Press release of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
Amman, 30 April 2000
N° 3

His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan opened today the 103^rd Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The inaugural ceremony was held at the Cultural Palace of Amman in the presence of the President of the Jordanian House of Representatives, Mr Abdulhadi Al Majali, the representative of the UN Secretary-General, Mr Vladimir Petrovsky, the President of the Jordanian Senate, Mr Zaid Al-Rifa'i, the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Council, Dr Najma Heptulla.

In his address, the President of the Jordanian House of Representatives, Mr Al Majali said : "The holding of this conference, which has set a precedent in its attendance, embodies the extent of the faith of the representatives of the nations of our planet in the importance of dialogue as a method to solve disputes and meet the challenges facing humanity. There is no doubt that the preparations being undertaken to hold the summit of the heads of the world's parliaments at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, on the occasion of the new millennium, fall within the International Parliamentarian aspiration to strengthen the bond between the IPU and the UN, and add a parliamentary dimension to its functioning to realize the dream of nations. This is a dream to contribute more towards the achievement of justice, tolerance, cooperation and equality through their representatives, and in directing the resolutions of the international organizations, the UN, as well as its subsidiary organizations, sections and branches towards those goals.

At the beginning of the 21st century there is a compelling need to undertake a comprehensive review of the application of the principles of international legitimacy with fairness and justice. If we genuinely believe that justice is the ABC of life, we must admit that the absence of justice leads to the total breakdown of all the principles and values in the lives of people.

The Middle East region which has witnessed a sharp turn towards peace in the last decade of the 20th century, awaits, patiently, further effective international efforts to guarantee the continuity of the historic path which began after five decades of war, destruction and displacement. The Palestine problem which is the essence of the regional struggle, still awaits a just and permanent solution which will insure an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories, and which will confirm the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, and the establishment of their independent state on their national soil. Syrian and Lebanese Arab lands remain under Israeli occupation. At a time when an effective role of the UN is non-existent in this regard, especially in terms of mass destruction weapons proliferation and the plight of refugees, the role of the UN appears, in sharp contrast, to be potent and unswerving as regards the maintenance of the siege choking Iraq."

The representative of the UN Secretary-General and Director of the UN Office in Geneva, Mr Vladimir Petrovsky, read a message on behalf of the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan : "… The United Nations is working to ensure that globalisation's benefits can be enjoyed by all. This is the context in which, last month, I presented my Millennium Report to the General Assembly. The report tries to identify the main challenges facing humanity and to recommend ways to meet those challenges. It announces several new initiatives, including many that put the power of information technology at the service of developing countries to fight poverty, increase access to medical care and improve disaster response mechanisms.

… It is my hope that the report will help Member States to focus their minds so that they come to New York for the Millennium Summit in September prepared to make concrete commitments. But we will make the progress we need only if people, in addition to States, are involved. Parliamentarians are uniquely positioned to contribute. As representatives of the people and of civil society in general, you can bridge the gap between values and law. It falls to you, for example, to ratify such essential international agreements as the Kyoto Protocol and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. That gives you power and duty in equal measure. For ultimately, progress at the international level will depend to no small extent on how you address issues nationally, through your houses of parliament."

After reading the message, Mr Petrovsky went on to add "… the national parliaments represent the people and act on their behalf both within their countries and in international affairs. For the UN, which as a result of reform is becoming more and more people-oriented, your participation in the UN programs make them more democratic and transparent. More than that, through your involvement in the process of ratification of the international legal instruments you are actively participating in the international diplomatic process.

In Geneva which is the major norm-setting center, we felt very strongly how the refusal to ratify international treaties can have a long lasting impact on global politics and on the course of negotiations. As a Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament, I can refer, for example, to the CTBT, which was concluded in 1996 and still has not come into force because the necessary requirements for ratification are not yet met by the member states."

The President of the Jordanian Senate, Mr Zaid Al-Rifa'i, stated that "… The peace-seeking endeavors of His Late Majesty King Hussein, God rest his soul, culminated in the signing of the Jordan-Israel peace treaty. Jordan continues today, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II, its efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace in the region, thus enabling our people to live in peace, security and prosperity.

… I am confident that parliamentary meetings, such as this one, will assist in widening the horizons of dialogue; contribute to maintaining world peace and security; deepen the democratic process; affirm the respect of human rights, and consolidate existing means of cooperation among all States of the world. While there is no doubt that parliamentary institutions have an active role to play in this regard, I would like to emphasize the effective and vital role of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in bringing closer different peoples; in calling to resolve disputes and differences among nations; in contributing to solving problems related to poverty, unemployment, the environment, health and education, in order to bridge the gap between rich and poor countries. Such aims could be achieved by encouraging contacts among parliamentarians from all over the world; supporting United Nations efforts and cooperating with its institutions; studying issues of international concern and offering the appropriate initiatives to solve them."

The President of the Inter-Parliamentary Council, Dr Najma Heptulla, then took the floor. She said : "The dawn of this new millennium has brought with it a great opportunity and a great challenge. The end of the Cold War destroyed the walls of antagonism and mistrust that divided the world. We can all sit together now without those walls, to engage in genuine dialogue about where we are all going, and how we want to get there.

On our ability to build this understanding hinges not only the prospect for global peace in the new century but also the success of the new multilateral trading systems, which seek to reorganize the world as a single global marketplace. It is going to be more and more difficult to remain outside this global market, particularly as the technologies of convergence give the common man and woman access to information about what is available in every nook and corner of the world.

At the recent meeting of Parliamentarians on the sidelines of UNCTAD X, we agreed that Parliamentarians, as people's representatives, must be involved in trade negotiations and seek to make globalization equitable and people-centric. The IPU plans a specialized conference along with other multilateral trade institutions like the WTO on these issues."

She went on to say that the Union was committed to "basing the new global order on the equality of women and men, on democracy and equal opportunity, but we must all be sensitive to those who may see these values as going against the grain of their civilizations.

Let our deliberations on these complex issues pave the way to making the conference of presiding officers of national Parliaments at the UN headquarters in August truly meaningful. It will be the parliamentary input to the UN General Assembly's Millennium Session. If the UN is the organization of national governments, the IPU is the organization of national parliaments. Since both treasury and opposition parties are represented at the IPU, it reflects public opinion more broadly.

We seek to further strengthen our association with the UN and in the next few days, we shall be adopting a blue- print for our cooperation in the next century. Also we shall commit ourselves to an agenda for action in view of new challenges. The IPU has already signed a Memorandum of Association with the United Nations and, last year, the UN General Assembly once again passed a resolution, sponsored by a record number of 139 countries, seeking closer cooperation between the UN and the IPU."

His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan then proceeded to open the Conference. In his speech he declared that: "The next few days will witness your deliberations and debates on important global issues. They cover an entire spectrum of political, economic, social and cultural issues. As representatives of our modern international civil society, which is based on effective political and economic participation, you assume a big responsibility indeed. The practical results and recommendations that will come out of this meeting will measure your success and build upon your Union's past achievements. I am confident that you will rise to the expectations of all those who have vested you with the power to help transform their dreams into a living reality.

… Your presence in this holiest of lands marks a historic opportunity for achieving peace and reconciliation among the peoples of the Middle East. Now is the time to make the peace that we have long aspired for. It is the time to transcend our differences and to shift our resources to an investment in the future. It is time to declare that justice, security, and acceptance of each other's beliefs; rights and dreams are essential if the Middle East is to have a future. Let us resolve our lingering conflicts. They have pained families and tested wills for far too long. Let us instead join together to widen our participation in the knowledge economy, to become a center for excellence and to provide the opportunity for our young and bright talents. Let us provide an example where religions can live together through understanding and tolerance, and where differences are respected in a pluralistic model that draws strength from diversity. Most importantly, let us give meaning to our respect for democracy and finally heed the call of the majority of our peoples who long for peace, stability and prosperity."

Contact in Amman for information and interviews (on the spot or by telephone): Mrs Luisa Ballin, IPU Information Officer. Tel.: 463 7639, fax 462 8430, e-mail: lb@mail.ipu.org or cd@mail.ipu.org