DRAFT PROGRAMME Regional Conference on Parliamentary Democracy and Peace in the Great Lakes Region Nairobi, 14-16 April 2005 Organised by AWEPA, the North-South Centre, and the Amani Forum, in partnership with UNIFEM and UNDP, and supported by the governments of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden Thursday 14 April 08:30-09:00 Registration 09:00-09:10 Session 1 Chair: Dr J.N. Scholten, President of AWEPA 09:10-10:00 Session 1a: Opening Plenary Welcome remarks by: AMANI Forum North South Centre Keynote speech: Agnes van Ardenne, Minster of Development Cooperation of the Netherlands and co-Chair of the Group of Friends of the Great Lakes Official opening by: Hon. Speaker F.X. Kaparo, Kenya 10:00 - 10:30 Session 1b: Presentation of the Dar es Salaam Declaration and an update on the preparations for the Security, Stability and Development Pact. Keynote Speaker: Amb. Ibrahim Fall, UN Special Representative GRL 10:30-11:00 Coffee Break

11:00-12:30 Session 1c: Discussions on the following themes Dar es Salaam Declaration Country situational updates (Uganda, DRC, RC, Rwanda, Burundi) Strategic partnerships 12:30-14:00 Lunch Break 14:00-15:30 Four parallel working sessions on the four pillars of the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region: Peace and Security Rapporteur Governance and Democracy Rapporteur Economic Development and Regional Integration Rapporteur Social and Humanitarian Issues Rapporteur 15:30-16:00 Coffee Break 16:00-18:00 Session 2: Parliament as an Instrument for Peace Chair: Hon. Dr. Mose Tjitendero, Namibia Rapporteur: AWEPA Keynote speaker: Mr. Pär Granstedt, Vice -President of AWEPA Panel: Member of PAP (Benin) Introduction of discussion on the following issues: Resource scarcity and ethnic tensions as sources of conflict: What can parliament do? Effective representation, inclusion of needs of interest groups and early warning Pro-active budgetary re-allocation by parliaments to direct resources toward priority needs Protection of the rights of vulnerable groups and prevention of human rights abuse and impunity Parliamentary Democracy in the GLR; Challenges and Opportunities 18.00: end of day 1 19:00 Cocktail

Friday 15 April Chair: AMANI Rapporteur: UNIFEM Keynote speakers: Hon. Loice Bwambale, Uganda, Chair of the Committee on Gender, Youth, Family and People with Disabilities of the Pan African Parliament Hon. Amina Abdalla, Reporting on the AMANI workshop on strengthening the role of women Parliamentarians in peace and security Panel: Mrs. Gumbozvandi, UNIFEM Director RFPAC Representative Mrs. Monique Kande, Gender Adviser Discussion on the following theme: Strategies for promoting the role of women MP in the Great Lakes Peace Process Discussion 10:30-11.00 Coffee break 11:00-13:00 Session 4: Small Arms Reduction project Chair: Rapporteur: Keynote speakers: Mr. Luc Dhoore, Honorary Vice President of AWEPA Mr. Gilbert Barthe, Programme Manager UN-SARP Mr. Francis Sang’, the Nairobi Secretariat on Small Arms Discussion on the following themes: Small Arms Reduction project Harmonisation of legislation: areas for parliamentarian action Situational update by the parliaments of Rwanda, Burundi and DRC 13:00-14:30 Lunch break 14:30-15:30 Session 5:  Reporting on session 1c 08:30-10:30 Session 3: The Kigali Declaration of the Great Lakes Regional Women’s meeting

Working groups on the following themes: 1 Parliament as an Instrument for Peace. Rapporteur: 2 The Summit of Heads of State in Dar es Salaam, follow-upfor parliamentarians. Rapporteur: 3 The role of women in promoting parliamentary democracy and peace. Rapporteur: 4 The role of parliamentarians in reducing small arms: legislation and oversight. Rapporteur: 17:00 end of day 2 Saturday 16 April Chair: AMANI Rapporteur Working Group 1: Rapporteur Working Group 2: Rapporteur Working Group 3: Rapporteur Working Group 4: Discussion 10.30-11:30 coffee break Committee prepares concluding documents Chair: North – South Centre Rapporteur: 13:00 – 14:00 Lunch and departure of participants 14.30 - 16.30 Session 6: Working Group Session 08.30 - 10.30 Session 7: Report back from Working Groups 11.30 - 12.30 Session 8: Presentation of parliamentary action plan 12:30-13:00 Session 9: Closing Session