Notification of the 101st Conference of the
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The 101st Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was held in Brussels from 10 to 16 April 1999. The Inter-Parliamentary Union, founded in 1889, is a worldwide association of parliaments which, by facilitating a dialogue between parliamentarians, seeks to foster peace and cooperation throughout the world. Following the admission to the IPU of the parliaments of Burundi and Liberia at the Conference in Brussels, the organization now has 138 members.
The German Bundestag sent a delegation comprising the following Members of Parliament to the Conference, which was held in the building of the European Parliament: Prof. Rita Süssmuth (CDU/CSU) as Head of Delegation, Dieter Schloten (SPD) as Deputy Head of Delegation and Chairman of the Twelve Plus Group, Hans Günter Bruckmann (SPD), Uta Zapf (SPD), Hans-Joachim Fuchtel (CDU/CSU) and Ulrich Irmer (F.D.P.). The Conference was attended by a total of 647 parliamentarians from 125 countries.
The main topics of discussion at the Conference were the situation in Kosovo, the moratorium on nuclear testing, the problems facing metropolitan areas, and debt relief for highly indebted poor countries. In a resolution adopted by the plenary, those states which are yet to accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons are called upon to take this step. As before, all countries are called upon to renounce the use of nuclear weapons or the threat of their use.
A resolution on the situation of large conurbations, adopted unanimously by the Conference, calls for steps to be taken to remedy the social problems in such areas. Both resolutions incorporate major elements of the drafts submitted by the German delegation.
With regard to debt relief for the highly indebted poor countries (HIPCs), the creditor countries are called upon to commit themselves, as a matter of principle and as soon as possible, to cancelling the debts of the HIPCs. In this context, the debtor countries are called upon to ensure that debt cancellation will benefit the socio-economic development of all sections of the population.
At the close of the Conference, the head of the German delegation, Prof. Rita Süssmuth (CDU/CSU), reaffirmed the invitation to the 102nd Inter-Parliamentary Conference in Berlin from 10 to 16 October 1999. The topics under discussion at Berlin will include the contribution of parliaments to fostering and ensuring respect for international humanitarian law, and the need for a review of the global financial and economic model. The opening session will take place on 10 October 1999 in the Reichstag Building, chaired by the host, Bundestag President Wolfgang Thierse. The Conference itself will be held in the International Congress Center (ICC). It is expected that the Conference will be attended by more than 1300 participants from around the world.
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