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SOUTH AFRICA: POVERTY SUMMIT TO FOCUS ON GLOBAL WARMING
(English IPS News Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Mar. 18, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- The link
between global warming and poverty will be a major focus of the
118th assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union next month in the
South African port city of Cape Town.
The annual conference, which is being held this year under the
theme "Pushing back the frontiers of poverty," is set to draw
delegates from 140 national parliaments around the world: About a
thousand legislators are expected at the April 13-18 meeting.
The conference will also focus especially on the effects of
poverty on women.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union is an umbrella organization for
parliaments worldwide. Set up in 1889, it works in part to
encourage communication between legislatures, to strengthen their
operations and to promote human rights.
"During the assembly special attention will be given to the
impact of global warming on poverty, peace-building and
reconciliation, and poverty in relation to maternal and child
health," said Baleka Mbete, the speaker of South Africa's National
Assembly.
She made the comments Tuesday at the South African parliament
in Cape Town, where the 118th assembly is officially being
launched.
The assembly will also give attention to the role of women in
politics, and ensure that women delegates have an opportunity to
raise matters of importance to them.
"It is important for women to be given time to talk about the
issues that affect them and what the implications are of these
issues. Since the Inter-Parliamentary Union was established in
1889, women have fought for this," Mbete said.
Additionally, the Inter-Parliamentary Union will launch its
annual gender equality survey concerning women in politics.
According to Gwendoline Lindiwe Mahlangu-Nkabinde, deputy
speaker of the South African National Assembly, progress on this
front has occurred in recent years. "There was a time where
delegations participating in the annual Inter-Parliamentary Union
assembly did not send any women," she said. "Times have changed
now, thanks to the efforts of parliaments worldwide."
In fact, the Inter-Parliamentary Union even advises
participating countries to send women to the assembly. Those which
fail to do so face the possibility of having their total number of
delegates cut. Delegations usually comprise eight to 10 members.
"That means that a country's power to put issues across is being
reduced as well," Mahlangu-Nkabinde said.
The conference will further deal with human trafficking,
xenophobia and difficulties faced by migrant workers, as well as
other social and economic problems, Mbete said.
Various high-ranking political figures have confirmed that they
will attend the Inter-Parliamentary Union assembly, including South
African President Thabo Mbeki and United Nations Deputy
Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro.
Gra?a Machel, a leading children's rights activist and the wife
of former South African leader Nelson Mandela, will also be
present, as well as Nobel Peace Prize winner David Trimble.
Copyright ? 2008 Global Information Network
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