Postponed from the previous year, due to the tragic events of 9/11, the 23rd Annual Forum, in Stockholm, Sweden, featured a special session on counter-terrorism, in addition to its main theme of parliamentarians and E-commerce and the Internet.
This publication tells the story of the men and women who have taken part in missions - organized by PGA's Task Force on Peace & Democracy - to Burundi, Cote d'lvoire, Haiti, Tanzania, Togo and elsewhere, in response to requests for assistance from the parliaments themselves or from Special Representatives of the United Nations Secretary-General.
Although it has taken more than a decade, the road started by PGA members Mr. Arthur N.R. Robinson, currently President of Trinidad and Tobago, and U.S. Rep. James Leach in 1989 to set up an International Criminal Court is now closer to becoming a reality, with President Clinton signing the ICC statute on December 31, 2000.
This year PGA held its 21st Annual Forum entitled 'Eradicating Global Poverty' on September 29-30, which struggled with the heartbreaking and unnecessary issue of poverty.
As the millennium approaches, the globe has never been more connected: technology and business rush forward, partnerships cross borders, the Internet breaks old barriers of communication - and yet at the same time, poverty has sharply increased. Development and underdevelopment have reached hyperbolic peaks.
The International conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in September 1994, was a watershed for global population and development initiatives. In an unprecedented move, government officials from 179 countries unanimously adopted a Program of Action.
In the 1990's, PGA pioneered parliamentarians' involvement in conflict prevention and management in countries such as Haiti, Togo and Burundi. PGA also mobilized consensus on key controversial issues at the global UN conferences of 1990-1996.
1997 proved to be a monumentally successful year for Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) . Remarkable advancements were made in our program work as well as our membership development.
As we near the dawn of the 21st century, political and economic decision-making has become more complex and more sophisticated than ever before in history. Indeed, the process of governing now needs more vision, conceptualization, communication, and intellect. And governing is still more complicated in a democracy where governments and legislators must satisfy so many diverse segments of society.