The Second World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments opened in the United States Wednesday with a call to strengthen cooperation between parliaments of various countries and the United Nations in a common effort to deal with challenges facing the world today.

Addressing the opening session of the conference, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) President Sergio Paez noted that speakers of parliaments have come to the General Assembly Hall to deliver their message of hope in the human condition and in the promotion of democracy as a way of life and of government at a time when confidence in the multilateral system is being put to test every day.
 
This extraordinary meeting bears witness to the interest of representative institutions in parliamentary diplomacy and in the increasing role of legislators in the international system. "To distinguish, with the aim not of separating, but uniting" will be our political outlook during our intense efforts here in New York," he said.

Speakers of parliaments from more than 150 countries and regional parliamentary organizations attended the conference, a follow-up of the first gathering of leading parliamentarians five years ago.

Sergio Paez listed the four main objectives of the conference:

-to air views of the representatives of popular sovereignty from all regions of the world;

-to take stock of parliamentary action in foreign affairs in the past five years;

-to examine how to provide more support for international cooperation and for the purpose and mission of the Unite Nation;

-to help bridge the democracy gap in decision-making in international relations.

On the crucial issue of UN reform, he said the draft declaration to be adopted at this conference expresses broad support for the reform underway in the United Nations, and noted that parliaments continue to seek more substantive interaction and coordination with the world body.

"We are convinced that the time has come for a strategic partnership between the two institutions, once representing governments and the other, legislators, who are themselves representatives of the people's will," he said.

The three-day conference is expected to deliberate on the report on parliamentary involvement in international affairs, progress report on meeting the Millennium Development Goals, the report on parliaments' contribution to democracy. The conference is also expected to adopt a final declaration.

(Xinhua News Agency September 8, 2005)