The annual session of the Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organization (WTO) will take place on 1 and 2 December 2006 at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG). Close to 400 delegates from over 70 countries, who specialize in trade issues, have confirmed their participation.

The session will assess the extent to which the WTO negotiations benefit all countries and live up to their development aspirations. A hearing with the WTO Director-General, Mr. Lamy, is scheduled for Friday 1 December at 2.30 p.m. Immediately after, at 4 p.m., a press conference will take place, in the presence of the IPU President, Mr. Pier Ferdinando Casini, the WTO Director-General, Mr. Pascal Lamy, and a Representative of the European Parliament.

Three interactive panels will take place during this two-day session. Panellists include: Mr. Kamal Nath, Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry; Mr. Celso Amorim, Brazilian Minister of External Relations; Mr. Toshikatsu Matsuoka, Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Ambassador Peter Allgeier, United States Permanent Representative to the WTO; Ambassador Carlo Trojan, Permanent Representative of the European Communities to the WTO; Ambassador Crawford Falconer (New Zealand), Chairman of the WTO Committee on Agriculture; Mr. John Dupraz, Swiss MP; Mr. Herbert Oberhänsli, Head of Economic and International Relations, Nestlé; Ambassador Muhamad Noor Yacob (Malaysia), Chairman of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body; Mr. Jean-François Bellis, partner, Van Bael & Bellis; and Mrs. Debra P. Steger, Professor, Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa, Director, EDGE Network.

At their latest meeting held in September in Geneva, the members of the Steering Committee of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO, urged the members of the World Trade Organization to demonstrate strong political will in order to resume trade negotiations without further delay. The Parliamentary Conference on the WTO is a joint undertaking of the IPU and the European Parliament. Its principal objective is to enhance external transparency of the WTO and make this intergovernmental organization accountable to legislators as elected representatives of the people. The sessions of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO are held once a year and on the occasion of WTO Ministerial Conferences.

The Members of the Steering Committee are: Belgium, Canada, China, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Japan, Kenya, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand, Uruguay, United Kingdom, United States of America, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, European Parliament, Inter-Parliamentary Union, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, World Trade Organization.

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Established in 1889 and with its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the IPU, the oldest multilateral political organisation, currently brings together 148 affiliated parliaments and seven regional assemblies as associate members. The world organisation of parliaments has an Office in New York, which acts as its Permanent Observer at the United Nations.
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Contact for additional information or interviews:

Mrs. Luisa Ballin, IPU Information Officer 5, ch. du Pommier, CH - 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex / Geneva Phone: +41 22 919 41 16 Fax: +41 22 919 41 60 E-mail: lb@mail.ipu.org or cbl@mail.ipu.org