The conference is a global summit, convened by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, (IPU) which is to focus on democracy, the role of legislative institutions and their relationship with the United Nations.

The IPU is composed of a membership of 140 Parliaments throughout the globe.

A spokesman for the Shoura Council told Arab News that the Saudi team headed by Al-Asheikh comprises eight delegates: Sadaka Fadhil, Saleh Al-Hussein, Khalid Al-Mansour, Ali Al-Khodairi, Mohammed Al-Saeed, Abdulaziz Al-Ajlan and Fahd Al-Shalhoub.

The Saudi team has already reached Geneva and was received by the Saudi Ambassador to Switzerland Hazem Krkitli.

Al-Asheikh is slated to deliver a speech on behalf of the Kingdom during the three-day summit that ends on Wednesday.

“Prior to the summit, Al-Asheikh is to participate in two separate meetings with his Gulf and Arab counterparts, separately, on Saturday and Sunday to coordinate stances and close ranks on important regional issues,” the spokesman said.

Unlike the two previous Conferences, held in New York in 2000 and 2005 respectively, the 2010 Conference will take place in the IPU’s home city of Geneva at the UN’s Palais des Nations.

The spokesman said that the Kingdom and some Arab countries have their reservations regarding the proposed draft convention to re-establish the IPU as an International Organization of Parliaments, which would come up for discussions during the summit.

Under the draft convention, IPU members are to examine all options, including reforming its current statutes and rules, concluding an international convention on the IPU and entering into a new and significantly improved cooperation agreement with the United Nations. The house will also review the progress made by the union from the last summit held five years ago in New York.