Geneva, 22 September 2008

 

 

 

 

IPU organizes a Parliamentary Hearing on the occasion of the

Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development

 

 

Madam President,

Mr. President,

 

The United Nations is convening a Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development in Doha, Qatar, from 29 November to 2 December 2008.  It will review progress in implementing the consensus reached in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2002 on financing for development and set targets for the future.

 

You may recall that the agreement reached in Monterrey aimed at mobilizing and increasing the impact of domestic and other resources such as foreign direct investments, innovative financing schemes, and foreign aid.  It also provided a framework for future debt relief and trade liberalization, and set out a reformed international financial architecture.

 

Since 2002 some progress has been achieved in virtually all of these areas, though to varying degrees.  On balance, however, most of the Monterrey Consensus remains unfulfilled and it has not delivered the resources that developing countries require in order to meet the Millennium Development Goals.  The situation is even more alarming today in view of new challenges such as the global financial turmoil, increasing food and energy prices, and the cost of combating climate change.

 

The Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development in Doha therefore comes at an opportune moment and will hopefully give renewed impetus to resource mobilization for development.  The conference will adopt a document that is currently being negotiated by United Nations member states in New York.  A first draft of this document, together with more background information about the conference, is available at http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/.

 

I would like to encourage you to bring the draft outcome document and information about this conference to the attention of relevant committees in your parliament for their information and possible action.  I would also like to encourage your parliament to ensure that members of parliament are included in your country’s national delegation to the conference.

 

In support of this major event, the IPU is organizing a Parliamentary Hearing in the afternoon of 28 November, in cooperation with the United Nations.  The event will provide members of parliament with an opportunity to be informed of the agreement that will emerge from the conference and to raise questions with experts and officials who have taken part in the negotiations.

 

I will shortly be sending you a detailed practical information note on the hearing.  Meanwhile, I would be grateful if delegates to the hearing could be registered on the enclosed form which should be returned to the IPU.

 

Yours sincerely,

Anders B. Johnsson

Secretary General