Inter-Parliamentary Union, 1985

Canada will host the 74th Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union on 2-7 September 1985, in Ottawa. This important event will contribute to the development of parliamentary institutions throughout the world. The Union, an international association of members of parliament, strives to promote personal contact between members of all parliaments. It was founded in 1889, when a group of British and French politicians met in a large hotel in Paris and organized an Inter-Parliamentary Conference for international arbitration. Five years later, an international organization with its own statutes and secretariat was established. Since that time, except during the two World Wars, the Union has grown steadily, expanding its field of work and adapting its methods to changing circumstances. It is now headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and numbers more than a hundred member countries. The Union's work focuses on action for peace and the strengthening of parliamentary institutions. Conferences are an opportunity for members to debate international problems in a neutral form and to develop recommendations conveying the organization's views. Two subjects on the agenda of the 73rd Conference in Lomé, Togo, were the contribution of parliaments to disarmament and their role in eliminating poverty. The Inter-Parliamentary Union also holds consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and maintains close links with other UN institutions. The stamp shows a stylized map of the world over the Centre Block and Peace Tower of the Canadien Parliament buildings. With this image, the designer, Ernst Branscher of Toronto, has symbolized the flow of delegates into the capital from around the world.