Roundup: Parliament speakers' conference aims to tackle global challenges to peace, sustainable development
Xinhua, August 26, 2015 Adjust font size:
Speakers of parliament from around the world will strive to tackle global challenges to peace and sustainable development when they meet here for the Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, organizers have said.
The conference, scheduled to take place from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2, will gather about 140 parliamentary leaders from 138 countries. It will be opened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) President Saber Chowdhury, according to the conference website.
A draft declaration, titled "Placing democracy at the service of peace and sustainable development: Building the world the people want", is expected to be adopted at the conference.
Taking note of the current challenges to world peace and development, the draft declaration says, "In spite of progress in the areas of democracy, peace and development, we continue to live in an unstable world. War and conflict, often characterized by extreme brutality, are a daily reality in many places. Millions of people, primarily women and children die, are injured and displaced or forced to flee in dramatic conditions."
Therefore, it adds, "we call for much greater efforts to be deployed in solving conflicts through political dialogue and negotiations, with full respect for international law."
Moreover, special emphasis will be placed on achieving 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) due to be adopted at a UN Summit in September.
"We welcome the new development agenda that has emerged with its 17 SDGs. Poverty eradication and the promotion of economic, social and environmental development are the overarching objectives of this new agenda," the draft declaration says.
These objectives can only be achieved by changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production and promoting sustainable ones, as well as by protecting and better managing natural resources, it says.
To achieve the SDGs, the speakers highlight parliaments' indispensable role.
Acknowledged in the outcome document on the SDGs, parliaments' role in translating the goals into concrete action through passing legislation, making budget allocations and holding governments accountable to the people will be critical, it says.
In terms of international cooperation, "we are convinced that the United Nations must remain the cornerstone of global cooperation and we take this opportunity to renew our solemn pledge in support of the Organization as it celebrates its 70th anniversary and the victory of the world over fascism," it says.
In the draft declaration, the speakers also show their support for the reform of the UN Security Council, a topical issue of the upcoming 70th Session of the General Assembly in September.
"The Security Council should more effectively fulfill its primary responsibilities of maintaining international peace and security under the UN Charter and we believe that it must be reformed to reflect contemporary global realities," the draft declaration says.
The Conference is organized by IPU every five years and supported by the UN.
The IPU, established in 1889, is the focal point for worldwide parliamentary dialogue and works for peace and cooperation among peoples and for the firm establishment of representative democracy, according to the IPU website.
Before the conference, the 10th Meeting of Women Speakers of Parliament, also organized by IPU will be convened in New York on Aug. 29-30 to explore innovative ways to speed up progress towards gender equality. Endi