The VI Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) will be inaugurated tomorrow in Palermo, Italy. It was preceded by the 6th Meeting of the Standing Committees on 27-28 October, during which the delegates from the PAM member states’ national parliaments discussed the Reports and Resolutions presented by the rapporteurs of the topics assigned within the framework of the three Standing Committees of the Assembly.
The Plenary Session is being hosted by the Presidents of the Italian Senate and Chamber of Deputies, Hon. Renato Schifani and Hon. Gianfranco Fini respectively.
For PAM this is a particularly challenging year following the developments in some member states on the Southern shore of the Mediterranean. The Plenary Session will represent an ideal regional forum where parliamentarians will have the opportunity to focus on the most important issues that require immediate attention and action. The debate will centre on the future of the region and the aspirations of the peoples who have undertaken the process for a more participative governance of their countries.
The VI Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean will also elect the new President to replace H.E. Abdelwahed Radi (Morocco), who has completed his term in Office. The new candidate was chosen during an ad hoc meeting of the South Geo-political group and will be presented tomorrow to the Assembly. Meanwhile H.E. Radi has been elected to the prestigious post of President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the international body gathering all the National Parliaments of the world.
The delegates will also adopt the Reports and Resolutions, which were further debated for their final tuning, at the meetings of the Standing Committees during the two days prior to the Assembly.
In Palermo, PAM members will deliberate on a wide range of issues, such as the Peace Process in the Middle East, the democratic transition in North Africa, vis-à-vis Libya, Tunisia and Egypt, the situation in Syria, the constitutional reform process in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and also the need to support sustainable socio-economic development in the region.
The delegates will also be addressed by a number of high-level speakers, and representatives from international organizations such as the UN, FAO, PUIC, the Arab League and OSCE will also be attending.