The use of water resources will be one of the key agenda points during the 132 nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union for the first time in Hanoi, said Vice Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations Ha Huy Thong.
Thong, who is also Head of the IPU-132 Organisation Committee’s Content Subcommittee, said water concerns are a global matter related to climate change, energy, seas and rivers.
The United Nations has also chosen March 22 as World Water Day to call for greater attention to the issue, he noted.
Once approved, a resolution on water will be the first of its kind issued by the IPU, said Thong.
He revealed that Vietnam has been preparing for the event for over a year, the outcomes of which have been lauded by the IPU.
The IPU-132 theme, “Sustainable Development Goals: Turning Worlds into Action,” has been carefully considered by Vietnam, as this is the last year before the international community evaluates its efforts on the eight Millennium Development Goals introduced in 2000.
The world is shifting towards a new development period as the UN prepares to deliver a new 15-year development agenda in 2016, he noted, adding that after experiencing a recession from 2007, the world needs a period of sustainable growth.
Vietnam is also working towards concluding its 2011-15 plan, Thong said, stressing that the IPU-132 aims to underline the role of parliaments in turning desires into actions.
The event will also focus on international law, the protection of national sovereignty and human rights discussions continued from previous events.
Democracy in the digital era will be a new topic for the IPU, drawing significant attention of the community and IPU members, he said.-VNA
Thong said Vietnam’s hosting of the IPU-132 is a special decision, as 2015 is a busy year for the country as it prepares for the 12 th National Party Congress. This is a transformation period for the country, ushering in another 15 years of development, he stated.
Vietnam has proposed to call the event’s official document the Hanoi Declaration, which will be submitted to the World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments this August and then the United Nations Summit this September.
This is an important opportunity for Vietnam to make contributions to not only the development of the IPU but also sustainable global growth of the world, stated Thong.
VNA