Annual Parliamentary Hearings bring members of parliament to the United Nations Headquarters in New York for an interactive discussion with high-ranking UN officials, representatives of Member States and experts drawn from think tanks and civil society organizations.
In accordance with the provisions of the General Assembly Resolution on cooperation between the UN and the IPU (A/61/6), the Hearing is a joint event of the two organizations, heralding a greater political commitment on the part of the United Nations to hear the views of parliaments on some of the most urgent issues of our times.
Among other things, the Hearing provides an opportunity for members of parliament to meet and hear from the United Nations management team. The conclusions of the Hearing are circulated to the wider UN community as well as to all national parliaments. The main theme of the 2009 Hearing is The Way Forward - Building political support and implementing effective responses to the global economic crisis.
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