Parliamentary Delegation attends 51st Cwealth Conference

Accra, Aug. 30, GNA - A Parliamentary Delegation led by the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Ebenezer Sekyi Hughes left Accra last night for Fiji Islands to attend the 51st Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

The 10-day conference would run concurrently from September 1 to September 10 this year with the 25th Conference of Members from small countries as well as the meeting of the Steering Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

A statement from the Office of Parliament in Accra, said the conference would be held under the theme: "Commonwealth Parliaments in Partnership for Global Development."

It would address a number of global issues including the eradication of Extreme Poverty and Hunger, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, and the Role of Parliament in Conflict-Affected Countries.

The conference would also address gender-related issues by looking at ways to promote Gender Equality and Empowerment of women. Other members of Ghana's seven-member delegation are the Majority Leader, Mr Felix Owusu-Agyapong, Majority Chief Whip, Mr Okerchiri Adusa, Ms Josephine Hilda Addo, MP for Kwadaso, Mr K.E.K. Tachie, Clerk to Parliament and Mr Asante Amoako Atta of the Parliamentary Service. The Minority Leader, Mr Alban Bagbin would leave on Wednesday. The statement said the Speaker would proceed to attend the Second World Speakers Conference scheduled for New York from September 7 to September 9 2005.

The main subject for the discussion would be " Parliaments and Multilateral Co-operation; Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century." Ghana is expected to hold the African Branch conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in August 2006.

Other presentations on how the Millennium Development Goals could be met; good practices for actions taken by Parliaments to consolidate its involvement in International Affairs and the Parliamentary Dimension of Democracy would be made, the statement said.