ANNUAL PARLIAMENTARY HEARING AT THE UNITED NATIONS New York (United Nations Headquarters), 31 October - 1 November 2005
	Organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union

	Every year during the fall session of the General Assembly the IPU organises a Parliamentary Hearing as an opportunity for members of parliaments to exchange views with United Nations officials, representatives of United Nations diplomatic community, as well as scholars and leading academics. The 2005 Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations was entitled Our Shared Responsibility for a Stronger United Nations to Meet the Challenges of the 21st Century. The discussions centred on some of the key components of the United Nations Secretary-General’s agenda for reform on promoting and implementing freedom from want, freedom from fear, and freedom to live in dignity. The Hearing took place in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) room, inside the main UN building (2nd floor) in New York on 31 October and 1 November 2005, beginning at 10 a.m. The meeting offered members of parliament and, in particular, those who are members of parliamentary standing or select committees on foreign affairs, national security and international development, an opportunity to receive substantive briefings and provide input to current debates at the United Nations. Each segment of the debates was assisted by a rapporteur who helped in drawing some concrete conclusions and recommendations from the discussion. The rapporteurs came back in the early afternoon of the second day of deliberations to present the summary of each session.

DOCUMENTS
	Summary and Main Conclusions [PDF]
	Opening remarks by the IPU President, Mr. P.F. Casini [PDF]
	Remarks by the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Mr. Robert Orr [PDF]
	Backgrounder on the Peace-building Commission [PDF]
	Backgrounder on the response of the United Nations to international terrorism [PDF]
	2005 World Summit outcome [PDF]
	Convocation [PDF]
	Information Note [PDF]
	Registration form [PDF] or [WORD]
RELATED SITES AND DOCUMENTS
	IPU Cooperation with the United Nations
	2004 Annual Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations
	2003 Annual Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations
Note: Documents in PDF format require Adobe Acrobat Reader

Updated on 27 October 2005
PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME
Monday, 31 October
9 - 11 a.m.	Accreditation of participants (United Nations Pass Office, on the basis of a Note Verbale from the Permanent Missions)
11 - 11.30 a.m.	Opening session Statements by: - Hon. Pier Ferdinado Casini, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union - H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations
11.30 a.m. - 1.30 p.m.	Session I. Conclusions of the 2005 United Nations Summit An overview: Opportunities and challenges ahead Forging a new partnership between the United Nations and parliaments Implementing the decisions of the World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments Discussants: - Mr. Jan Eliasson, President of the United Nations General Assembly - Congressman Jim Leach, House International Relations Committee, United States Congress - Mr. Robert Orr, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs
3 - 6 p.m.	Session II. Role of Parliaments in the Global Fight against Terrorism Elements of a new comprehensive convention on terrorism Scope and rationale of the International Convention on Nuclear Terrorism (open for signature in September 2005) Legislative action in the fight against terrorism. Ratification and national implementation of the 12 antiterrorism conventions Discussants: - Mr. David Musila, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya - H.E. Mr. Mihnea Motoc, President of the United Nations Security Council - Mr. Nicolas Michel, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs - Mr. Javier Ruperez, United Nations Under-Secretary-General, Executive Director of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee - Mr. Terje Rod-Larsen, President of the International Peace Academy
6.15 - 8 p.m.	Reception in honor of participants in the 2005 Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations (UN Delegates’ Dining Room)
Tuesday, 1 November
10 a.m. - 1 p.m.	Session III. The responsibility to protect - early warning and coordinated response in dealing with crisis situations Humanitarian assistance as a pillar of international security International mechanisms and national strategies Prerequisites for an improved Central Emergency Response Fund Role of parliaments in early warning and implementation challenges Discussants: - Senator Mohammedmian Soomro, Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan - Senator Romeo Dallaire (Canada), Lieutenant-General - Ms. Margareta Wahlstrom, UN Assistant-Secretary-General and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator - Ms. Nicole Deller, World Federalist Movement, Institute for Global Policy
3 - 5 p.m.	Session VI - Parliaments and peace-building Mandate and working modalities of the new Peace-Building Commission Initiatives to enhance dialogue among civilizations Challenges and lessons learnt Discussants: - Hon. Finn Martin Vallersnes (Norway), President of the IPU Middle East Committee - H.E. Mr. Augustine Mahiga, Permanent Representative of the United Republic of Tanzania, co-Chair of the UN consultations on the Peacebuilding Commission - Mr. Thank Myint-U, United Nations Strategic Planning Unit - Mr. Stephen Schlesinger, Director, World Policy Institute, New School University
5 - 6 p.m.	Presentation of reports on the proceedings of the Parliamentary Hearing, conclusions and recommendations.

SESSION PHOTOS