By BAKANG MOKOTO
10 April 2025 – The Secretary to Parliament, Xolile George, has been elected to the executive committee of the Association of Secretaries General to Parliaments (ASGP) at the 150th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly. The Association is an organ of the IPU and has a 9-member executive committee.
The Association held its meeting on the sidelines of the 150th IPU Assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where the South African Parliament is represented by a multi-party delegation led by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza. The Assembly, which started on 5 April 2025, came to an end on Wednesday.
The ASGP was founded in 1939 as a consultative body of the IPU and seeks to facilitate personal contact between holders of the office of Secretary-General in any Parliamentary Assembly, whether such Assembly is a Member of the Union or not. Its task is to study the law, procedure, practice, and working methods of different parliaments and propose measures for improving those methods and securing cooperation between the services of different parliaments.
When asked to do so, the Association also assists the Inter-Parliamentary Union on subjects within the scope of the Association.
George said his election is a testament to the confidence the world and members of the IPU have in South Africa. He said this indicates that the country has much to offer to the world regarding leadership, governance, peace and security, mediation of conflicts, and climate change.
“South Africa is a global player, and the world recognises that. The role of the administrative leadership of parliaments is imperative. The administrative arm of parliaments needed to complement the oversight arm to ensure the delivery and welfare of our people,” said George.
He further said the ASGP as an administrative arm needs to ensure that the IPU achieves its goals. George added that they still have a long way to go on the African continent when it comes to attaining democracy in the true sense and resolving conflicts.
“There are good flashes, but governance and parliamentary oversight still need some attention.” The conference heard, for example, that in some countries, members of parliaments got persecuted for executing their function of monitoring the executive.
“The IPU’s work is concerned with building strong democratic parliaments, advancing gender equality and respect for women’s rights, protecting and promoting human rights, contributing to peace-building, conflict resolution and security, fostering inter-parliamentary dialogue and cooperation and promoting youth empowerment,” he said.
George said this includes mobilising parliaments around the global development agenda and bridging the democracy gap in global governance. He said the administrative arm of parliaments needed to complement the oversight arm to ensure the delivery and welfare of our people.
“The ASGP as an administrative arm needs to ensure that the IPU achieves its goals. He highlighted the role of the administrative leadership of parliaments.
“We still have a long way to go on the African continent when it comes to attaining democracy in the true sense and resolving conflicts. There are good flashes, but governance and parliamentary oversight still need some attention,” said George.
His election coincides with Didiza’s election to Chair the Africa Group (a lobby caucus with the biggest membership within the IPU).
Meanwhile, the conference heard, for example, that in some countries, members of parliaments got persecuted for executing their function of monitoring the executive. The IPU comprises 182 member Parliaments, with the acceptance at this Assembly of the parliaments of Kazakhstan and Belize. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Guardian 