Press release of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
Geneva, 23 June 2000
N° 99

The Inter-Parliamentary Union is holding a meeting of parliamentarians on Tuesday 27 June 2000 from 3 pm - 6 pm, Room II, ILO, Geneva, as part of the World Summit for Social Development and Beyond: Achieving Social Development for All in a Globalising World.

"Realisation of the commitments undertaken at the Copenhagen Social Summit in 1995 has proven to be a difficult task. It is thus important for the international community to take a critical look at the achievements and failures of the last five years, to analyse problems, and identify new, more adequate ways and means, including those in the field of national legislation. " states the President of the IPU Council, Dr. Najma Heptullah.

The Director General of ILO, Mr. Juan Somavía and the IPU Secretary General, Mr. Anders B. Johnsson will also be present at the parliamentary meeting.

At the IPU meeting, the representatives of some 40 parliaments who are with their government delegations attending the Copenhagen + 5 Summit (which finishes on 30 June) will have an opportunity to gain a better understanding of issues at stake in the Special Session, to make contacts which can be pursued in consultations between national delegations and to take part in a debate attended by key figures involved in the preparatory process for this UN General Assembly Special Session.

As part of its activities to provide a parliamentary dimension to international cooperation, the Union was actively involved in the preparation and holding of the World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen, March 1995) and devoted much attention to the Summit's follow-up at the parliamentary level. From the outset of preparations for the "Copenhagen +5" Special Session of the UN General Assembly, IPU made substantial inputs to the process, in particular by conducting a survey of parliamentary action to follow up WSSD and by holding two Tripartite Meetings of Representatives of Parliaments, Governments and Inter-Governmental Organisations at the UN Headquarters in New York in 1996 and 1999.

Established in 1889, the IPU is the oldest of the multilateral political organisations. It is based in Geneva and currently has 138 affiliated national parliaments and 5 associated regional parliamentary assemblies. It also has a Liaison Office with the United Nations in New York.