Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia

FSM joins the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Palikir, Pohnpei (FSM Congress): April 27, 2011 - The Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia has been admitted as a member of the international parliament organization called the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

On April 16, 2011, the Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union adopted in Panama a resolution to admit the FSM Congress as a member of the international body.

The FSM's consideration for IPU membership began years earlier through Congress participation in various IPU sponsored or affiliated events. Over the years, Congress has come to understand and appreciate the values subscribed to by the IPU and the ideals for which it stands and thus began FSM's approval process.

During the Fifth Regular Session of the 16th Congress, Vice Speaker Fredrico O. Primo introduced a resolution to seek Congress approval for FSM's membership in the IPU and on November 24, 2010, Congress approved and adopted Congressional Resolution 16-114.

Vice Speaker Primo attended the 124th General Assembly of the IPU in Panama where he submitted to the IPU's Governing Council FSM's request for membership.

He expressed appreciation to the Governing Council for accepting FSM's membership and highlighted that FSM believes in "the ideals of IPU, and subscribe to the noble values advocated by the IPU in the areas of promoting peace."

Vice Speaker also noted that FSM recognized the importance IPU placed on institutional promotion and visibility, and therefore it looked forward to establishing inter-parliamentary contacts and cooperation with parliaments and parliamentarians around the world to "strengthen our institution at the regional and international levels."

The small delegation from the FSM to the IPU General Assembly in Panama was headed by Vice Speaker Primo with Mrs. Primo and Congress Chief Clerk Liwiana R. Ioanis.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union was created in 1889 as the first permanent forum for political multilateral negotiations. Promoting the concepts of peace and international arbitration, the IPU provided the origins for today's form of institutionalized multilateral co-operation and advocated the establishment of corresponding institutions at the inter-governmental level -- which eventually came into being as the United Nations.

The IPU has transformed itself into the international organization of the Parliaments of sovereign States. It is the center for dialogue and parliamentary diplomacy among legislators representing every political system and all the main political leanings in the world -- constituting a unique platform for observing political opinions and trends around the world.

Its statutory Assemblies and specialized meetings serve as a testing ground for new ideas and initiatives leading to important breakthroughs in the search for peace and advancing international co-operation.

Along with the FSM, the Pacific island nation members of the IPU include Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Palau and Samoa. With FSM's membership the Inter-Parliamentary Union based in Switzerland now has 157 member Parliaments.