Growing public interest in the work of international organisations such as the WTO makes this scrutiny task all the more important. Parliaments have a key role in ensuring that popular concerns about the activities of international organisations are understood and addressed by national governments. May I begin by saying that the French have always set great store by their membership the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which is the oldest of the international political institutions, since it was established back in 1889. At the dawn of the 21st century, promoting peace and cooperation among peoples through parliamentary channels is more necessary than ever before. In a world that is still ravaged by conflict and prey to savage economic competition, it is essential that cooperation between peoples be reinforced.
Parliamentarians are very well placed to advocate such cooperation.
Moreover, parliaments can provide the vital political support to the construction of a more peaceful and prosperous world. I have no doubt that by promoting closer cooperation between parliaments, by proclaiming loud and clear the universal value of the fundamental human right to be represented by an elected person, and by alerting governments to the need to associate representative institutions with international cooperation, the Inter-Parliamentary Union is making a valuable contribution to greater understanding of the role of parliaments in bringing nations closer together. I cherish the hope that the Conference of Presiding Officers of Nation Parliaments in New York from 30 August to 1 September will provide an opportunity for a forceful statement of the need to enshrine the voice of parliamentarians in the community of nations. In today's globalizing world, if people are to manage their own societies and their own future, they must invent a political power that is commensurate with the economic power of global enterprises. That political power already exists.