"For us parliamentarians, endowed with a popular mandate, there was no question that we could be absent from Cancún" said Chilean Senator Sergio Páez, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) at today's inaugural ceremony of the special parliamentary session organised by the IPU and the European Parliament. The session is being held with the support of the Mexican Parliament as a parallel event to the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO). More than 320 MPs from some 70 countries are attending.

"As legitimate representatives of the people, we have the right and the duty to oversee government action in multilateral trade negotiations, especially when the subject is of such overwhelming importance as the implementation of the Doha Development Agenda" added the IPU President. Senator Páez explained that the fundamental objective of the IPU and the European Parliament was to encourage ever greater participation by MPs in the trade negotiations conducted by the executive branch.

The Mexican Foreign Minister, Luis Derbez, who is chairing the Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference that is due to open tomorrow (10 September), told the parliamentarians that "In actual practice, and thanks to strengthened democratic systems, diplomatic initiatives should emanate from intensive consultations, culminating in a consensus between the executive and legislative branches. The point is to ensure that the wishes of the citizens, channelled through their representatives, are also reflected when the State comes to formulate its foreign policy".

The Vice-President of the European Parliament, Renzo Imbeni, emphasised that "Our Parliamentary Conference on the WTO can make a particular impact on issues relating to democracy and transparency. We know that every national government is answerable to its own national parliament, and it is not our intention to turn our assembly into a body that oversees, censures or endorses activities in the same way as democratic systems in individual nations. However, we can take action to forge common objectives which elicit global interest, monitor the action of WTO and submit suggestions on the salient items of the agenda."

Enrique Jackson, President of the Mexican Senate, said that as parliamentarians they "were obliged to protect the interests of our citizens. We have to take account of the effects of international agreements at the domestic level. Not only the effects on economic indicators, which of course are significant, but also the effects on different strata of society, on industry, and on public policy. In cases like that of Mexico, we must look at the effects on social harmony, political stability, and the viability and capacity of the Mexican State." He added that, starting on the following day, trade and economy experts would be meeting for several days "with similar responsibilities but each with different scope for manoeuvre. For us parliamentarians, it is natural that our agenda should encompass issues of particular social relevance, and we are deeply convinced that there is compatibility between multilateral trade and competition for markets and investments, and sound domestic policies that foster growth and improve the standard of living of the majority."

The WTO Director General, Dr. Supachai Panitchpakti, and the European Trade Commissioner, Mr. Pascal Lamy, will hold a question and answer session with the parliamentarians attending the meeting.

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Established in 1889 and with its Headquarters in Geneva, the IPU, the oldest multilateral organisation, currently has 145 affiliated national parliaments and five regional assemblies as associate members. The organisation of the world's parliaments also has an office as Permanent Observer with the United Nations in New York.
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