Big Carbon Polluters Should Take Responsibility for Climate Change -Third Inter-Parliamentary Union Regional Seminar

Islamabad: The Third Inter-Parliamentary Union Regional Seminar on Achieving Sustainable Development Goals for Parliaments of Asia Pacific adopted an outcome document in Islamabad on 14 Sep 2022, expressing the resolve to find solutions to climate change and implement Sustainable Development Goals.

The outcome document was presented by the Convener of the Parliamentary Task Force on SDGs Romina Khurshid Alam at the concluding session of the two-day regional seminar.

The forum stressed that big carbon polluters should take more responsibility for climate change, meet their obligations and do their utmost to cut carbon emissions.

It also proposed to include the recent flood crisis in Pakistan as a potential emergency item in the upcoming 145th IPU Assembly taking place in Rwanda next month.

The forum noted that there is an urgent need to accelerate progress and address existing problems including climate change by adopting coherent strategies. Parliaments can drive significant change towards achieving sustainable development by translating the SDGS into enforceable laws.

The outcome document said that there is a need to increase job opportunities, including in the agriculture and tourism sectors, and address youth employment challenges. The importance of addressing food insecurity and malnutrition through a multi-sectoral approach that includes health, agriculture, education, youth and gender equality, was stressed.

In his concluding remarks, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said that Global Climate Change has become a menace and existential threat to this planet and for upcoming generations.

He said parliamentarians have the Constitutional role and responsibility to play an important role in supporting and overseeing the implementation of SDGs.

The Speaker also extended felicitation to all participants for the successful organization of the third IPU Regional Seminar for the Asia Pacific Region Parliaments on Achieving SDGs.

Speaking on the occasion, Special Assistant on Youth Affairs Shaza Fatima stressed for inclusion of youth, women and marginalized segments of society in dialogue to achieve sustainable development goals.

She said Asia Pacific region is the lowest contributor to carbon emissions but its countries like Pakistan are the most vulnerable due to climate-induced disasters. She said the regional countries should raise a united voice before the international community to uphold the right to climate financing.

Prime Minister’s Assistant on SDGs, Romeenah Khursheed Alam was also present at the seminar.

Former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said people-to-people contacts are important to bolster relations amongst the regional countries. He said this forum provided an opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences in different fields.

In his remarks, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Finance Saleem Mandviwalla called for serious efforts to deal with the issue of climate change.

Ambassadors of the Asia Pacific region were invited to the seminar who were present at this occasion. They included ambassadors of Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkiye, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Maldives, and other countries.

The third Regional Seminar was jointly organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the National Assembly of Pakistan. This in-person meeting followed up on the conclusions of the previous seminars, hosted by the Parliament of Viet Nam (in 2017) and the Parliament of Mongolia (in 2018), as well as the IPU’s virtual SDG events.

 In recognition of the key role, parliaments play in implementing the SDGs, the IPU and the National Assembly of Pakistan continued to provide a platform for exchanging ideas, good practices, and experience regarding SDG implementation in the Asia-Pacific region.