IPU Asia-Pacific seminar on SDGs opens in HCM City
HCM City (VNA) – The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) regional seminar for the Asia-Pacific on responding to climate change and actions of parliaments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) opened in Ho Chi Minh City on May 11.
The three-day event is co-organised by IPU and Vietnam’s National Assembly (NA).
The opening ceremony was
attended by Chairwoman of the Vietnamese NA Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, IPU President
Saber Chowdhury, IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong, Speaker of Myanmar’s
House of Nationalities (Upper House) and Parliament Mahn Win Khaing Than,
Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives Alvarez Pantelon, President
of Timor-Leste’s National Parliament Aderito Hugo Da Costa and Secretary
General of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) Isra Sunthornvut.
In her opening speech, Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim
Ngan said like other Asia-Pacific countries, especially coastal and island
nations, Vietnam is seriously hit by climate change.
She cited Vietnam’s climate change scenarios
which projected that by the end of the 21st century, sea water will submerge about
40 percent of the Mekong Delta, 11 percent of the Red River Delta and 3 percent
of other coastal provinces. HCM City, the country’s huge economic hub, is
forecast to have more than 20 percent of its area flooded by sea water.
As such, about 10-12 percent of Vietnamese
population will bear the direct impacts from climate change and about 10 percent
of national GDP will be lost, the chief legislator said.
Therefore, the Vietnamese NA 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.
IPU President Saber Chowdhury hailed the
presence of many senior officials in the region at the seminar.
He 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.
According to Chowdhury, as 80 percent of natural
disasters are caused by climate change, the key in responding to climate change
is to cope with natural disasters. He noted that 88 percent of those who are
affected by natural disasters in the world are in Asia-Pacific, therefore, it
is necessary to put forth 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.
He expressed the hope that the seminar will give out strong signals about the Asia-Pacific region’s commitment to the SDGs.
Secretary of the HCM City
People’s Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan said the presence of Parliament leaders
and legislators at the event reflects the significance of environmental
protection to all nations.
The event offers an opportunity for HCM City to
extend its cooperation with countries which are also facing climate change
issue, the official added.
Following the opening session, the first plenary
session was held with discussions focusing on SDGs and the role of parliaments
in realising those goals.
Within the framework of the event, a trip to Can
Gio district in HCM City will be arranged for delegates as a case study for an
economic model adaptive to climate change.
On this occasion, the Vietnam NA will coordinate
with the IPU to announce a toolkit to help Parliaments assess their performance
in SDGs achievement. -VNA