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Al-Ahram Weekly 28 Oct. - 3 Nov. 1999 Issue No. 453 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 28 Oct. - 3 Nov. 1999 Issue No. 453
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Profile Study Special Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Global parliamentarians on the move
By Sami Metwalli
The focus of the 102nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference that took place in the German capital Berlin 10-16 October was economic. This is the last IPU meeting this century and participants reflected on some of the vital issues facing mankind as the world rushes headlong into the next millennium. The continuing economic and financial turmoil afflicting much of the world and in particular Asia, Russia and South America dominated discussions. The world's parliamentarians looked into the economic and social consequences of the financial and economic crisis and stressed that greater attention be paid to the long-term goal of sustainable development. The participants also acknowledged that in an increasingly interdependent world governments should cooperate more closely on economic and financial matters.
It was with much regret that delegates noted that the development of the world economy since the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, June 1992) has not achieved the objectives set in Agenda 21 regarding changes in patterns of resource consumption, modes of production and lifestyles.
The world parliamentarians urged the Group of Seven (G-7) richest and most industrially advanced economies to lighten the debt burden of poor countries and called for the effective mobilisation of additional financial resources for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative from multilateral, bilateral and corporate sources to be used to fight poverty and promote widespread sustainable development. In this respect, delegates called on creditor countries, private banks and multilateral financial institutions to address the commercial debt problems of the poorest and least developed countries. The affluent world, delegates agreed, must respond to requests for continued mobilisation of resources through the Debt-Reduction Facility of the International Development Association in order to help the least developed countries to reduce their commercial debt.
The Egyptian parliamentary delegation with Egypt's Ambassador to Germany Mahmoud Mubarak
Participants urged rich and industrially advanced countries to keep their markets open an to refrain from introducing protectionist measures or artificial non-tariff barriers that would undermine economic recovery in developing countries. They also called on governments to promote openness and transparency in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and facilitate the participation of appropriate United Nations bodies, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and other UN-recognised civil society institutions in the WTO's negotiating process.
Other non-economic issues were touched upon. Chief among these was the deep concern expressed by the delegates about the growing number of innocent civilians who are killed, wounded or subjected to humiliating or degrading treatment and appear to be the main casualties in armed conflicts. They also expressed concern about human rights violations around the globe. Participants also worried that humanitarian law remains the most vulnerable point in the credibility of the international legal system, and alarmed therefore by constant violations of international humanitarian law.
World parliamentarians similarly said that they were disturbed by the effects of uncontrolled transfer of light weapons and small arms which contributes to exacerbating tensions, increasing the number of civilian victims, prolonging conflicts, hampering the post-conflict reconstruction process and undermining respect for international humanitarian law.
