For two days in May, the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea hosted a consultation with Speakers from the G20 countries. The IPU was invited to take part and was represented by the Secretary General.

The Speakers debated the crises facing the world today and adopted a joint communiqué putting forward a number of proposals to build a safer world and ensure a better future for all. The text recognized that conflicts still prevalent in different parts of the world present a significant threat to world peace. It went on to "recognize the important role of the IPU and parliamentary diplomacy to contribute to global peace and stability."

Parliamentary diplomacy traces its roots to the peace movements of the nineteenth century. Members of parliament sought out their colleagues in other countries to discuss what they could do together, at a time of noisy sabre-rattling in Europe, to advance the cause of peace. In a sense these people were dreamers; some would say utopians. But it was Frederic Passy, joint founder of the IPU, who famously said that "Today's utopia is tomorrow's reality". The parliamentarians travelled widely and tabled a good many proposals in parliaments. One of these eventually led to the establishment of the International Tribunal for Arbitration. Another provided inspiration for the founding of the League of Nations. And in addition to that, of course, they established the IPU.

The IPU embodies parliamentary diplomacy. It is the foremost organization in which parliamentarians practice diplomacy and still the only global one. It serves as the primary meeting place for members of parliament of all political persuasions from every corner of the world. The formal events offer a forum for discussion of the issues on the global agenda, while the talks behind the scenes often focus on issues relating to bilateral relations and regional peace and security.

Dialogue among members of parliaments, whether on the Korean peninsula, in the Middle East or in the Balkans, can do much to erode decades of suspicion and establish that modicum of trust and mutual understanding that is indispensible to peace negotiations. Some of that dialogue was held in Seoul and more will take place at future meetings of the IPU.

Anders B. Johnsson   
IPU Secretary General