Opening the Conference, President Girma Woldegiorgis underlined that parliaments should play a leading role in mobilizing all sectors in order to overcome the daunting environmental challenges Africa is facing.

The role of parliamentarians in the protection of environment and the implementation of sustainable development and development of inter-Africa trade are top on the agenda of the conference.

President Girma said that though is not a significant contributor to the global greenhouse gas emission, which is a major cause for global warming, it is Africa which is bearing the full burnt of the environmental degradation caused by the increasing green house emissions.

Hence, he said Africa acting unison should put the environment issue, which is interlinked with its quest for sustainable development, at the forefront of the international agenda.

President Girma also stressed that there can not be a more appropriate vehicle than the African parliamentarians to successfully communicate the environmental message to the grass root level, to drive the issue to the top of the international agenda, and to enable behavioral change at all levels of the society.

Concerning the agenda item on the development of inter-African trade, Girma said that Africa will make a great leap foreword in its endeavor to achieve sustained socio-economic development id Africans are able to achieve the noble objectives of African integration.

Speaker of the House of Peoples' Representatives (HPR), Ambassador Teshome Toga also said that at this very important period of the world's history that African countries have decided to take their destiny in to their hands, and have embarked on stronger African Unity to drive the development of the continent.

Ambassador Teshome said that the Africa should take strong stand and collective voice in order to face the issue of climate change.

The conference particularly would give due attention to the role of parliaments in environmental protection and sustainable development, and the development of inter-Africa trade.

Ambassador Teshome told the confernence that the Inter-Parliamentary Union of IGAD was established on Wednesday in Addis Ababa.

R--3:00-3:50 Pm

E--3:50-3:56

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