This week in Geneva, Switzerland, the Secretary-General of the FP-ICGLR, Amb. Dr. Deo Mwapinga, held talks with Mr. Martin Chungong, Secretary-General of the IPU, to explore deeper collaboration between the two institutions. The meeting took place at Mr. Chungong’s office in Geneva, Switzerland, on the sidelines of the ongoing 151st General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). The discussion underscored the shared commitment of both organizations to advancing peace, stability, gender equality, and dialogue among parliaments within and beyond the Great Lakes Region.
Mr. Chungong shared insights from his recent visits to the Parliaments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, where he witnessed the growing momentum for cooperation and mutual understanding between legislative bodies. A key highlight of the talks was the proposal to formalize relations through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Once finalized, the MoU would provide a framework for technical and administrative collaboration, drawing on the IPU’s more than fifty years of global experience in parliamentary development and institutional strengthening. In addition, the IPU expressed readiness to accommodate a member of the FP-ICGLR Secretariat in its 2026 Information Seminar on the Structure and Functioning of the IPU for Francophone Parliaments —
a step aimed at deepening institutional knowledge and enhancing the Secretariat’s capacity to serve its Member Parliaments effectively. Ambassador Mwapinga also briefed Mr. Chungong on the upcoming
Women’s Parliamentary Conference on Women, Peace and Development, scheduled for November 2026 in Tanzania.
The event will advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda and operationalize the ICGLR Regional Action Plan.
In response, Mr. Chungong reaffirmed the IPU’s willingness to provide technical support for the conference, noting the IPU’s longstanding commitment to empowering women parliamentarians and promoting inclusive governance.
As the meeting concluded, Ambassador Mwapinga extended an invitation to Mr. Chungong to attend the next Plenary Assembly of the FP-ICGLR, recalling the IPU Secretary-General’s participation in the 2015 Plenary held in Angola, where he met the former President, H.E. José Eduardo dos Santos.
Both leaders agreed to maintain momentum through continued dialogue and joint initiatives that reinforce their shared vision of peace, gender equality, and
stronger parliamentary engagement across the Great Lakes Region.