Press release of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
Geneva/New York, 4 July 2000
N° 1

For the first time in history, Speakers of National Parliaments from throughout the world are to meet at the United Nations Headquarters to raise the voice of the people that they have been elected to represent. This event, organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), is to take place on the eve of the Summit of Heads of State and Government.

The opening ceremony, which will be addressed by the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, will take place in the General Assembly Hall on Wednesday 30 August at 3 p.m. The Conference will run until 1 September.

This first world summit of Presiding Officers of parliaments reflects the wish of the elected representatives of the people to endow international cooperation with a parliamentary dimension and to participate more fullfully in major international political negotiations where decisions which directly affect the life of the citizen are adopted. In order to do this, parliaments intend to play a more active role nationally, regionally and globally. For the President of IPU's Inter-Parliamentary Council, Dr Najma Heptulla, "This Conference will be the parliamentary input to the UN General Assembly's Millennium Session. If the UN is the organisation of national governments, the IPU is the organisation of national parliaments. Since both government and opposition parties are represented at the IPU, the organisation can justly claim to represent the full spectrum of democratic society."

Along with the Presiding Officers of both Chambers (in the case of bicameral parliaments), the Presidents of IPU-associated regional parliamentary assemblies and the representatives of organisations that have observer status with IPU are invited. The Heads of the UN Specialised Agencies and the WTO will also be present, along with the Permanent Representatives to the United Nations in New York.

The Conference will be presided over by Mrs Najma Heptulla. She will be assisted by several Speakers, some of whom are from countries holding a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, who will chair parts of the Conference as Vice-Presidents. In addition to the key-note speech given by the UN Secretary-General at the opening ceremony, special addresses will also be given by Mr Theo Ben Gurirab, President of the UNGA, Mr Mike Moore, Director General of the WTO, and Mr Mark Malloch Brown, UNDP Administrator and Chairperson of the United Nations Development Group.

Established in 1889, the IPU, the world organisation of parliaments based in Geneva, currently has 138 affiliated national parliaments and 5 associated regional parliamentary assemblies. One of its objectives is to provide a parliamentary dimension to the UN and the WTO by encouraging direct participation and involvement of national parliaments and their members in the activities of these two inter-governmental organisations. The IPU has a Liaison Office with the UN in New York.