Paris 2004

PNoWB held its Fifth Annual Conference in the French Senate in Paris, on February 14-16, 2004.

Nearly 200 parliamentarians and policymakers from 80 countries came together to exchange views and experiences and to raise development concerns with World Bank President James Wolfensohn and IMF Deputy Managing Director Augustin Carstens.  Prominent presenters included Franz Fischler, European Union Commissioner for Agriculture; Paul Boateng, The United Kingdom’s Chief Secretary of the Treasury; and Francis Mer, France’s Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry.   Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, President of Brazil provided a closing speech on the fight against global hunger, by direct video link from Brasilia.

The recurring theme of the Conference was the need to mobilize the political will necessary to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the role parliamentarians can play.  Participants included representatives of the World Social Forum (such as ATTAC, the international movement for democratic control of financial markets and their institutions)

The event was hosted and organised with the support of the French Senate and the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry.

Event: The Fifth Annual Conference of the PNoWB
Date:  February 14-16, 2004
Venue: French Senate, Paris