Arusha is stepping up preparations to host the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), with authorities saying security, transport, accommodation and other services are being strengthened ahead of the high-level meeting.
Arusha Regional Commissioner Amos Gabriel Makalla held talks on Thursday, September 24, with Tanzania’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Ambassador Hoyce Anderson Temu, as preparations gathered pace.
Ambassador Temu is in the region as part of the government team coordinating preparations with the IPU Secretariat in Geneva.
The assembly will be held at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC) from October 5 to 9, bringing together Speakers, MPs and parliamentary officials from the IPU’s 183 member countries.
More than 2,000 delegates are expected to attend the meeting, which will be opened by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, according to the organisers.
The assembly will be the first time Tanzania hosts the IPU’s major gathering and the first such meeting in East Africa in more than a decade.
The discussions will cover parliamentary oversight of extractive industries, climate action, artificial intelligence, children’s rights and the participation and empowerment of women, youth and people with disabilities.
The meeting will also elect a new IPU president to succeed Tanzania’s Dr Tulia Ackson.
Ambassador Temu said preparations were progressing well, citing strong international interest in the meeting.
Arusha authorities have meanwhile launched measures to improve the city’s readiness, including road maintenance around the AICC, street-lighting improvements, solid waste management and engagement with hotels to ensure adequate accommodation.
The preparations are also expected to strengthen Arusha’s profile as a regional conference and diplomatic centre. The city hosts the headquarters of the East African Community and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The government has said it wants the meeting to showcase Arusha as a major international conference destination, while highlighting Tanzania’s tourism, cultural and business opportunities.
The expected arrival of thousands of delegates could also provide business opportunities for hotels, tour operators, cultural tourism groups and small and medium-sized enterprises in the northern tourism circuit.
Local groups are being prepared to showcase Tanzanian products and culture, including coffee, Tanzanite and other Made-in-Tanzania products, at designated exhibition areas.
The assembly’s theme “Enhancing good governance and empowering communities through inclusivity, trust and opportunities for all” also mirrors key priorities outlined in Tanzania’s Vision 2050, particularly inclusive growth, accountable institutions and people-centred development.