PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO TO OPEN 112th INTER-PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY IN MANILA
At the invitation of the Parliament of the Philippines, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will hold its 112th Assembly from 3 to 8 April 2005, at the Philippines International Convention Center, in Manila. The inaugural ceremony will take place at 7.30 p.m. on Sunday 3 April, in the presence of the President of the Philippines, Mrs. Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo, the President of the IPU, Chilean Senator Sergio Páez, the President of the Senate of the Philippines, Mr. Franklin M. Drilon, and the IPU Secretary General, Mr. Anders B. Johnsson.
Some 700 legislators from 140 Member Parliaments of the IPU are expected to attend. They will discuss three agenda items:
- Mechanisms to provide for the judgment and sentencing of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and terrorism, with a view to avoiding impunity;
- Innovative international financing and trading mechanisms to address the problem of debt and achieve the Millennium Development Goals;
- Advocating and enforcing observance of human rights in the prevention, management and treatment of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
A fourth subject may be added as an emergency item. So far, three proposals for topics have been received, all relating to the tsunami of December 2004 and responses to natural disasters.
Two panel discussions will be held during the Assembly. Both will be open to the press. The first, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 5 April, from 2.30 to 4.30 p.m., will focus on migration and the integration of migrants. The second, slated for Wednesday, 6 April, from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., will discuss violence committed against women and children in conflict situation.
The Meeting of Women Parliamentarians will convene on Sunday, 3 April, at 9.30 a.m.
The Assembly will present an opportunity for delegates to hold bilateral meetings and seek ways of resolving conflicts in various parts of the world. The IPU Committee on Middle East Questions and the Group of Facilitators for Cyprus will meet during the Assembly.
In addition, the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians will continue its examination of many cases involving allegations of violations of the human rights of parliamentarians. The Committee is currently considering cases of parliamentarians from Belarus, Burundi, Cambodia, Colombia, Ecuador, Eritrea, Honduras, Indonesia, Israel/Palestine, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Rwanda, Turkey and Zimbabwe under its public procedure. Information on public cases is published in a report, which is available to the press.
Established in 1889 and with its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the IPU, the oldest multilateral political organisation, currently brings together 140 affiliated parliaments and seven regional assemblies as associate members. The world organisation of parliaments has an Office in New York, which acts as its Permanent Observer at the United Nations.
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| Contact for additional information or interviews: |
In Geneva: Mrs. Luisa Ballin, IPU Information Officer
5, ch. du Pommier, CH - 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex / Geneva
Tel. +41 22 919 41 16/27
Fax: +41 22 919 41 60
E-mail: lb@mail.ipu.org or cbl@mail.ipu.org
Philippines Group: Press service of the 112th Assembly:
Mr. Raymondo Corro, Public Relations and Information Bureau of the Philippines Senate
Tel. +632 2 552 6755 and +632 2 552 6723
E-mail: raycorro@hotmail.com
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