IPU adopts four resolutions at end of Manila conference

The 112th assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) ended yesterday with the adoption of four major resolutions on disaster preparedness, the reduction of poverty, the prevention and management of AIDS and the promotion of women and children’s rights.

Speaking on behalf of the more than 100 countries in attendance, IPU president Sergio Paez and secretary general Anders Johnsson also thanked the Philippine government, especially Senate President Franklin Drilon, for the success of the assembly and the warm welcome they received from their host.

"We are pleased by how warmly welcomed we have been," Paez said through an interpreter, "I would say we are delighted at how wonderfully organized this conference has been."

Drilon said the resolutions adopted by the assembly are not binding on the IPU members but are merely guidelines for the parliaments of each country.

"The parliaments of over 100 nations that attended the Manila assembly will be urged to adopt resolutions and pertinent legislation which will give meaning to these resolutions adopted by the IPU in their own individual parliaments," he said.

Johnsson described the resolutions as "recommendations for actions."

"I can say from my experience that most parliaments actually acted on many of these recommendations," he said.

Perhaps one of most important resolutions passed during the assembly was the call for developed countries to allocate a portion of their budgets to help developing countries achieve the medium-term goal of reducing poverty by 2015.

Developed countries were urged to allot at least 0.7 percent of their gross domestic product as Official Development Assistance (ODA) to poor countries.