The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will be holding its 124th Assembly from 15 to 20 April 2011 in Panama City, at the invitation of the Parliament of Panama. Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli will open the event at a ceremony to be attended by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. José Muñoz Molina, the IPU President, Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, the President of the UN General Assembly, Mr. Joseph Deiss, and the Executive Director of UN Women, Ms. Michelle Bachelet. The opening ceremony will take place at 7.30 p.m. at the Teatro Anayansi of the Atlapa Convention Centre in Panama City, on Friday 15 April.
Over 1,000 delegates - including some 600 legislators and Speakers of parliament from countries around the world [1] are expected, along with a number of special guests.
The principal theme of the Assembly is Parliamentary accountability: living up to people's expectations. At a time when calls for more democracy are being heard around the world, this theme strikes a chord with the legislators, who will also be holding a special panel discussion entitled: Recent political upheavals in the world: what lessons for democracy? Meanwhile the IPU Standing Committees will continue their examination of ways to prevent electoral violence and ensure transparency and accountability in the funding of political parties and election campaigns. The full programme of the Assembly can be consulted on the IPU website.
An emergency item will be added to the agenda on a topic to be determined on Saturday 16 April, at 4.30 p.m.
The Meeting of Women Parliamentarians will convene on Friday 15 April from 9.30 a.m. on. This global gathering of women legislators will discuss both political violence against women and gender sensitive parliaments.
The Panama Assembly will also provide an opportunity for delegates to hold bilateral meetings and seek means of resolving conflicts in various parts of the world. The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians will continue to examine cases involving violations of the human rights of legislators throughout the world.
As of today: Afghanistan, Algeria, Andorra, Australia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia (two Chambers), Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, India, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Malawi, Maldives, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Africa, Sudan, Switzerland, Uruguay, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
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