PLACE DU PETIT-SACONNEX
1211 GENEVA 19
| INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION PLACE DU PETIT-SACONNEX 1211 GENEVA 19 |
Press release of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Representatives of the world's national parliaments are gatheringin Cairo, Egypt, next week for the 98th Inter-ParliamentaryConference - the general assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union(IPU), the world organisation of parliaments. It will be openedby the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E. Mr MohamedHosni Mubarak, and chaired by the President of the EgyptianPeople's Assembly, Dr Ahmed Fathy Sorour. Held at the invitationof the Egyptian Parliament, the Conference will take place atthe Cairo International Conference Centre from 11 to 15 September1997. Over 1,000 delegates including some 600 members of parliamentfrom the 138-member IPU are expected to take part in the Conference,whose agenda includes two topical subjects: democracy andemployment. The Inaugural Ceremony in the presence of the President Mubarakwill start at 11.30 a.m., on Thursday 11 September, in the KeopsRoom of Cairo's International Conference Centre. Other speakersat the ceremony will be Dr Sorour, and the Special Representativeof the UN Secretary-General, Mr Vladimir Petrovsky, Director-Generalof the United Nations Office in Geneva, who will deliver Mr KofiAnnan's message to the Conference. A ranking member of the Egyptian government, either the PrimeMinister or Minister of Foreign Affairs, will address the Conference'sgeneral debate on the political, economic and social situationin the world, on Sunday 14 September. "Ensuring lasting democracy by forging close links betweenparliament and the people" is the first of the two maintopics for discussion at the Conference. This subject will allowdelegates to address a wide spectrum of issues of direct relevanceto good governance and the functioning of democracy in the world.Parallel to this debate, the IPU's governing bodies, which arealso meeting in Cairo during the Conference session, will be consideringa Declaration on Democracy, prepared over the last yearby the IPU and international experts. The second main topic at the Conference is "Employmentin a globalising world", which is one of the most vitallyimportant subjects on the world's agenda today and has becomea significant pre-occupation for governments and parliaments inevery region. It is expected that in the course of the debate,delegates will also address issues relating to child labour andthe situation of migrant workers. A third main topic of discussion, the "supplementary item",will be chosen on the Conference's opening day from proposalsput forward by member-parliaments. Many of the proposals relateto the Middle East, dealing with keeping the Middle East freefrom weapons of mass destruction (proposed by Kuwait), SouthernLebanon (Lebanon), and Jewish settlements in the occupiedterritories (Iran). Others cover AIDS (Guatemala),the sexual exploitation of children (Australia),climate change (United Kingdom), prevention of ethnicconflicts (Belgium and Hungary), sovereignty of Iraq(Iraq), the embargo against Libya (Libya), and surplusweapons disposal and international ecological security (Germany). Several IPU committees will also meet during the week of the Conference,on the defense of the human rights of parliamentarians(tackling cases of MPs under threat in 28 countries); Securityand Co-operation in the Mediterranean (CSCM); the situationin Cyprus, Middle East peace, and InternationalHumanitarian Law. The Conference will also be the venue for electing a new Presidentof the Inter-Parliamentary Council, the IPU's governing body,to succeed Dr Sorour who currently holds this position and whois completing his three-year mandate in Cairo. The election willtake place on Tuesday morning, 16 September, during the Council'sfinal session in Cairo. There are currently three candidatesfor the Presidency of the Council: Mr Miguel Angel Martínez,Member of the Parliament of Spain; Mr Eduardo Menem, Presidentpro tempore of the Argentinian Senate; and Mr Purno AgitokSangma, Speaker of the Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Indian Parliament). The Inter-Parliamentary Union has a current membership of 138national parliaments world-wide. The Conference session will alsobe the occasion for new members to join the IPU, such as the parliamentof Fiji which is requesting affiliation. The Cairo Conference will also be an opportunity for MPs to engagein parliamentary diplomacy - private contacts and the exchangeof ideas among parliamentarians on difficult bilateral issues- which has always been a key element of inter-parliamentary conferences. Women MPs will meet on the eve of the Conference, on Wednesday10 September, also in the International Conference Centre, andwill discuss in particular two topics: (i) The impact of armedconflicts on women and children; and (ii) Women's accessto Parliament: challenges and prospects. Mrs Yousriya N. Loza, Member of the People's Assembly ofEgypt, will chair the meeting at which over 100 women MPs areexpected to attend. The Meeting will hear a special address at10.30 a.m., by the First Lady of Egypt, Mrs S. Mubarak. The Meeting of Women Parliamentarians will also look at ways toensure effective follow-up of the results of the IPU SpecializedConference on Towards Partnership Between Men and Women inPolitics, held in New Delhi in February. The IPU advocates "partnership" between men and womenin the belief that democracy will only assume true significancewhen political policies and national legislation are decided uponjointly by women and men in the interests of both halves of thepopulation. FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact:
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