Ecuador: Working for modernization of the Parliament
At the request of the Speaker of the National Congress of Ecuador, the IPU dispatched a needs assessment mission to Quito from 19 to 23 June 2006. The mission identified areas where the international community could provide assistance to the Congress in the shortmedium- and long-term. A project is being designed on the basis of the mission's findings. It will include activities to build the awareness and capacity of both members and staff of the Congress as well as to modernize the procedures of the institution. Streamlining human resource management and developing outreach, including through ICTs, will also be areas of focus.

Iraq: Creating a conducive environment for a solid and democratic legislature
The IPU and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) convened a technical meeting in Amman, Jordan on 10 and 11 July 2006. The meeting was attended by members and staff of the Iraqi parliament as well as international experts and IPU and UNDP staff members. Participants reviewed the needs of the Iraqi Parliament. These needs are being addressed in a project under design. It will include activities to assist members of parliament to carry out their legislative functions and to modernize decision-making processes and support parliamentary committees in carrying out their mandate effectively. The project is also expected to contribute to the effectiveness of the secretariat by building the capacity of the parliamentary service, improving systems and providing equipment and information resources. Implementation will begin in the near future. In parallel, the IPU and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights organized a two-day training programme at IPU Headquarters for members of the Parliament's Human Rights Committee. The session was intended to familiarize participants with the role and functions of a parliament, especially it human rights committee, in respect of the defence and promotion of human rights.

African parliamentarians: Role and priorities in promoting sustainable development
The IPU and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) organized a seminar in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from 26 to 28 June 2006. This seminar was hosted by the National Assembly of Cameroon and was the second in a series of seminars launched by the IPU and UNITAR under their Capacity-building Initiative for Parliamentarians on Sustainable Development. During the three-day seminar, some 100 members and staff from 20 parliaments discussed extensively the issue of parliamentary action in environmental management and more specifically drought, desertification and water management in the region. They further identified priorities which included the development of an African parliamentary network on environment, the harmonization of environment-related laws at the regional level and the promotion of peace on the African continent. Participants identified armed conflicts as a major impediment to the enforcement of laws and a direct cause of environmental degradation.