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Letter from the Chairperson 2 UNDP HDR 2000 TO FOCUS ON RIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENT 3 UNDP WORKSHOP AT JAKARTA 4 FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION 6 TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD 7 HANDBOOK FOR LEGISLATORS ON HIV/AIDS, LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS Letter from the Chairperson Dear Colleagues and Friends j ;..:-•-. II'UY/" W I Wish you all a very happy new year and the millennium. As I look back in retrospection, it has been a very satisfying year. But with greater achievements, it has also raised our hopes and aspirations. Since our last issue, there have been several events and that too at a rapid pace. First there was the global launch of the Culture for Peace by UNESCO at Paris, on the 14th September 1999, which I had the privilege to address as=*he President of the Council of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU). This was soon followed by the UNDP Workshop at Jakarta convened to frame the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament in a multi-party set up. October saw the 102nd Conference of the IPU at Berlin, which became memorable in more ways than one. It was for the first time that the IPU elected a woman as the President of its prestigious Council a responsibility that was bestowed upon me by way of unanimous choice HUMAN and acclamation. Also at the Berlin Conference, for the first time a meeting was convened to discuss the the 1999 UNDP Human Development Report, which was attended by a large DEVELOPMENT number of Members of Parliament from different regions and geo-political groups. NEWS The interaction meeting with the Members of Parliament during the visit of Mr. Richard Jolly, the Principal Author of the 1999 UNDP HDR, the Tenth Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the launch of the Handbook for Legislators on HIV/AIDS, Law and A NEWSLETTER OF Human Rights and the India launch of Human Development in South Asia The Crisis of 1 Governance Report were some of the important events which took place within a short span of THE PARLIAMENTARIANS the last quarter of the year. FORUM FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT On the first day of the New Year we got the news of the sad demise of Mr. Bhaskar Bhattacharji, who was associated with the Forum from the days of its inception in 1994. The recent event on the Tenth Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child was January organized with his close support. He would be missed by all of us. On the threshold of the new millennium, it is important to take stock of the past and place 2000 markers for the future. New ideas and issues have emerged and parliamentarians have responsibility to take them on board. We propose to hold a large number of activities in the next three years. We would be looking forward to your views and suggestions to make the Forum a greater success. (Najma Heptulla) ; ''""•? *• Chairperson UNDP HDR 2000 TO FOCUS ON RIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENT Human Rights Commission, Justice Ranganath Misra, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Dr. Manmohan Singh, representatives from the Government and Planning Commission. Representatives of UN Agencies also attended the Meeting. Interacting with the Parliamentarians' Forum for Human Development (PFHD) led by Dr. Najma Heptulla, the Chairperson of the Forum, Dr. Jolly said that as people are looking forward to the new millennium for new opportunities, the theme of the next report all rights for all people will be the most appropriate because of its universal nature. Interaction meeting on the occasion of the visit of Mr. Richard Jolly. L to R : Dr. Manmohan Singh, Leader of Opposition in Rajya The proposed Human Development Report 2000 Sabha; Mr. Richard Jolly; Dr. Najma Heptulla, President of the will tackle poverty issues in the context of a broader Council of Inter Parliamentary Union; Mr. Hanumanthappa, Member of Parliament and Prof. O. P. Kohli, Member of framework of human rights and development. Parliament. Elaborating on the theme, Dr. Jolly said the issue of human rights revolves round the question of dignity n the occasion of the visit of Mr. Richard Jolly, of an individual and that of human development also Principal Author of the UNDP's 1999 Human focuses on strengthening capabilities. Development Report a meeting with the members of Dr. Heptulla said that the Forum seeks to liase with Parliament was convened on 9th November in the the people on the one hand and with the government Parliament House Annexe. The theme of the meeting on the other, focusing on the two issues of human was Human Development Reports: Members of rights and development so that the action plans can Parliament Perspective. be formulated on the basis of the peoples needs and The Meeting was attended by a large number of aspirations. Members of Parliament from different political parties, including the former Chairman of the National International Day of Tolerance UNESCO and UNIC celebrated International Day for Tolerance with a panel discussion and a question and answer session on 16 November. The Declaration on Principles of Tolerance adopted by UNESCO's General Conference defined tolerance as respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of the world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human. However, this does not mean, as UNIC Director Mr. F. Starcevic pointed out, that we should tolerate intolerance. Pleading for conflict resolution at the local level through dialogue, Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha and President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Dr. Najma Heptulla, stated, "disparity in the distribution of benefits of development has led to conflict situations in society. Hence it is essential that the concepts of societal justice should always be inherent in public policies." Member of Parliament and Former Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Mr. P.A. Sangma speeking on the subject, referred to the caste system, prevalent in India. Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Minister for HRD and eminent jurist, Mr. Soli Sorabjee, also addressed the meeting. UNDP WORKSHOP AT JAKARTA Uhe democratic set up in Indonesia is experienc- procedures prevalent in the Indian Parliament, code ing a change. So far there has been an 'all powerful of conduct, ethics among parliamentarians, executive succored by a compliant parliament.' The democratic systems in governance, gender parity, Rules of Procedure of Parliament thus envisaged the and the functioning of the parliament. existence of a highly organized party with two or Mr. Ravi Rajan, Resident Representative, UNDP, three other small party groups permitted to be there Jakarta explained the rationale for holding the on sufferance. However, with seven major and workshop. Representative of four out of eight major twelve minor parties now represented in the political parties Golkar (the ruling party), PPP, Parliament, it has become essential to recast the PKB, PDKP and ten members of the DPR rules of procedure to accommodate a changed Secretariat General attended the workshop, which political scene. UNDP, Indonesia, under the project was conceived by Mr. Michael Meadowcroft, Post- 'Support to the Election Advisor, Democratic E U - U N D P Electoral Electoral Support Process in Project. Indonesia' organized a As a key part of its week long work, UNDP workshop Indonesia has starting from undertaken a series 25 September of local partnership 1999 on the projects in civic request made education, by the democracy Secretary UNDP Workshop at Jakarta. L to R : Dr. Neeru Misra, Coordinator, PFHD, UNDP; monitoring and Dr. Najma Heptulla, President of the Council of Inter Parliamentary Union; General of the electoral law Mr. Ravi Rajan, Resident Representative, UNDP Indonesia; Prof. Saragih, Chief review. The House of Coordinator of the Workshop; Ir Dariyatmo Mardiyanto, Chair of the DPR Commission. Representative Participants elicited s. The objective of the workshop was to help the a great interest in the functioning and the rules of newly elected parliamentary party groups to arrive procedure of the Indian Parliament and particularly at an informal agreement on the Rules of Procedure the Committee System. A suggestion was made by to be adopted by the new House at its inception in some of the members of Parliament attending the early October 1999. workshop to send some of the members and officials of the Indonesian Parliament to India for a study of The Workshop was organized for participants from the procedures relating to the Committee System. political parties and the armed forces. Dr. Najma Heptulla, Chairperson of the Forum and It was felt that in future more specific topics could Distinguished Human Development Ambassador, be covered in similar workshops. These could UNDP was Special Consultant for the deliberations, involve participation from the sub-region which has assisted by the National Coordinator, PFHD, considerable experience in democratic traditions UNDP, Dr. Neeru Misra. and processes. The participants were also given an insight into the initiatives of UNDP India through The general overview on the Rules and Procedures the Parliamentarians' Forum for Human was given by Mr. Ir. Daryatmo Mardiyanto, Development. This evoked keen interest for similar Secretary General, House of Representatives (also replication ih Indonesia. known as DPR in Indonesia). Dr. Heptulla spoke on the role of parliamentary democracy, rules and O Dr. Heptulk elected President of the uring the 102nd IPU Conference in Berlin on 16th The IPU provides a forum to foster and promote October, 1999, Dr. Najma Heptulla was elected the greater cooperation and contact between parliaments first ever woman President of the Council Inter- and parliamentarians, mobilize opinion among Parliamentary Union. She was elected unanimously parliamentarians on major international events and and all the six regional groups supported her trends, promotes democratic ideals and institutions candidature.
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