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The 132nd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-132) Assembly adopted the Hanoi Declaration at the end of the five-day gathering that wrapped up in the capital on April 1.
In its forewords, the Declaration said international commitments can only be met with strong political will, leadership and national ownership.
It said the adoption of the new post-2015 development agenda and its sustainable development goals in September 2015 will afford a unique opportunity to meet global challenges, using a universal, integrated approach that will apply to all countries and link poverty eradication to sustainable development.
It reaffirmed the vision of a people-centered sustainable development based on the realisation of all human rights, to eradicate poverty in all its forms, and eliminate inequalities, thus empowering all individuals to exercise their full potential.
This requires conditions of peace and security, in full observance of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, it said, adding that a people-centred approach requires environmental justice: the planet and all its ecosystems must be treated as common assets for the whole of humanity to enjoy now and in the future. Human well-being must be the driver of all policies for sustainable development, and progress measured in terms that go well beyond.
Supporting an ambitious set of 17 goals , parliamentarians committed to do their utmost to strengthen national ownership of the goals, particularly by making them known to their constituents.
They pledged to translate the goals into enforceable domestic laws and regulations, including through the critical budget process. Each country must do its part to ensure that all the goals are met.
Representatives from African, Arabian, Asia-Pacific, Latin American and the Caribbean countries delivered speeches thanking the National Assembly, government and people of Vietnam for their hospitality during the stay.
In his closing speech, IPU President Saber Chowdhury said 2015 is a defining year for the world future in the next 20 years, thereby parliaments worldwide need to stay united in the global IPU mechanism.
National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, who is also IPU-132 President, declared the adoption of the Resolution “Cyber warfare - a serious threat to peace and international security” of the Standing Committee on Peace and International Security, the Resolution on “Shaping new mechanisms on water resources management, promoting parliamentary action on water and sanitation” of the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade, and the Resolution “ International law as it relates to national sovereignty, non-intervention in the internal affairs of States and human rights” of the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights.
He said the Hanoi Declaration will be submitted to the Summit of the United Nations General Assembly this September, laying a foundation for parliaments to suggest ideas to realise SDGs, contributing to peace, friendship and cooperation among countries, parliaments and advancing the next development step in the international community beyond 2015.
IPU 132 adopts Hanoi Declaration
The 132nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-132), which took place in Hanoi from March 28 to April 1, has adopted the Hanoi Declaration on The Sustainable Development Goals: Turning Words into Action.
The following is the full text of the declaration:
“We, parliamentarians from 133 countries and 23 international and regional parliamentary organizations, gathered in Hanoi, Vietnam, reviewed the emerging sustainable development goals and considered our role in attaining them.
This is our declaration.
Despite global advances in technology, health, knowledge, and material wealth, long-standing economic and social disparities are increasing, to the detriment of the whole planet, with progress continuing to elude many the world over.
This situation –exacerbated by the urgent threat of climate change and growing waves of social unrest, political instability, and conflict within or between countries – is coming to a head. As we saw with the Millennium Development Goals, international commitments can only be met with strong political will, leadership and national ownership. As parliamentarians, we have a moral obligation to act.
The adoption of the new post-2015 development agenda and its sustainable development goals in September 2015 will afford a unique opportunity to meet global challenges, using a universal, integrated approach that will apply to all countries and link poverty eradication to sustainable development.
Vision
At this critical moment, we, the parliamentarians of the world, reaffirm our vision of a people-centered sustainable development based on the realization of all human rights, to eradicate poverty in all its forms, and eliminate inequalities, thus empowering all individuals to exercise their full potential. This requires conditions of peace and security, in full observance of the Charter of the United Nations and international law.
Poverty eradication and sustainable development are a shared commitment for us all, and we should all strive towards a better and more equitable distribution of resources. Our current production and consumption patterns are clearly unsustainable, and all countries – both developed and developing – need to work together, based on the principle of common but differentiated principles. That is the only way we can advance towards a common model of inclusive and sustainable growth.
A people-centred approach requires environmental justice: the planet and all its ecosystems must be treated as common assets for the whole of humanity to enjoy now and in the future. Human well-being must be the driver of all policies for sustainable development, and progress measured in terms that go well beyond Gross Domestic Product. People are more than taxpayers and consumers; they are citizens endowed with rights and responsibilities towards each other. We must invest in them – their health, nutrition, education, and skills – as our most important resource.
All government institutions must be representative and accessible to all. Cultural differences should be respected, and home-grown approaches to sustainable development employed. All people, regardless of gender, race, culture, religion and health status, must be empowered to work cooperatively for peace and the common good.
Commitment
Acknowledging that the sustainable development goals will be result of a delicate compromise, we look forward to this transformational framework that will inspire policy-making in all countries.
We are pleased that our efforts to advocate the inclusion of goals on healthy lives and well-being, gender equality and women’s empowerment, reducing inequalities within and between countries, and on governance, have borne fruit. We appreciate the broadened focus on health, which will provide an opportunity to end the AIDS epidemic while tackling emerging challenges such as non-communicable diseases.
We welcome the new goal calling for urgent action against climate change, and we appreciate the broad-based goal on the means of implementation – finance, trade, technology, capacity building and systemic reforms –that must be mobilized behind the new framework. This goal should inject new energy into the current global partnership for development.
We commit to do our utmost to strengthen national ownership of the goals, particularly by making them known to our constituents. People must understand how the goals are relevant to their lives. As representatives of the people, we are responsible for ensuring that each and every voice is heard in the political process without discrimination and irrespective of social status.
We commit translating the goals into enforceable domestic laws and regulations, including through the critical budget process. Each country must do its part to ensure that all the goals are met.
Action
As parliamentarians, we must support efforts to reach the new goals in ways that respect each country’s national specificities. Our responsibility is clear: to hold governments accountable for the goals they have subscribed to, and to make sure that enabling laws are passed and budgets adopted.
Our first order of business must be to examine our institutions and decision-making processes to ensure that they are fit for purpose .
As representatives of the people, our concern is to defend the public interest and pursue the common good above all else. We must prevent particular interests from exercising excessive influence in our deliberations. We must focus on building consensus around practical solutions.
We will seek to overcome the silos mentality within our own parliaments and national administrations, to reflect the intersectoral nature of the goals. To this end, we will do our utmost to institutionalize the goals in every parliament, with sufficient time for discussion and monitoring. Parliamentary committees and processes must pursue all goals coherently.
We will help build national ownership of the goals by seeing to it that each of our countries has a sustainable development plan, crafted in an inclusive and participatory manner, including through public hearings with civil society, and in line with the international human rights framework.
We pledge to make laws and budgetary provisions in line with the national sustainable development plan, clearly identifying the goals and targets that apply and means of funding. Governments should report annually to parliaments on the implementation of the national plan. Parliaments should garner regular feedback from their constituents to help assess progress on the ground, where it matters most.
We further pledge to measure progress not only in terms of national averages, most importantly by looking at how the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our societies have fared. No one should be left behind. Strong national capacities for data collection and disaggregation, including by gender, age, minority group, and health status, will be crucial.
Recognizing our role in mobilizing the means to attain the goals, including financing from private and public sources, and at both the national and international levels, we will support the implementation of all international commitments. In particular, we will work to increase domestic resources, including by combating illicit financial flows. We will improve the quality and quantity of aid, set out an orderly sovereign debt restructuring mechanism, strengthen the environment for private sector investments, including through public-private partnerships, and reform the global financial, monetary and trade regime in ways that directly support sustainable development.
Lastly, we pledge to support accountability for meeting the goals at the global level. We will seek to join our national delegations to the yearly meetings of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, where global progress reports will be discussed. We will contribute to the national reviews submitted to the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. Wherever feasible, we will seek to engage with United Nations field operations in our countries to share information and explore all avenues for cooperation to advance our national plans.
We ask that the central messages of this Declaration and of its predecessor, the Quito Communiqué, be reflected in the outcome of the Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament later this year, which will in turn provide input to the United Nations Summit in September.
We urge governments to conduct negotiations keeping in mind the real needs and expectations of citizens and addressing the critical linkages between sustainable development, democratic governance and human rights. The Post-2015 United Nations Declaration should commit to building strong public institutions, including parliaments with the ability and capacity to ensure accountability for results. We encourage the drafters of the Declaration to acknowledge the critical role and responsibility of parliaments – and of the IPU as their world organization - in implementing and monitoring progress on the new development agenda,
Moreover, we stress that coherence between the outcomes of this year’s negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda, financing for development, climate change, and disaster risk reduction is essential for effective implementation at the national level.
We are profoundly grateful to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, our world organization, for raising our awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals and for making our voices heard at the United Nations. We will continue to look to the IPU for support in our efforts to attain the sustainable development goals.
Together, we will succeed.”
IPU-132: resolutions on parliamentarians’ human rights adopted
The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) adopted resolutions on human rights of parliamentarians during the ongoing 132nd IPU Assembly in Hanoi on April 1.
A report, delivered at the Governing Council’s meeting, highlighted 39 cases of parliamentarians who have been killed or gone missing, or whose human rights have been violated.
IPU President Saber Chowdhury called on parliamentarians worldwide to unite to protect their colleagues and minimise human rights violations of parliamentarians.
Also at the Governing Council’s meeting, Vietnam’s National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan—who was elected as the chairperson of the 21st Meeting of the Women Parliamentarians—briefed delegates on the outcomes of the March 28 women’s meeting, stressing the need to implement policies to ensure a safer cyberspace for and focus on violence against women.
Meanwhile, Deputy Head of the NA’s Committee for External Affairs Vu Hai Ha reported Vietnam’s achievements in controlling HIV/AIDS and ensuring the health of mothers and children.
Reports on refugees and the importance of refugee funds were also delivered at the meeting.
Also at the session, the Bahrain representative was elected as the chairperson of the IPU Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights.
IPU-132 delegates review implementation of children’s rights
Participants pointed to achievements in ensuring children’s rights along with challenges to ending violence against children. They stressed that all countries must protect the physical and mental health of children.
Nguyen Dac Vinh, First Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and Chairman of the group of young Vietnamese National Assembly deputies, valued efforts by the UN and IPU parliaments in promoting the CRC implementation around the world and in their respective countries.
Vietnam, one of the first countries to ratify the CRC, has enacted numerous measures to realise the convention and recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, he said, adding Vietnam’s revised 2013 Constitution recognises all of these rights.
He pointed out that the CRC implementation is encountering an array of difficulties as children around the world still face risks of labour exploitation and violence, and do not have sufficient access to medical and educational services.
Vinh suggested countries enhance experience exchange in protecting children’s rights, increase investment in child-related initiatives, and promote studies on related issues.
They must also overhaul their legal regulations in line with the CRC and create favourable conditions for children to exercise their right to participation as a basis to implement other rights, he said.
He also highlighted the necessity of adapting the 25-year-old Convention to the current social context.
IPU-132: Democracy, privacy and individual freedoms touched
“Democracy in the digital era and the threat to privacy and individual freedoms” was the central theme during an interactive debate at the 132nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-132) on April 1.
Held by the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights, the debate was part of preparations for a resolution to be finalised at the 133rd IPU Assembly in Cartagena, Colombia in November 2015.
Discussion participants considered the digital era to be vastly expanding the opportunities to foster democracy and promote progressive outlooks on democracy and human rights locally and globally.
However, it poses a potential threat to privacy and individual freedoms, and therefore to democracy itself as extremist groups employ digital communication techniques to spread propaganda against human and national values.
It is also becoming a channel for crime through the use of sophisticated technology, including the theft of personal information and illegal cyber-attacks.
During the discussion, member states presented solutions to simultaneously protect democracy and citizen privacy.
Deputy Chairman of the Law Committee at Vietnam’s National Assembly Le Minh Thong stressed that it is vital to touch on the topic in the current context and urged the establishment of a legal framework to fight hateful propaganda and protect citizens’ rights.
Countries should increase information exchange in related issues and ramp up international cooperation in cyber security protection, he stated.
IPU-132 pushes Global Strategy for women and child health
Improving the health of women, adolescents and children was the topic of discussion during a side event to the IPU-132nd Assembly, of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-132) on March 31 in Hanoi.
Delegates at the session heard three presentations on the updated Global Strategy for women, adolescent and children health (Strategy 2.0); how the Global Strategy will be updated to be in line with the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and promoting dialogues among parliamentarians to foster development of the initiative.
Most IPU-132 delegates pointed to the persistently elevated rate of maternal and child mortality, as well as of unplanned pregnancy and abortion in several countries and regions, attributed these to a lack of financial resources and education and cultural barriers.
Senior Official from the United Nations Secretary-General Office Taona Kuo highlighted new opportunities for integration and action in women, adolescent and children health in the transition period from Millennium Development Goals to SDGs and suggested governments include human-oriented specific health targets in the set SDG criteria.
Dr Marteen Temmermen, Director of Reproductive Health and Research for the WHO, called for the end of preventable maternal and child mortality, especially within the first 24 hours post-delivery.
According to Temmermen, additional efforts should be made by governments, parliaments, organisations and individuals to prevent unplanned pregnancy and adolescent abortion, provide early healthcare for children and improve nutrition for women and children.
He also shed light on the role of parliamentarians in ensuring maternal and child health by participating actively in the SDG agenda development, reviewing relevant resolutions of IPU and boosting their implementation.
Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Committee for Social Affairs Nguyen Van Tien shared Vietnam’s achievements two years post implementing the IPU resolution on access to health care as a basic right.
Vietnam has achieved a majority of the 46 IPU criteria, including issuing the Smoking Law and amending the Law on Health Insurance towards the coverage of at least 80 percent of the population, Tien said.
Additionally, the country has made concrete efforts to minimise maternal and child mortality by ensuring 80 percent of villages and communes have midwifery services and all children below six years of age receive free vaccines, he added.
He emphasised the need to increase health insurance coverage, enhance education for adolescents in the context of booming information and early child development, and manage pharmaceutical prices.
The Vietnamese delegate also highlighted the role of parliamentarians in making social policies; allocating financial resources for social issues; and ensuring the transparency of relevant programmes, projects and strategies by strengthening their supervision and monitoring.
Others delegates suggested nations foster connections among parliaments and communities in protecting people’s health while ensuring access to social services for all, especially healthcare.
They also called on developed countries to support developing nations in building human resource capacity, healthcare services and finance management, among others.
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