National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (fifth from left) and delegates at the reception. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue hosted a reception in Hanoi on September 14 for President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Duarte Pacheco, IPU Secretary-General Martin Chungong, President of the IPU Board of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians Dan Carden, and President of the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians Cynthia Lopez Castro.
Hue affirmed that the Vietnamese NA highly values the role played by the IPU - a prestigious multilateral organisation in the world that operates with the goals of peace, cooperation, development, democracy, human rights, gender equality, progress and social justice.
The Vietnamese top legislator expressed his pleasure to welcome the guests to Vietnam to attend the 9th Global Conference for Young Parliamentarians (GCYP) in Hanoi.
He thanked the IPU for choosing the Vietnamese NA to host the conference with the theme “The role of young people in promoting the realisation of sustainable development goals (SDGs) via digital transformation and innovations”, saying that with the close coordination of the IPU Secretariat, the Vietnamese legislature has established an organising committee and made early preparations for the event.
Participants at the meeting with NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. (Photo: VNA) The IPU plays an increasingly important role in promoting inter-parliamentary cooperation mechanisms, working with the United Nations to discuss solutions to current global problems, contributing to preserving peace, stability and sustainable development in the world, Hue said.
Since joining the IPU in 1979, the NA of Vietnam has always made efforts and actively and responsibly participated in IPU activities, Hue noted, adding that Vietnam is ready to work with the IPU and its member parliaments to implement IPU resolutions and initiatives, thus contributing to promoting peace and sustainable development for the common benefit of humanity.
The Vietnamese NA supports the movement "Say Yes to Youth in Parliament" launched by the IPU, and hopes that more and more young parliamentarians will join parliaments around the world.
Expressing his great impression of this slogan, Hue said Vietnam has a very young population and the Vietnamese legislature has up to 124 young deputies in line with IPU standards, accounting for over 25% of the total number of legislators.
He affirmed that the Vietnamese legislature is ready to host other important events of the IPU, send appropriate delegations to attend events organised by the Union, and nominate candidates for positions of the IPU Secretariat, the IPU, the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians, and the IPU Bureau of Women Parliamentarians.
The NA Chairman took the occasion to suggest the IUP continue promoting programmes to build capacity for parliamentarians and the supporting apparatus of parliaments in general, and the Vietnamese NA in particular, and enhance the sharing of operational experiences among IPU member parliaments. He expressed the belief that the 9th GCYP will be a success.
For his part, IPU President Duarte Pacheco expressed his joy to witness what the NA of Vietnam has done to organise the conference, saying that along with the success of the 132nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-132) in Hanoi in 2015, the hosting of the 9th GCYP shows that the Vietnamese NA clearly understands the operation mechanism of the IPU and always has high commitments to contributing to the success of the IPU agenda.
The Vietnamese legislature always inspires and creates operation space for young NA deputies, he said, expressing his impression of the enthusiastic and energetic participation of Vietnamese young delegates at the seminar on strengthening digital capability for young people in Hanoi September 14 afternoon.
The agenda for the next three days of the 9th GCYP will make an important contribution to sustainable development by mobilising young people to join hands in overcoming difficulties after the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in order to implement the SDGs until 2030, he stressed.
IPU Secretary-General Martin Chungong said the 9th GCYP offers an opportunity to review and promote the implementation of the SDGs by mobilising the participation of youths, expressing his belief that with the enthusiasm and great interest of Vietnamese and global delegates, the results of the conference will be shared and used to promote the implementation of the SDGs, thus bringing real changes to the world.
At the meeting, President of the IPU Board of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians Dan Carden showed special impression of the number of young Vietnamese NA deputies, and shared her views on the need to listen to the voices of young people, look at problems from the perspective of young people to solve challenges.
Meanwhile, President of the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians Cynthia Lopez Castro congratulated Vietnam on its important achievements in empowering women./.
