The 136th assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) ended on Wednesday with the Dhaka Declaration for immediate action to reverse the trend of political, social and economic inequalities prevalent in the world and leaving no one behind.
It also expressed grave concern with the extreme political, social and economic inequalities prevalent in the world. The five-day assembly ended successfully at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre with participation of 1206 delegates from 132 countries of the over a century-old organisation. In the declaration, IPU members highlighted that ‘extreme inequalities’ come at a high cost to society, stalling economic growth, undermining the democratic process and social cohesion and increasing the risk of violence and security. It focused that parliaments should consider several issues—strengthening legal frameworks, making parliaments more representative, making the economy work for all, strengthening the social dialogue and human capital and improving international cooperation— to reduce inequalities at the national and global levels. Each country will have to devise its own solutions as no single policy prescription can meet all needs to redress inequalities, said the declaration. The parliamentarians also pledged to work towards the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 10 on redressing inequalities within and among countries. “We cannot continue to view the gap between rich and poor as business as usual. This assembly is one of many steps that need to be taken to ensure that the well-being and dignity of all is respected,” said IPU President Saber Hossain Chowdhury.
Over the five-day assembly, IPU members adopted a comprehensive resolution on guaranteeing women access to financial mechanisms. The resolution recommended that parliaments develop specific methods to facilitate the financial inclusion of poor women, ensuring they have access to credit, as well as to financial and business training. A separate resolution addressed non-intervention in the internal affairs of States. The Dhaka assembly adopted three resolutions including one on the role of parliament in preventing outside interference in the internal affairs of sovereign States, which reaffirmed that the principle of refraining from the threat or use of force and the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of sovereign states are part of the fundamental pillars of international law and international relations.
It also stressed the responsibility of parliaments to strengthen democracy, promote, protect and encourage respect for human rights, support dialogue, encourage the peaceful settlement of internal dispute, take all necessary action to consolidate national unity and peaceful negotiation among different sectors of society.
The resolution also emphasised prevention of the forcible overthrow of democratically elected and legitimate governments, in accordance with states’ obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law, including the responsibility to protect as agreed in the 2005 World Summit outcome.
It also urged all states to work towards denying terrorist organisation resources, whether human, military or financial. The 136th assembly observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the terrorist attacks in St. Petersburg. During the assembly, the IPU President condemned the chemical attack that occurred in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province, Syria. IPU members reminded the warring parties that the use of chemical weapons is banned by international law. The IPU President declared the global parliamentary community’s solidarity with the Russian and Syrian people. The women MPs also stressed the urgent need to stop early marriage and female genital mutilation, which are hugely damaging to the education and health of girls. Maureen Osoru, a 26-year old Ugandan MP, was elected President of the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians. Osoru passionately declared her commitment to use her presidency as a way to encourage young people across the globe to become engaged in politics. The IPU also welcomed two new members, Tuvalu and the Central African Republic. IPU now has 173 Member Parliaments.
Among the participant delegates, 607 MPs from 126 countries, 46 Speakers of Parliament, 36 Deputy Speakers of Parliament and 191 women MPs attended the mega event. Bangladesh Parliament organised the event, presided over by Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury. IPU president Saber Chowdhury, also an MP of Bangladesh, at a briefing said it was a green assembly as IPU would take measures to compensate the carbon emission for the arrangement of the event. He said an expert UK company had already been assigned to measure the carbon emission for the arrangement.
“The firm initially estimated that some 3400 tonnes of carbon emission was emitted during the conference. We will offset the carbon through different programmes,” he said.
“We can compensate for the carbon emission by giving green stoves to reduce the use of fire wood, which is responsible for carbon emission,” he added.
He said that it will take two more weeks to prepare the final estimation of carbon emission due to arrangement of the assembly and travelling of the delegations from various countries to join the mega event.
Pointing to Bangladesh parliament, the IPU president said the Dhaka declaration should not remain in paper only rather it should be implemented. IPU assembly president and Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said that Dhaka declaration focused six areas to redress inequalities.
The Speaker said the IPU assembly proved that the delegates came here as they do have full confidence on the democratic system of Bangladesh. “The conference reflects the confidence of the world community who have elected two Bangladeshis in two vital posts of IPU and CPA in the span of one week. They came here to see this,” she said.
