IPU Conference hosting request

accepted in principle

The Ethiopian parliamentary delegation that participated in the 114^th Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) conference in the Kenyan capital Nairobi returned home late Saturday May 13 2006.

The two Houses' Speakers said that Ethiopia’s request to host the IPU meeting in 2009 has been accepted in principle.

In a statement it was given on arrival at the Addis Ababa Bloe International Airport, the ten-member delegation led by Ambassador Teshome and Federation Speaker Deggife Bula said that the conference was successful.

The speakers said that the Ethiopian delegation has actively participated in the human rights, democracy, women, environmental protection, peace and international affairs committees of the IPU.

Ambassador Teshome said in a speech he delivered at the Conference, he explained issues related to the third national elections in Ethiopia and the positive results, the problems created following the election as well as the measures taken to address those problems.

The delegation also briefed conference participants on results registered in the education and health sectors as well as in the economy in general due to the corrective measures taken by the government over the past three years.

Ambassador Teshome said the participation of the Federal Transitional Government of Somalia in the IPU conference after 15 years was one of the positive aspects of the conference.

According to Ambassador Teshome, the Ethiopia delegation on the occasion urged the IPU and the international community to provide the necessary support to rebuild somalia.

He said Ethiopia has actively participated in the discussions held on illegal trafficking of small arms and light weapons.

The Ethiopia parliamentary delegation also held discussions on bilateral cooperations with delegation of Sweden, Britain, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Australia and Somalia including with human rights affairs committees, among others, on the sidelines of the conference.

Ambassador Teshome said a meeting of the Parliamentary Union of IGAD Member States in which Ethiopia, the Sudan, Kenya and Uganda have taken part, was also held in Nairobi.

He said the Parliaments of IGAD Member States had signed and agreement at a meeting held in Ethiopia in 2004. Ethiopia has already endorsed the agreement, he added.

According to ambassador Teshome, understanding has been reached among the countries at the Nairobi meeting on the importance of endorsing the agreement by the other member countries.

The Parliamentary Union of IGAD Member States has decided to hold the next meeting in the Somalian town of Baidoa at the beginning of next July.

Member of the Ethiopian delegation, Gifti Abasiya, on her part said women’s affairs, particularly violence against women, has been widely discussed in the IPU conference.

Gifti said the conference called upon countries to strengthen measures enabling to stop violence against women.

Women’s participation in the IPU has been increasing, Gifti said, adding, the IPU budget system was gender-focused.