Press release of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
Geneva, 19 January 2001
N° 107

The Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will hold its 92nd session at IPU headquarters in Geneva from 22 to 25 January 2001. It will examine allegations of violations of human rights affecting 202 MPs in 31 countries and will review developments in the case of Mr. Alpha Condé of Guinea, a former presidential candidate.

Created in 1976, the Committee, which meets in camera four times a year, is composed of five members of Parliament : Mr. François Autain (France, President), Mr. Hilarion Etong (Cameroon, Vice-President), Mr. Mahinda Samarasinghe (Sri Lanka), Mr. Juan Pablo Letelier (Chile) and Mrs. Maria Grazia Daniele Galdi (Italy).

Apart from the confidential cases which are currently before it, the Committee will also discuss 20 public cases concerning 132 MPs in Argentina, Belarus, Burundi, Cambodia, Colombia, Djibouti, Ecuador, Gambia, Guinea, Honduras, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Republic of Moldova, Sri Lanka and Turkey. A public report of those cases is available.

The Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians acts as an intermediary between the sources of complaints and the authorities of the countries concerned. It endeavours to put an end as quickly as possible to any arbitrary measure affecting MPs, to ensure their protection and, where appropriate, to secure compensation for them. At present, there are a total of 179 parliaments and 40'428 MP's worldwide.

Founded in 1889 and based in Geneva, the IPU is the organisation of the world’s parliaments. It currently has 140 member national parliaments and five regional parliamentary organisations with associate member status. It also has a Liaison Bureau with the UN in New York.