Preamble
Congress applauds the efforts of the president of the federation, Dr Juli Minoves-Triquell, the deputy
Chairman of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Professor Dr Karl-Heinz Paqué and all the members of the Manifesto Drafting Committee for their inspiring work in drafting the Liberal Manifesto tabled for adoption at 70th 5 Anniversary Congress of Liberal International. The Congress expresses conviction that the Manifesto will offer renewed spirit of common belonging to the liberal political philosophy and will be a turning point in resisting the rise of illiberal and populist rhetoric in many parts of the world.
Based on the narrative and the visions offered in the Liberal Manifesto, Liberal International and its members recommit towards improvement of democratic standards across the continents, further strengthening of the liberal international order by governments and regional organisations and ensuring that international agreements and free trade, respecting the fair and balanced views of the World Trade Organisation, will contribute to the economic prosperity of populations in all parts of the world.
Congress expresses serious concern over the continuous abuse of religion by extreme military forces, especially in the Middle East and Africa, presenting grave consequences for the regional and international peace and stability. Only through dialogue and with concentrated efforts through international institutions, predominantly through the United Nations, conflicts of global scale can be prevented.
Congress condemns the continued Human Rights atrocities and political violence that still persists across the world. Liberal parties across the world are committed to working together with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the pursuit of Justice, International Law, Rule of Law and ensuring that human rights abuses still get punished and exposed. We recommit to continue to work to ensure that all countries sign up to the Rome Statue so as to become members of the ICC in order to strengthen the global role of the institution in the promotion of Human Rights and Justice. Liberal International welcomes the adoption of the Paris Accords on Climate Change and recognises the historic momentum it has created for the community of nations becoming the fastest ever ratified international document to-date. Congress urges the nations around the world to seize this momentum and based on the opportunities presented at the Marrakech COP22 summit offer national and cross-border projects for speedy implementation of the undertaken commitments. Congress is concerned by the protectionist forces that have emerged in some countries and led to election victories in the developed world, and re-commits to work towards the establishment of a global free trade agreement through the member parties and governments, having in mind the LI resolution on Global Trade adopted at the 59th Congress.
Congress congratulates the LI Human Rights Committee on its renewed mandate and welcomes its establishment as one of LI’s flagship offerings making liberals heard in defending human rights with one voice around the world. The Congress takes note of the written and oral statements submitted to the UN Human Rights Council and the UN Commission on the Status of Women in particular on the prevention and elimination of violence against women in politics and the deterioration of the state of democracy and the rule of law around the world. The Congress invites the Committee to continue to expand its efforts in reaching out to relevant international human rights stakeholders and further solidify its relationship with liberal human rights parliamentarians and human rights Committees within LI member parties and cooperating organisations.
1 The Resolution offers the positions and policies of Liberal International in areas of the world where the
federation is active, predominantly where it has member parties and partners , and focuses on socio-economic
conditions arising between two Congresses, focusing on democratic standards, respect for Human Rights and
human development.
