Speaker to Co-chair Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organization

Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Manzoor Nadir, today, formally accepted an invitation from Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) President, Hon. Duarte Pacheco, to co-chair, with the President of the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organization (PCWTO).

The permanent mechanism of the PCWTO was created by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the European Parliament in 2002. Intended for legislators involved in parliamentary activities to do with international trade, finance and development, the PCWTO aims at providing a parliamentary perspective to the work of the WTO, thus enhancing its transparency and making it accountable to the representatives of the people.

The IPU is a world organization of national Parliaments. It brings together 179 national Parliaments from around the globe. Its core mission is building democracy around the world by empowering Parliament as the most representative institution of governance. It enables Parliaments and Parliamentarians to arrive at common solutions to tackle the main global issues of our time. Each year, two general assemblies provide a unique forum for the world’s Parliamentarians to discuss and take action on issues pertaining to trade, disarmament, climate change, gender equality, peace building, conflict prevention and security, human rights, youth empowerment, and many others.

The IPU works to mainstream the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Parliaments and helps to enhance the capacities of Parliaments to oversee the implementation of the Goals contained therein. The IPU also ensures parliamentary engagement in and oversight of the work of the United Nations.

The PCWTO is tentatively scheduled to be held in April, 2021.