The Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly, ongoing for the first time in Hanoi, continued its discussions on March 30 with emphasis placed on the sustainable development, environmental protection and regional and global security.

Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) Le Luong Minh highlighted challenges and joint efforts of the region to increase sustainability and environment improvement in the development process.

Despite ASEAN’s possession of 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity and 40 percent of all species in the world, according to Minh, the eco-system in the region has been under serious threat in recent years.

The rapid increase of population, fast economic growth and the development gap between countries in the region have been putting huge pressure and caused severe environmental impacts such as water, land and air pollution, environmental deterioration in cities, forest fires, and overexploitation of natural resources and biodiversity.

Minh said that the ASEAN currently are cooperating and working hard on various fields to promote green growth; making efforts to enhance sustainability and improve environment by creating shared standards.

They cooperated in energy, access to energy and sustainability on energy for the whole region, he said.

The action plan during the period 2010-2015 under the theme of turning policies into action and head for a cleaner, more effective and more protected ASEAN focuses on seven key fields, including building ASEAN network of electricity transmission; network of inter-ASEAN gas, renewable energy, new and clean energy, policies on energy in the region; planning on the use of energy for civilian goals.

On environment, ASEAN developed key criteria to make assessments of clean air, water, land and has used these criteria in selecting environmentally friendly and sustainable ASEAN cities since 2008.

Minh said 2015 is the year realising the goal of sustainable development.

He said he hopes the IPU-132 parliamentarians made positive contributions to realising the goals of sustainable development.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh delivered a speech on Vietnam’s foreign policy, underlining peace and security as a prerequisite for sustainable development. Therefore building a sustainable peace based on international law is shared benefits of all nations, he said.

Vietnam always treasures friendship with all countries, especially neighbouring nations, and the role and voice of institutions, multilateral forums on security and development issues in the region and the world, Minh affirmed.

Vietnam’s experience in poverty alleviation and contributions to joint efforts in order to solve food and water security, promotion of sustainable development, gender equality has been appreciated by the UN and international community.

In the region, along with other ASEAN countries, Vietnam is accelerating the process of building the regional community and promotes cooperation among ASEAN countries and dialogue partners to create a sustainably regional architecture based on laws and standards in which ASEAN continues playing its key role.

In order to achieve the goal, all countries need to build up strategic trust and seek long-term solutions for challenges on regional peace and security, especially territorial, sea and island disputes, he stresses.

Vietnam, he said, consistently pursues the principle of respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, opposes actions of using force or threatening to use force, and solves disputes, especially in the East Sea, by peaceful measures based on international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ( UNCLOS ) and the code of conduct in the region.

He stressed the important role of the parliament in each country in fulfilling those goals.

The Deputy PM expressed his belief that in the upcoming time, the Vietnam National Assembly will continue acting as a bridge to promote friendship and cooperation between the NA and people of Vietnam with the parliaments and people of IPPU member nations, contributing to implementing the goals shared by the IPU members.

During the third day of the IPU-132 Assembly, parliamentarians discussed themes relating to the role of parliaments in combating terrorist acts caused by Boko Haram against civilians, especially women and girls.

IPU highlights water governance for sustainable development

The central role of people in managing the effective use of water resources for sustainable development was the main focus of dicussions of the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Hanoi on M arch 29 and 30.

Participants offered their opinions on the draft Resolution “Shaping a new system of water governance: Promoting parliamentary action on water”.

Other key agenda points included human rights, especially those of women and children, in using water resources effectively and sustainably; the serious impact of water shortages on livelihoods and development; and the respect of signed international laws, agreements and conventions on water.

Deputy Head of the Economic Affairs Committee of Vietnam’s National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Van Phuc called on countries sharing water resources to enhance cooperation in issues concerning international water resources.

He stressed the need to consider the involvement of countries in legal frameworks on cooperation in cross-border water use and urged governments to abide by their commitments to protect clean water resources and implement international and regional conventions and agreements on using water appropriately.

Phuc also called for closer links between developed and developing countries in protecting water resources, focusing on outlining plans to effectively use water resources towards sustainable development.

Nguyen Van Giau, Head of the NA Committee for Economic Affairs, voiced that IPU member parliaments need to review the law on water resources and related laws within the national legal framework, approve and supervise the implementation of national strategic programmes and projects on water management, allocate funds for water management and improve organisation and management in the field.

He underlined the necessity of popularising the resolution to all-level State agencies, social organisations and people to boost regional and international relations in water management.

Attendees debated methods to raise public awareness of the IPU’s resolution on water resources management once it is issued, opportunities to use the resolution in member countries and implementation activities.

They reached a consensus on the necessity of implementing the 1997 Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Water.

IPU committee adopts resolution on int’l law

The Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) adopted the resolution on international law as it relates to national sovereignty, non-intervention in the internal affairs of States and human rights during its meeting Hanoi on March 30 as part of the IPU’s 132nd Assembly.

Discussion at the session was based on the draft resolution’s contents as determined during the 131st Assembly, including those on the responsibility of all States to respect human rights and fundamental freedom for all without discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, colour, sex, language or origin.

The resolution also highlights the importance of the existing international legal framework for women’s rights and gender equality, in particular the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the UN Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security.

According to Deputy Chairman of the NA Law Committee Le Minh Thong who represented Vietnam at the session, the resolution was debated during the IPU’s previous Assembly but was not passed due to a lack of consensus among participants.

Thong underscored the importance of the resolution as it connects international law, national sovereignty and human rights, adding that after being adopted during this session, the resolution will be submitted to the Assembly for approval, he said.

Vietnam lauded the IPU’s passing of the important document and hoped that once approved by the assembly, it will be strictly observed by all member countries, said Thong.

Belgium-Australia proposal added to IPU-132 agenda

A joint proposal by Belgium and Australia calling for cooperation between parliaments in the fight against the terrorist group Boko Haram, has been added to the agenda of the 132nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-132) as an emergency item.

The proposal was selected among a number of requests as emergency items on the IPU agenda after receiving a majority of votes at the IPU-132 on March 29. Under the terms of assembly rules, any IPU member may request the inclusion of an emergency item, as long as it relates to a major event of international concern and it appears necessary for the IPU to express its opinion. The motion must receive a two-thirds majority of the votes cast in order to be accepted.

Representatives from the Belgian and Australian delegations said the joint request was first proposed by Australia to counter terrorist activities against innocent women and children by Boko Haram, which is based in north-east Nigeria. They declared that the fight against terrorism should be set as a global priority.

The 132 nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-132) is taking place in Hanoi from March 29 to April 1.

VNA