South African MPs have added their voices to calls at the 139th Inter-Parliamentary Union’s (IPU) Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, for stronger multilateral governance structures of Trade and Investments.  

South African Parliamentarians have thrown their support behind international efforts to halt the weakening of multi-lateral fora governing trade and investments. 

A statement from the SA Parliament said this position was tabled at a meeting on Monday of the IPU Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade held in Geneva.  

The IPU Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance, and Trade, debated how Parliaments of the world could assist in addressing global economic challenges that include gross inequalities and differential development of the countries. 

Representing South Africa in the committee, MP Peace Mabe, said every nation should join the programme of protecting governance structures of international trade and investment from the emerging trend of some countries pursuing their national interests at the cost of global economic stability:      

Alongside this meeting, were meetings of two other Standing Committees of the IPU, dealing with matters of Peace and International Security, as well as Democracy and Human Rights. The Parliament of South Africa is represented in the standing committees by various members of the eight-member delegation. 

The Speaker of the National Assembly and leader of the eight-member SA delegation of parliamentarians, Baleka Mbete, is due to address the assembly of the IPU Tuesday afternoon on "Parliamentary Leadership in Promoting Peace and Development in the Age of Innovation and Technology" - which is the theme of the 139th Assembly of the IPU.