The 125th IPU Assembly took place in Bern, Switzerland 16 – 19 October 2011. The British Delegation was led by Robert Walter MP, Chairman of the Biritsh Group.
The 183 member countries of the WTO were largely represented. The conference agenda was full with many working sessions competing in parallel and dealing with current trade challenges: ‘Made in the World’ labelling, the Arab Spring, the Doha Round and many other issues such as sustainable energy, food security and intellectual property rights
The turmoil in the Arab world dominated debates at the IPU Assembly in Panama in April which was attended by a delegation from Britain led by Robert Walter MP. Mr Walter – Chair of the British Group of the IPU – told delegates from over 100 countries in the IPU that recent events in North Africa could spread to other countries in the region.
The purpose of the conference was threefold: to enhance the transparency of the WTO and hold it accountable to ‘legislators as elected representatives of the people’; to create a contact between the WTO and constituents at home; and to enable discussions between parliamentarians and WTO representatives
This parliamentary event was organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and UN Women on the occasion of the 55th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. The theme was: The role of Parliaments in promoting access and participation of women and girls to education, training, science and technology.
In cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the UN convened a Parliamentary Hearing on Towards Economic Recovery: Rethinking Development, Retooling Global Governance at UN Headquarers in New York from 3 to 4 December 2010. Parliamentarians from around 70 countries were able to discuss key opportunities and challenges for ensuring sustainable economic development with a particular focus on current institutions of global governance and how they might need to be adapted to better respond to current global economic conditions.
Some 460 Members of Parliament (including 22 Speakers) from 118 countries participated in the 123rd IPU Assembly in genva from 4 to 6 October 2010. The UK delegation was led by Nigel Evans MP and comprised the rt Hon Ann Clwyd MP and The Viscount Montgomery of Alamein CMG CBE. The three-day Assembly adopted an emergency resolution entitled: Immediate action to support international relief efforts in response to natural disasters, in particular with regard to flood-stricken Pakistan.
Over 70 Parliamentarians from 35 countries gathered to hear leading experts discuss a range of topics at the heart of the debate on how to stop the spread of the HIV virus, and care for those already infected. Despite its disappearance from the media headlines in Europe and North America, HIV continues to be a major epidemic. There are 33.4 million people living with HIV, with 2.7 million new infections expected this year, of whom almost half a million will be children.
