HEADQUARTERS PRESS BRIEFING BY INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION

Press Briefing

HEADQUARTERS PRESS BRIEFING BY INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION

The lively interaction among participating delegations and the diversity of statements and discussions that emerged during the Conference of Presiding Officers of National Parliaments highlighted "the true spirit of democracy", Dr. Najma Heptulla, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), told correspondents on Friday afternoon. "I am very happy with the outcome of the Conference", she said, "and I am pleased that we will be unanimously adopting our Declaration."

Accompanied by Anders Johnsson, the Secretary-General of the IPU, Dr. Heptulla said that the major goals of the Conference had been to forge a more comprehensive relationship with the United Nations and to highlight the importance of democracy in international decision-making and cooperation. Those sentiments had been echoed throughout the three-day conference in statements made by many members of the United Nations community, including Theo-Ben Gurirab, President of the General Assembly, and Mark Mallock Brown, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

"What we've experienced here at the Conference was exactly what we wanted to achieve", Dr. Heptulla said. And she was pleased to note that the IPU's Declaration, which was expected to be adopted later this evening, would indeed stress the parliamentary dimension of international cooperation and reaffirm the IPU's adherence to the tenets of the United Nations Charter.

Before opening the floor for questions, Dr. Heptulla said that one of the highlights of the Conference had occurred yesterday at a reception for the Presiding Officers given by the Secretary-General. There, a delegation of young children from around the world had presented the results of their own meeting of Children's Parliaments. "It was exiting to see the work of the Inter- Parliamentary Union making a difference even at the youth level", she said, "Inter-parliamentary Unions work."

With all the work that had been done over the last three days, a correspondent wondered if the IPU had established any follow-up mechanisms to ensure further progress. "One thing is certain”, Dr. Heptulla said, "our work is going to continue." The Executive Committee of the IPU was expected to meet in Jakarta in October to present the report of this week's Conference, and then to formalize strategies and priorities for future action.

Another correspondent asked if the IPU had taken any official stand on the United States' denial of entry visas for two of the Union's Presiding Officers. Dr. Heptulla recalled for the correspondent the statement she had made on behalf of all the Presiding Officers at the opening of the Conference, expressing deep regret that entry visas had not been given to those delegations.

"We expect that in the spirit of democracy everyone should be allowed to speak for themselves -- that includes voices of dissent." The Conference had, however, accepted the statements that would have been made by those two Presiding Officers. Those statements would become a part of the official record of the meeting. "They were with us in spirit”, she added.

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