At the invitation of the Parliament of Ethiopia, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will be holding its 120th Assembly from 5 to 10 April 2009 at the United Nations Convention Centre (UNCC) in Addis Ababa. The inaugural ceremony will take place at 7.30 p.m. on Sunday, 5 April, at the Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa, in the presence of Mr. Meles Zenawi, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia; Mr. Teshome Toga, the Speaker of the House of Peoples’ Representatives of Ethiopia; Mr. Degefe Bula, the Speaker of the House of Federation of Ethiopia; Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, IPU President; Mr. Anders B. Johnsson, IPU Secretary General; and Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
Over 1,000 delegates - including some 500 legislators and Speakers of parliament from parliaments around the world 1 - and a number of special guests are expected to attend this event.
The main theme to be debated at the Assembly will be Building Peace, Democracy and Development in times of crisis. The three IPU Standing Committees will be examining respectively the themes of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament; climate change, sustainable development models and renewable energies; and freedom of expression and the right to information. See the full programme of the Assembly on the IPU website.
An emergency item may be added to the agenda on a topic to be determined on Monday, 6 April, at 4.30 p.m.
Two panel discussions will be held on Wednesday, 8 April: the first will focus on Adolescent girls: The girls left behind? while the second will address Managing diversity.
The Meeting of Women Parliamentarians will convene in the morning of Sunday, 5 April. In the afternoon, they will discuss the financial crisis and women.
The Addis Ababa Assembly will also provide an opportunity for delegates to hold bilateral meetings and seek means of resolving conflicts in various parts of the world. The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians will continue to examine cases involving violations of the human rights of parliamentarians throughout the world.
(1) As of today: Angola, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Benin, Cambodia, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gabon, Germany, Kenya, Lesotho, Maldives, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Serbia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname.
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