Vietnam attends 136th IPU Executive Committee session
VOV.VN - Vietnam participated in the 275th session of the 136th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 30-31.
In his address at the event, Head of the Vietnamese NA’s External Relations Committee Nguyen Van Giau highlighted the IPU’s focus on promoting gender equality and women’s rights.
Giau also said Vietnam will host an IPU conference for the Asia-Pacific region in Ho Chi Minh City from May 11-13 to discuss legislators’ actions to realise the sustainable development goals amidst climate changes, adding that the country will work hand in hand with the IPU Secretariat to successfully organise the event.
He said Vietnam will work with the IPU in climate change response and disaster risk reduction.
During the meeting, participants approved the agenda and report of the 274th meeting in Geneva in October 2016 and discussed reports on the performance of the IPU President and the annual report of the IPU Secretary General.
They also touched upon the agenda of the 136th IPU Assembly, as well as a number of issues related to personnel, finance and strategy of the IPU in the 2017-2021 period, along with matters regarding the organisation of the 137th IPU Assembly in Russia’s Saint Petersburg on October 14-18, and amendments to the IPU Charter and regulations.
The formation of a high technology centre connected with parliaments across the world, the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Global Democracy Statement, and the increase of youth’s engagement in the IPU were also debated during the session.
A Vietnamese parliament delegation led by National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong also attended the 136th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Themed “Redressing Inequalities: Delivering on dignity and well-being for all”, the meeting drew 670 parliamentarians and 164 delegations from 132 countries worldwide.
In his opening speech, IPU President Saber Hossain Chowdhury highlighted the union’s expansion of membership and called on parliamentarians to address global challenges such as climate change and conflicts.
Participants discussed decisive actions to end the rising social, political, and economic inequalities, as well as to promote women’s access to financial resources.
Vietnamese delegates also attended a forum of women parliamentarians, where Vietnam proposed building a model of trilateral cooperation among IPU, member parliaments and international organisations in facilitating women’s access to financial services.
They also attended meetings of the ASEAN 3 and the Asia-Pacific Group on the occasion.
During the Asia-Pacific Group’s meeting, Vietnam, together with Iran and Japan in their capacity as members of the group’s executive board, reported the outcomes of the board’s meeting held on March 30-31. The group also elected additional members to the executive committee of the IPU Young Parliamentarians’ Forum.
On the sidelines of the assembly and related meetings, head of the Vietnamese National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations Nguyen Van Giau met a delegation of Thai parliamentarians.
He expressed wish that both sides would work closely together at multilateral forums in the region and the world, especially promoting the development of ASEAN Community for the benefit of the bloc as well as Vietnamese and Thai peoples in particular.
On the occasion, Giau conveyed his invitation to the Thai parliament to attend an IPU conference for the Asia-Pacific region on climate change response set for May 11-13 in Ho Chi Minh City.