Commentary: Learning from past, looking ahead to future a major consensus of world conference

As parliamentary leaders from the whole world gathered here for the Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments, a consensus has been reached on the importance of reflecting on history and looking ahead to the future in order to build a better world.

A total of 138 speakers and 39 deputy speakers of the national parliaments of some 140 countries, including China, are participating in the conference, which kicked off here Monday and runs through Sept. 2.

The global parliamentary summit, organized by the Inter-Parliament Union, is convened here in the year that marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations.

The parliamentary leaders, who took the floor at the global event, dwelled on the important role parliaments of all countries can play in promoting sustainable development, eradicating poverty and fighting terrorism in the world. They also vowed to place democracy at the service of peace and sustainable development in order to build a world the people want.

What is striking is that among the important consensuses, the speakers said they are convinced that the United Nations should remain the cornerstone of global cooperation, which plays a crucial role in paving the way for economic advancement and social progress.

The world's parliaments and their members will be urged to engage in concerted dynamic action with planet-wide impact, on issues such as conflict, terrorism, migration, discrimination and climate change. Efforts to re-engage young people in democracy also need to be stepped up and progress on gender equality and political representation accelerated.

At the same time, they also welcome the Sustainable Development Goals, which are to be adopted by world leaders here later this month and to serve as guide for the global sustainable development efforts for the next 15 years.

Furthermore, they all agreed to take the 70th anniversary of the United Nations and victory of the world over fascism as an important opportunity for the international community to reflect on history and look ahead to the future so as to turn the vision of the UN Charter into reality, including the efforts to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war."

These major consensuses, resonated in the speeches at the current world conference which entered its second day here Tuesday, can also be found in the draft declaration, an outcome document to be approved by the end of the world conference, which is held every five years.

consensuses are also commitments from the parliamentary leaders when they agreed to transmit the declaration to the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, which is to start later this month.

The spirit with which the outcome document was formulated and agreed by consensus is a triumph for multilateralism, and also a victory of win-win cooperation in the negotiation process.

"History is the best textbook," said Zhang Dejiang, China's top legislator at the world conference. "What happened in the past, if not forgotten, can serve as a guide for the future."

On Sept. 3, China, as the main theater of the World Anti-Fascist War in the East, will hold celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

"By remembering the past and honoring the heroes, we can safeguard human justice and conscience, and demonstrate to the world the firm resolve of the Chinese people to cherish peace and create a better future," Zhang said.

Japan invaded northeast China in 1931 and had conducted a full-scale invasion since 1937. By the end of World War II, more than 35 million Chinese were killed or wounded during the Japanese aggression.

As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon put it last week, the international community should learn the lessons from the past and apply these lessons into the efforts for a brighter future. In other words, a better world should be built on the basis of the past lessons.

Parliaments of all countries can not only play a critical role in strengthening international cooperation in responding to unprecedented global challenges, such as terrorism and climate change, but also make unique contributions to leading more and more people to reflect on history and move forward to a better world based on peace, equality and prosperity.

They are essential to the global efforts to translate these important consensuses into concrete actions. Enditem