122^nd IPU ASSEMBLY TO DEBATE RISK REDUCTION AFTER TWO MAJOR EARTHQUAKES

The 122nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union has voted to add an emergency item to its agenda entitled:

The role of parliaments in strengthening the solidarity of the international community towards the people of Haiti and Chile in the wake of devastating major disasters, and urgent actions required in all disaster-prone countries to improve disaster-risk assessment, prevention and mitigation.

The item was proposed by the delegations of Cuba, France, Thailand, Uganda, United Kingdom and Uruguay.

Earlier in the day, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Thailand, Mr. Chai Chidchob, was elected President of the 122nd IPU Assembly.

Over 1,400 delegates, including more than 600 legislators - among them 39 Presiding Officers of Parliament - are attending the Assembly, at the Centara Bangkok Convention Centre until 1 April 2010.

Apart from the emergency item, they will be looking at how Parliament is situated at the heart of political reconciliation and good governance. The parliamentarians are also discussing the fight against organized crime, in particular drug trafficking, illegal arms sales, human trafficking and cross-border terrorism. They are scrutinizing the Millennium Development Goals and seeing how they can be boosted by South-South Cooperation, and how Parliament can be instrumental in their fulfilment. They will also be debating the question of youth participation in democracy.