VZCZCXYZ0030
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDG #0518/01 1051251
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141251Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0487

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 000518 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR AND H 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ECON DR
SUBJECT: INVITATION FOR HOUSE SPEAKER PELOSI 
 
 
¶1. This is an action request for WHA/CAR; see para. 3. 
 
¶2. On April 7, the Ambassador met with Congresswoman Minou 
Tavares Mirabal (PLD-Santo Domingo), Chairwoman of the House 
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Committee. 
Tavares delivered an invitation to the U.S. Congress to 
participate in the XXXth Annual Forum of the Parliamentarians 
for Global Action.  The Forum is entitled "Reinforcing 
democratic institutions, accountability, and the rule of 
law," and will be held concurrently with the Vth Session of 
the Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians for the 
International Criminal Court.  The events are being hosted by 
the Dominican Republic and will be held October 30-31, 2008. 
 
¶3. Action request:  Post requests that WHA/CAR work with the 
H Bureau to deliver the letter of invitation to House Speaker 
Pelosi.  Post notes that the Forum will be held shortly 
before the U.S. presidential election.  An Embassy 
translation of the letter follows; the original in Spanish 
will be sent by e-mail to WHA/CAR.  Begin letter: 
 
U.S. Embassy Translation 
 
(National Shield) 
 
National Congress of the Dominican Republic 
 
Santo Domingo, National District 
10 March 2008 
 
The Right Honorable 
Nancy Pelosi 
Speaker of the House of Representatives 
UNITED STATES 
 
Honorable Madame Speaker: 
 
We have the honor to extend to you a cordial invitation for a 
delegation from the Congress of the United States to 
participate in the XXXth Annual Forum of the Parliamentarians 
for Global Action entitled Reinforcing democratic 
institutions, accountability, and the rule of law, as well as 
the Vth Session of the Consultative Assembly of 
Parliamentarians for the International Criminal Court, which 
we will host in Santo Domingo on the 30th and 31st of October 
of 2008. 
 
PGA is a global organization that encompasses more than 1,300 
legislators from 118 parliaments, whose objective is 
promoting peace, democracy, justice, human rights, and 
sustainable development.  The PGA Forum is the point of 
annual meeting of legislators who wish to address problems of 
international concern which single countries by themselves 
cannot resolve.  This year the Annual Forum will be organized 
together with the Vth Session of the Consultative Assembly of 
Parliamentarians for the International Criminal Court 
(CAP-CPI), the only global forum that brings together 
legislators from around the world who are concerned with 
international justice. 
 
Since 1989, the members of PGA have promoted the establishing 
and operating of an independent and universal criminal Court 
which prevents and punishes the gravest crimes afflicting the 
conscience of humanity: the crime of genocide, crimes against 
humanity, and war crimes.  Along this path, PGA has observed 
the powerful effect of international justice on the 
strengthening of democratic institutions and accountability. 
With the objective of increasing this potential and 
identifying the mechanisms through which legislators can 
favor the various dimensions of national life based on the 
principle of equality for all before the law and the struggle 
against impunity, this event will bring together legislators 
from around the world, as well as representatives of 
international agencies, governments, civil society and 
academia, in order to contribute to this important 
discussion.  The discussions of the Annual Forum and CAP-CPI 
will be conducted in Spanish, English, French, and Arabic, 
and will include panels addressing the role of international 
cooperation and parliamentary action in the building of the 
state, including the promotion of democratic institutions; in 
the struggle against impunity; in the promotion of the 
universality and effectiveness of the International Criminal 
Court; as well as the preventive impact of criminal justice 
and its contribution to peace, stability, and democracy. 
 
The Congress of the Dominican Republic is a proud partner of 
this initiative, and hopes to be honored with the 
participation of a delegation from the Congress of your 
country in this conference, which is expected to be a step 
towards parliamentary mobilization that will provide 
solutions to the complex and multi-dimensional challenges 
facing democracy, justice and accountability under the Rule 
of Law.  This conference will seek for participants to 
contribute to an Action Plan that can be transformed into 
concrete actions to be carried out on the national level when 
the participants return to their respective congresses. 
 
I beg you to notify the Executive Coordinator of the Forum, 
Mrs. Ana Cecilia Helena in Santo Domingo 
foropga.sd(at)gmail.com and fax (809) 532-3016, and Mr. Brian 
Kett (PGA in New York) brian.kett(at)pgaction.org before 
September 30, 2008, of the confirmation of participation by 
an ideally multi-party delegation from the United States to 
the XXXth Annual PGA Forum and the Vth Consultative Assembly 
of Parliamentarians for CPI and the Rule of Law. 
 
We remain 
 
Yours very truly, 
 
Reinaldo Pared Perez 
President of the Senate of the Republic 
 
 
Julio Cesar Valentin 
President of the Chamber of Deputies 
 
(U) This report and additional information can be found on 
Embassy Santo Domingo's SIPRNET site, 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/  
FANNIN