The Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will hold its 104th session from 15th to 18th January 2004 at the IPU Headquarters The House of Parliaments in Geneva. The Committee will examine public cases in : Belarus, Burundi, Cambodia, Colombia, Ecuador, Eritrea, Honduras, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Palestine/Israel, Rwanda, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey and Zimbabwe. The public report of the Committee is available upon request.

Established in 1976, the Committee, which meets in camera four times a year, is composed of five members of Parliament: Mr. Mahinda Samarasinghe (MP, Minister of Employment and Labour and Chief Government Whip of Sri Lanka, President of the Committee), Mr. Mahamane Ousmane (Niger, President of the National Assembly, Vice-President of the Committee), Mrs. Ann Clwyd (United Kingdom, MP), Mr. Luis Hierro López (Uruguay, President of the Senate), who will be replaced at this session by his substitute, Mexican Senator Fernando Margaín, President of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Mexican Senate, and Mrs. Veronika Nedvedova (Czech Republic, MP).

The Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians acts as an intermediary between the sources of complaints and the authorities of the countries concerned. It endeavours to put an end as quickly as possible to any arbitrary measure affecting MPs, to ensure their protection and, where appropriate, to secure compensation for them. While the Committee’s procedure is essentially written, it frequently conducts hearings with representatives of the authorities and the victims and may also carry out on-site missions.

Over the years its case load has been increasing; at its first session in 1977, the Committee examined the situation of 40 MPs in nine countries. At its present session it will study 48 cases of allegations of violations of human rights affecting 190 MPs in 28 countries.

---

Established in 1889 and with its Headquarters in Geneva, the IPU, the oldest multilateral organisation, currently has 138 affiliated national parliaments and five regional assemblies as associate members. The organisation of the world's parliaments also has an office as Permanent Observer with the United Nations in New York.
Other press releases	More information

---

Contact for additional information or interviews:

Mrs. Luisa Ballin, IPU Information Officer 5, ch. du Pommier, CH - 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex / Geneva Tel. +4122 919 41 16/27 Fax: +4122 919 41 60, 919 41 97 E-mail: lb@mail.ipu.org or cbl@mail.ipu.org