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10th Afro-Arab Parliamentary Conference
Addis Ababa , 8-10/1/2003

Item 7 on the agenda

Cooperation Between The Two Unions In The IPU Conferences:
a- Taking a unified stand on IPU Reform issue.
b- Practical Suggestions to improve cooperation and coordination between African and Arab delegations.



The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU ) which was founded before more than a century ago constitutes an important international forum . It brings about parliamentarians from all over the world to discuss important international issues relevant to international peace and security, development , environment , combat of terrorism and others.

The Geo-Political groups formed within the IPU play an increasing role in presenting issues and in the resolution adopted by the IPU vis-à-vis these issues. The African and the Arab groups have an important weight in the IPU activities. The experience of previous years confirms the importance of cooperation between the delegations of the African and the Arab groups whether in adopting resolutions or in electing candidates to different leading posts of the Union. It is quite natural to say that the improvement of the cooperation between the delegations of the two groups would result in increasing the importance of the role played by both groups within the IPU.

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I -Taking A Unified stand of IPU Reform Issue
For more than a year there has been a discussion inside the IPU bodies on the necessity of making certain changes in the existing IPU bodies and the methods of their work and activity. This process is called ' IPU REFORM '. The purpose of this reform is to strengthen the international and the representative roles of the IPU .

For this purpose an ad hoc committee was formed . The committee studied the situation of the Union and the possible changes which may be introduced in the light of the proposals submitted by the member parliaments . All the above mentioned efforts were embodied in a draft document adopted by the Executive Committee and submitted to the Marakesh Conference ( April 2002 ) .

After amendment, the draft was submitted again to the IPU Council held in Geneva ( September 2002 ). This document will be discussed and adopted finally in the forthcoming 108th IPU conference to be held in Chile in April 2003.

The General Secretariats of the two Unions believe that the following are the most prominent issues on which African and Arab delegations should concentrate in discussing the IPU Reform :
    1 - Committee Membership:
     The insistence on keeping the committee membership open to representatives of all member parliaments, and the refusal of limiting this membership to a certain number. Open membership provides opportunity to all member parliaments to take part in the committee works and discussions.
    2 - Supplementary Items:
    The confirmation that the majority required to include a supplementary item on the conference agenda should not exceed two third majority.
    3 - General Debate
    The insistence on maintaining the debate of the political , economic and social situation in the world as a permanent item in the conference agenda.

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II- Practical Proposals To Improve Cooperation And Coordination Between African And Arab Delegations
 It would be very useful to :
  1. organize a meeting between the presidents of the two unions or their representatives during every IPU conference;
  2. entrust the Follow-up Committee and the two General Secretariats with studying the agenda of every IPU conference and working out proposals concerning the issues in which cooperation and coordination between representatives of both groups should be carried out;
  3. carry out cooperation and coordination between representatives of both groups in the Executive Committee and the meeting of Women Parliamentarians;
  4. arrange the participation of the General Secretaries of the two unions in the coordinating meetings held by the delegations of each group before every IPU conference.
  5. exchange memoranda , working papers and proposals submitted by each Union on the subjects under discussion in the IPU bodies.

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