 IPU Asia-Pacific seminar on SDGs opens in HCM City |
The three-day event is co-organised by IPU and Vietnam’s National Assembly (NA). IPU President Saber Chowdhury and top legislators and representatives of APEC member countries and international organizations attended the seminar.
In her opening speech, Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan urged for solidarity and coordination to preserve a green planet for future generations. Ngan said: “The Vietnamese National Assembly has reached consensus with the IPU on the agenda of the seminar, focusing on the SDGs, particularly those on gender equality and healthcare in the context of climate change response; challenges, opportunities and actions against climate change; international commitments and the role played by legislative bodies; and the mobilisation of resources to achieve SDGs in general and respond to climate change in particular. The Vietnam NA will coordinate with the IPU to announce a toolkit to help Parliaments assess their performance in SDGs achievement.”
IPU President Saber Chowdhury stressed that parliaments play an important role in realising the SDGs, while climate change is a global issue that could affect the world’s development, and is related to all 17 SDGs. If the goal on coping with climate change is not achieved, all the remaining goals will suffer, he said. He called for more dynamic strategies for women, children and humankind to fight natural disasters. The IPU President said there are five pillars for the fulfillment of SDGs, which are human; peace; prosperity; connectivity between Governments, Parliaments and within Parliaments; economic development and productivity on the basis of social resources.
Following the opening session, the first plenary session was held with discussions focusing on SDGs and the role of parliaments in realising those goals. In his address, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen The Phuong said: “To realize SDGs by 2030, each country needs to base on its specific conditions and 17 sustainable development goals to work out appropriate action plans. We need to identify priorities and pay attention to vulnerable people during the development process.”