Ethiopia: World parliamentarians urged to heighten roles
April 6, 2009 (ADDIS ABABA) — The 120th Assembly of the inter-parliamentary union (IPU) kicks off on Sunday evening in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
The start of the 120th IPU assembly which took under a theme “parliaments: building peace, Democracy and development in times of crisis” was officially announced by Meles Zenawi,Prime minister of the host nation, Ethiopia.
During the opening ceremony UN under secretary General and executive secretary of the economic commission for Africa urged gathering world legislators to scale up their over all roles in times of Crises.
Abdoulie Janneh while convoying message from the UN chief Ban ki-moon said that world parliaments are an important bodies that should contribute tremendous role in brining an end to world crises
“The UN attaches great importance to the voices of parliaments” the message said adding
“Parliaments play a crucial role in the agenda and are well-placed to face the challenges”
“World parliamentarian delegates must do their part in the time of difficulty” the UN chief urged.
IPU President Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab to his side said that the assembly is to build peace, democracy and development and the theme of this Assembly couldn’t be “better and clearer,”
“We are witnessing something more profound than an economic slow down,” he said, adding that “parliaments should not be confused but act as watchdogs and whistle blowers.”
In the face of the current global financial crisis, the IPU president emphasized that only multilateral solutions will prevail, while any form of protectionism must be rejected.
The global parliamentary assembly which lasts till April 10 has attracted over 1000 parliamentarians across the world.
During the meeting democracy, parliament’s role to boost peace & security, human rights, humanitarian law, women in politics, education, science, development Amide times of economic crisis and others are expected for a wider discussion
The Ethiopian government has said the assembly will be a special privilege for the country, an outcome of Ethiopia’s growing involvement in global affairs and subsequent recognition from the international community.
IPU member countries have lowered to 151 after the union recently suspended the parliaments of Madagascar, Mauritania and Guinea following the unconstitutional transition of power in those countries.
Established in 1889, the IPU is the international organization of parliaments of sovereign states. The union is the focal point for world-wide parliamentary dialogue and works for peace and cooperation among people and for the firm establishment of representative democracy
(ST)