The 118th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union was held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 13 to 18 April 2008. It was the largest parliamentary event ever organized by the IPU and brought together an impressive number of members of parliament.
The overall theme of the Assembly was Pushing back the frontiers of poverty - an excellent choice according to veteran statesman Nelson Mandela who declared in a video message to the Assembly that overcoming poverty was a collective act of justice – by working together, people had the power to change the course of destiny and bring about a world free of hunger and disease. Opening the proceedings, Speaker Mbete of South Africa reinforced this message. Poverty was not only about the deprivation of those things that enhance the quality of life; it was also about being denied the opportunity to learn and to exercise one’s human rights.
Addressing the participants on behalf of the United Nations, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro stated that parliaments are key to the development process. To achieve the MDGs, we need political will, legislative action and budget allocations, she said. In developed countries, parliamentary support is essential to make sure that governments honour their commitment to allocate 0.7 per cent of gross national product to official development assistance (ODA). Ms. Migiro underscored that this support was all the more essential today since the latest trends showed that ODA was on the decline.
In the developing countries, Ms. Migiro noted, parliaments must seek to relate local issues to what is taking place at the regional and global levels. Their engagement is needed to help mobilize resources, devise strategies and adopt policies geared toward achieving the MDGs. They should participate in formulating poverty reduction strategies and monitoring their implementation.
The members of parliament who took part in the debate in Cape Town, including a record number of Speakers attending the event, highlighted their role and responsibilities in furthering the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
IPU Assemblies are typically rich both in content and diversity. The event in Cape Town covered a wide variety of political issues, ranging from the situation in the Middle East to parliamentary involvement in peace-building and reconciliation, the balance between individual freedoms and national security, policies for enhancing aid effectiveness, migration and human trafficking, and maternal, infant and newborn health. The full results of the Assembly, including the resolutions adopted, are available on the IPU website.
