Visit our Facebook pageThis year LI chose to go to South America to hold their congress. They were delighted afterwards that it was a successful 64th Congress, held in Santiago, Chile. This historic congress, LI’s first-ever in South America, brought together over 200 dedicated leaders and delegates representing 50 member parties from across the globe, united by the mission to champion liberty, democracy, and justice. As economic uncertainties grow and political polarization deepens, the world looks to responsible, progressive leadership to foster open societies, protect human rights, and ensure prosperity through fair governance.
Our board members who were present Judith Pallares, Josephine Wu Vuylsteke and Lysbeth van Valkenburg-Lely had the honor of attending this Liberal International 64th Congress from November 29 – December 1, under the inspiring theme of “Uniting Liberals to Reunite Democracies”. This event brought together influential leaders and advocates from around the world to discuss the future of democracy and the role of liberal values in shaping a more inclusive and equitable political landscape.
During this significant gathering, a new political leadership for LI was elected:
President:
Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Paqué (FDP, Germany)
Deputy President:
Astrid Thors (SFP, Finland)
Vice Presidents:
Ahmad Al-Hariri (FM, Lebanon)
Art Eggleton (CGLI, Canada)
Henrik Bach Mortensen (Venstre, Denmark)
Luz Poblete (Evópoli, Chile)
Dr. Phillip Bennion (LibDems, United Kingdom)
Sidi Touré (RHDP, Côte d’Ivoire)
Treasurers:
Manfred Eisenbach (DGLI, Germany)
Lennart Salemink (VVD, Netherlands)
During the congress also some other elections were held:
• Khadija El Morabit was elected as non-executive vice-president
• Margaret de Vos van Steenwijk-Groeneveld was elected in the Human Rights Committee
• Ruth Richardson was elected in the Climate Justice Committee
• Loubna Amhair was elected in the Fair Trade Committee
This successful congress would not have been possible without the invaluable support of the Chilean partners, Evópoli and Partido Liberal de Chile. Special thanks also go to the Secretariat team for their exceptional efforts in organising and executing this event.
INLW has co-organized an event during the conference with LI, to highlight the urgent need for more inclusive representation and also to spark important conversations on the collective actions needed to dismantle gender biases in political spaces. It was a significant moment for all participants to reflect on the progress made and the work still needed to archive true gender equality in politics. Our president Khadija El Morabit was present online to open the event. President Hakima Elhaité once again told all participants the importance of commitment of all parties to have real participation of women in all activities. This kind of event should have been set up in the large conference hall and not in one of the smaller rooms during an LI congress. Women are essential to make the world a better and juster place for all.
As Astrid Thors said on one of her speeches “how can we talk about equality as liberals if we don’t do it ourselves”.
During the congress the resolutions were also adopted. The resolution that was submitted by International Network of Liberal Women (INLW):
Title: Women’s Rights in Cambodia
Acknowledging the essential role of gender equality and women’s empowerment in achieving sustainable development.
Recognizing the progress made by Cambodia in improving women’s rights but noting the persistent challenges such as gender-based violence, limited access to education, and underrepresentation in leadership roles.
Concerned by ongoing reports of domestic violence, human trafficking, and discrimination against women, including individuals like Chhim Sithar, the Union Workers Leader; Seng Theary, a Cambodian American Lawyer; Prom Chantha, a Friday Women Leader; and others in both urban and rural areas. Recently, the Cambodian government arrested Long Kunthea and Phoungkoev Raksmey who are youth environmental activists of Mother Nature Cambodia.
Noting the existence of legal frameworks aimed at gender equality but emphasizing the need for more vigorous enforcement.
The following is resolved:
- Calls upon the Cambodian government to strengthen the enforcement of laws protecting women from violence, trafficking, and exploitation.
- Urges the government to expand access to quality education for girls and women, particularly in rural areas to promote economic empowerment.
- Encourages the adoption of affirmative measures to increase women’s participation in politics and leadership while ensuring that judicial processes are not weaponized to intimidate women.
- Supports civil society organizations that advocate for women’s rights and allocates resources to programs addressing gender-based violence, healthcare, and economic opportunities for women.
Requests international organizations, donors, and partners to collaborate with Cambodia by providing technical and financial support to initiatives advancing women’s rights.
Adopted at the LI Congress, Santiago, Chile
Adopted at the LI Congress, Santiago, Chile
We also wish to congratulate Hakima Elhaité on her election as Honorary President of Liberal International. This remarkable achievement is a testament to her unwavering commitment to the core principles of liberalism, including freedom, democracy, human rights, and social justice. This recognition is not only a personal accomplishment but also a reflection of her vision for a more inclusive, democratic, and just world. Congratulations on this well-deserved honour!
Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza was awarded the Prize for Freedom 2024
Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza has been fighting for the establishment of genuine democracy and respect for human rights and rule of law in Rwanda for over a decade. She has been imprisoned through politically motivated judicial proceedings and served eight years of a 15 year prison sentence after announcing her intention to contest the Presidential Election in 2010. She was eventually released after appealing to an international court. In spite of all that she had to endure, Umuhoza has remained resilient and continues to fight for her rights and that of others and on her release she resumed her activities in speaking truth to the Rwandan authorities. Despite Rwandan government human rights violations and lack of democracy being well known across the board, Umuhoza’s work to promote human rights and freedom in Rwanda has not been sufficiently acknowledged. She remains at risk of extreme forms of political persecution with no protection and continues to receive threats to her safety since forming a new political opposition party, Development and Liberty for All.
With the members of the Human Rights Committee we made a field trip the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Santiago de Chile. The museum commemorates the victims of human rights violations during the military dictatorship led by Augusto Pinochet between 1973 and 1990.
We had a guided tour in English with the museum for the main exhibition. The guided tour also focused on international community support that has been historically documented and is presented at the museum. It was a very interesting visit.
The last evening we had a beautiful setting for our dinner with some nice performances of local artists.
We hope to see some of our members at the next meeting and perhaps at our GM in London in 2025.
