biographical details of Ambassador and Philip, as well as a little bit more information about the new IPU strategy for 20272031, which Madam Secretary General elect referred to.

So we'll now open the floor.

I see that there's a few people in in the room.

Thank you very much for for coming.

And we have quite a crowd online.

So if there are any questions from the from the press corps, please don't hesitate.

We have to I promise that we will vacate the room at quarter past in time for the for the bi weekly press briefing, please.

Thank you Robin Millard from AFB.

This this tide of AI abuse that you mentioned the parliamentarians are facing.

If nothing is is done about this, are we going to end up with poorer parliaments and what can be done about this?

[Other language spoken]

I believe the we, our members, are aware of the critical importance of dealing with this issue quickly and seriously.

Two years ago, in 2024, the Standing Committee on on Democracy and Human Rights adopted a resolution on the impact of AI on democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

And we have been closely monitoring.

We have a Centre for Innovation in Parliament, for example, and so we are tracking the way in which national parliaments in the capitals are dealing with AI and the various aspects, including the question of regulation.

We have developed also a code of ethics on science and technology, including AI, that identifies some options or some ideas, things that institutions, national authorities should be thinking about.

And through the accountability mechanism, whereby every year the members come back to the IPU and they report on what they've done in follow up to the various commitments, we try to shed light on those good practises that are out there so as to inspire action by others.

Together with the European Parliament, actually we'll be organising later this year an E Parliament conference in Brussels.

And more and more we are hearing that the only option going forward is to regulate.

Yes, we have regulations on tobacco, on alcohol consumption.

I was a couple of weeks ago in Warsaw, where the Polish Senate organised a very interesting workshop with expertise on the the relationship between AI and child protection at the end of the day, and some specific recommendations there.

So this is how we are trying to raise awareness, to encourage action and to get the MP, try to get the MPs to play a much more proactive role in tackling the challenges and the risks associated with AI and will be involved in July also in the multitude of activities taking place in Geneva around this this issue.

Thank you, Robin.

Just to say that we have this, we published this guide yesterday which I can send to you.

So combating non consensual intimate imagery of parliamentary guide which and are referred to.

And there's lots of examples of parliaments taking action, regulating, legislating, making sure there's some kind of enforcement mechanism as well.

Australia, the Republic of Korea, Kenya.

So there's examples of of Parliament and the European Parliaments, of course, which Andy mentioned.

So lots of examples of Parliament's taking action.

And maybe just a last point on this, if I can.

In the executive summary, I received this yesterday, so it's brand new, this publication.

In the summary, you get the top five priorities for parliamentary action in this area #1 legislate to recognise AI generated and CII as gender based violence #2 to ensure effective takedown and Victim Support mechanisms.

And parliaments can do that #3 Use oversight to track implementation evidence and platform compliance #4 MPs as opinion leaders need to speak out publicly on NCII and #5 to cooperate internationally on a borderless harm.

And we see at the IPU indeed the value of those informal one-on-one personal conversations whereby the MPs share what they are doing back home and then other others take those ideas to their own parliaments for discussion and action.

[Other language spoken]

Great, thank you very much.

And I see there's a a question online from Catherine, Catherine Fenkin Bokonga, you have the floor.

Thank you so much, Thomas and good morning, Mrs Philip.

Congratulation for in fact your election.

We're very happy to have you back in Geneva in on in another position.

My question is related.

So, So what you said previously about the the growth of women in parliaments, it is only 27.5% of women are holding parliamentary seats worldwide.

So what kind of actions or initiatives do you plan to take in order to boost the evolution of women in parliaments?

Thank you for your answer.

Thank you very much for the question.

For many years now, I think it's been 40 years since the Forum of Women Parliamentarians was created at the IPU and we've seen institutionally how they themselves have been a tremendous force for change, really transforming the organisation into the gender sensitive institution that it is today.

Internationally, we try to equip the women with the tools that they need in order to perform in this very tough environment of politics.

We have to realise that if in many, many countries, my own as well, you know, there are, there aren't huge issues in terms of gender equality, in the sense that women have exactly the same rights in terms of education and employment opportunities.

And you see that they are very, very active in, in the private sector, 52% of the diplomats are women in science, in civil society, with the one exception of politics.

And here I think violence and especially now online violence plays a very serious role in dissuading women to seek public office when they know that it's not just themselves that are at risk, but maybe their children and their families as well.

They think twice before going into this area.

What we we are working with our members.

We believe that quotas over the years have been very effective tools.

We see them as temporary measures to create the critical mass and to to allow women to accede to this and.

We there are countries in all, on all regions, of course, in Northern Europe, in Southern Europe, the UAE is a country where you have full gender parity in the parliament.

On the Latin American continent, we like to give Mexico as an example, where you have a country with a head of state that is a woman, where you have perfect gender parity in the in the parliament as well as the chief, the attorney general, I believe, or the chief prosecutor is a woman as well.

So quotas are very effective tools that we have seen and tackling and sometimes this is the most difficult work that needs to be done, tackling stereotypes and negative social norms.

And to give you one example, sometimes the workplace needs to be adapted to the realities of a woman.

I was at a meeting recently and the MPs were sharing experiences and they were saying, for example, we need to take those the example of those countries where the voting sessions are within a very clearly defined time frame.

Because if you schedule votes at 10:00 PM, you are depriving women maybe of being at home and working with their with their children with on their homework.

So making sure again that the institutions are gender sensitive is part of the equation, I think in attracting more women to political life.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Catherine.

Catherine, follow up another question.

In fact, where will you first go?

What will be, what will be your first official trip as head of IPU?

To which country or region will you head?

I've already had a first tour as Secretary General elect to I was invited to some activities and we, the IPU, had our own events in Scopia, in Belgrade.

We had the annual parliamentary conference of women parliamentarians in Istanbul and in Warsaw at the regional seminar that I just mentioned on AI and child protection.

As Secretary General, I will be going in the second week of July to New York for the High Level Political Forum on the SDGS, where the IPU has a stand alone, well established parliamentary forum at HLPMHLPF, I'm sorry, where we work with the parliaments encouraging them to be part of the voluntary national reviews of implementation of the SDGS.

And so we're expecting a very good event in New York in mid-july.

OK, thank you very much.

Any other questions in in the room?

I don't see any of us online.

So thank you to all those who have attended in person and both online.

Our colleagues from Information Services will be will be happy that we finished on time.

And just to say that of course, Ander Phillip is is available as well for any follow up interviews and that we hope this is the first of many encounters with the the press call at the United Nations in Geneva.

Thank you very much.

[Other language spoken]

Have a great end of the week as well.

[Other language spoken]