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A delegation of the Eritrean People's Democratic Party (EPDP) actively participated at the Parliamentarian Conference of the Progressive Alliance (PA) held between 17 and 18 in Brussels on 'A New Agenda for Peace and Justice' and on 'Developing Fair and Equitable Migration Policies' in the world. The conference was hosted by the PA group of socialists and democrats in the European Parliament. 

Taking part in the conference with over 160 delegates from all parts of the world were two EPDP executive committee members in charge of foreign affairs and finance, Messrs Woldeyesus Ammar and Rezene Tesfazion.

The 51 parties and 17 affiliated organizations at the conference, held in the halls of the European parliament building in Brussels, were represented mainly by serving legislators in their country parliaments. Besides Eritrea, other ten African delegations came from social democratic parties of Cameroun, Egypt, Kenya, Tunisia, Zimbabwe and other central African countries.

Among the powerful messages of keynote speeches and panel presentations at the conference were those of Mr. Martin Schultz, the president of the European Parliament; Ms Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy; Mr. Sergei Stanishev, president of Party of European Socialists (PES); Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University; Dr. Nabil Shaat, head of international affairs of Fatah/Palestine; Mr. Mustafa Ben Jaafer of Tunisia's Democratic Forum (ttakatul), who is also known as the architect of the successful transition constitution for Tunisia;  Mr. Josh Osih, vice- president of Front of Social Democrats of Cameroun, and Ms Gleisi Hoffmann, senator from the Brazilian Labour Party Speaker after speaker mentioned the growing dangers from rightwing populism and fundamentalism in the world and stressed the critical importance of the role of progressive forces to address the crises of bad governance, inequalities, conflict, migration and all the adverse consequences to peace and justice.

The first day of the conference was devoted to discussions of the main conference issues in four parallel sessions. The conflicts in the Middle East, the need of international cooperation of progressive parliamentarians, efforts to bring to power parties with progressive agendas, and problems of economic inequalities and justice in the world were the themes of presentations by prominent panelists (many of the party leaders) and ensuing discussions.  

On its part, the EPDP delegation seized right opportunities at the plenary sessions as well as at group discourses to explain the alarming political and human rights situation in Eritrea and what the sane world can do to help a nation in distress. The Eritrean delegation expressed its satisfaction with the conference documents which commit the Progressive Alliance "to take a stand on behalf of people in difficult and precarious conditions" with a new agenda for peace and justice pledging to provide "active support to those who are at the risk of oppression and persecution".  The delegation also hoped that these promises of the Progressive Alliance will be translated to concrete action that by empowering democratic forces in Africa and the rest of the world to become alternative forces to replace dictatorships like the one in Eritrea. (Full reportage will follow soon).