Commentary: World speakers' conference conducive to global sustainable development efforts

The Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament on Wednesday adopted a declaration to voice unequivocal support of the global parliamentary community to the UN-led global efforts to promote sustainable development, mirroring the strong determination of parliaments of all countries to play a unique role in poverty eradication, economic growth, social progress and environmental protection, the overarching objectives of the new global development agenda.

"We welcome the new development agenda that has emerged with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," the declaration said. "We laud the ambition of this agenda to be transformative and leave no one behind."

The 17 SDGs that form the basis of the new UN agenda are people-centered and planet-sensitive. They provide a plan of action for ending poverty and hunger, and a roadmap for building a life of dignity for all and they promise to "leave no one behind."

Welcoming the overall ambition to end poverty and promote peace, equality and the well-being of the people and the planet, the parliamentary leaders and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) are also committed to working hard to promote peaceful, inclusive societies and the building of effective, accountable and inclusive institutions.

The global parliamentary summit was held at United Nations Headquarters in New York from Monday to Wednesday in the final run-up to the UN Summit on Sustainable Development, at which world leaders are expected to approve the new development agenda later this month.

The three-day gathering, organized by the IPU, also took place for the first time in five years at a time when the world is gripped by multiple crises, such as conflicts, terrorism and climate change.

At present, peoples of all countries are living in extraordinary times, which, in turn, require equally extraordinary efforts from the international community to build a work where every man, woman and child is safe from war and conflict, free from poverty and hunger, where they are able to meet their needs and realize their human potential and where their rights, freedoms and dignity are fully respected.

"The world is at a crossroads. The enormity of the challenges that we and our planet face is daunting," IPU President Saber Chowdhury said. "We must have the resolve to overcome them. How political leaders respond to the crises that threaten us has perhaps never been as important to our future as now."

The parliamentary leaders worldwide are committed to bringing parliament closer to the people by tackling the growing public scepticism and disconnect with politics, social and political marginalization, gender inequality and an imbalanced power relationship with government.

In reality, parliament is the central institution of democracy through which the will of the people is expressed. Therefore, parliaments of all countries are in a better position to listen to voice of the people and meet their expectations for peace and development. As a legislative body, parliaments of all countries can provide strong legal guarantee for translating the voice of the people into meaningful action.

Founded in 1889, the IPU is the oldest, largest and most influential international organization of parliaments. Over the past decades, the IPU has made tremendous efforts to uphold world peace, promote common development and advance democracy in international relations.

In this sense, the IPU can provide a crucial platform for inter-parliamentary exchange and cooperation as the task of implementing and monitoring SDGs is huge and requires governments to work in strong and close partnership with people from all walks of life in a society. Endit