The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is holding the first ever international seminar of parliamentary human rights bodies, entitled "Strengthening parliament as a guardian of human rights : the role of parliamentary human rights bodies", at the Palais WilsoWilson in Geneva (Ground floor conference room), from 15 to 17 March 2004. During the seminar, which will be opened by Mr. Bertrand Ramcharam, United Nations Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, and by Mrs. Odile Sorgho-Moulinier, Director, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the IPU Secretary General, Anders B. Johnsson, more than 150 MPs from 54 countries will discuss how parliamentary human rights committees can contribute to strengthening and implementing human rights at the national level. Various experts will be attending. (Journalists are invited to meet the participants during a reception at The House of Parliaments, on Tuesday 16 March, at 7.30 p.m. Please confirm your presence).

Parliaments have an essential role to play in promoting and protecting human rights. The way in which human rights are integrated into daily parliamentary work has a strong influence on the extent to which parliaments live up to their role as guardians of human rights. “The existence within parliaments of bodies with an explicit and permanent mandate to address human rights questions is an effective means of ensuring that these issues permeate all parliamentary activity on a continuing basis”, said the IPU Secretary General, Anders B. Johnsson.

The Seminar is organised by the IPU and UNDP with the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

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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.
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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