>>> VERSION FRANÇAISE | |||
Inter-Parliamentary Union | |||
Chemin du Pommier 5, C.P. 330, CH-1218 Le Grand-Saconnex/Geneva, Switzerland |
Resolution adopted by consensus* by the 122nd IPU Assembly
Deeply concerned about the adverse impact of the international economic and financial crisis on the most vulnerable nations and sectors of the global community and on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015, Bearing in mind that the current financial and economic crisis has its origins in developed countries, and that a broad international dialogue, conducted under United Nations auspices with the active participation of all countries, is required to lead the world on the path of economic and social recovery, Concerned that, according to the forecasts of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and regional development banks, foreign direct investment in and remittances to developing countries, especially in Africa, will have declined dramatically in 2009-2010, Underscoring the importance of increased financing for development, including the need to meet the long-standing target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product (GNP) for official development assistance (ODA) to developing countries, of wider and deeper debt relief to developing countries, and of ongoing efforts aimed at identifying additional, innovative sources of financing for South-South and triangular cooperation, Noting that, although ODA from OECD-DAC countries (Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation-Development Assistance Committee) rose by 10 per cent in real terms in 2008 (after an 8.5 per cent decline in 2007), it probably declined again in 2009, owing to the economic crisis, Recalling that MDG 8 (Develop a global partnership for development) calls for an open, non-discriminatory trading and financial system that includes a commitment to good governance, development and poverty reduction, both nationally and internationally, Noting that, according to the UN Secretary-General, important progress has been made towards all eight MDGs, but the world community is not on track to fulfil its commitments, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, Recalling UN General Assembly resolution 58/220 of 23 December 2003 (Economic and technical cooperation between developing countries), which proclaims 19 December United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation, Taking note of the Ministerial Declaration adopted by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Group of 77 at their Twenty-seventh Annual Meeting, held in New York on 25 September 2003, in which they once again underscored the importance and increased relevance of South-South cooperation, Noting the G20 Summit held on 2 April 2009 in London and its willingness to boost the global economy, in particular by disbursing US$ 50 billion to developing countries to counteract the economic and social effects of the crisis and thereby strengthen human development in those countries, Recalling the relevant IPU resolutions, in particular those adopted at the 92nd Inter‑Parliamentary Conference (Copenhagen, 1994) on International co-operation and national action to support social and economic development and efforts to combat poverty, the 104th Inter-Parliamentary Conference (Jakarta, 2000) on Financing for development and a new paradigm of economic and social development designed to eradicate poverty, the 107th Inter‑Parliamentary Conference (Marrakech, 2002) on The role of parliaments in developing public policy in an era of globalisation, multilateral institutions and international trade agreements, the 112th IPU Assembly (Manila, 2005) on The role of parliaments in establishing innovative international financing and trading mechanisms to address the problem of debt and achieve the Millennium Development Goals, the 115th IPU Assembly (Geneva, 2006) on The role of parliaments in overseeing the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, in particular with regard to the problem of debt and the eradication of poverty and corruption, the 118th IPU Assembly (Cape Town, 2008) on Parliamentary oversight of State policies on foreign aid and the 120th IPU Assembly (Addis Ababa, 2009) on The role of parliaments in mitigating the social and political impact of the international economic and financial crisis on the most vulnerable sectors of the global community, especially in Africa, Deeply concerned that climate change poses risks that may unravel many advances in reducing poverty, compounding the negative consequences of the economic crisis, Welcoming the outcome document of the Eleventh session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XI), which salutes the important role of parliaments in international development cooperation, Recalling the reports of the UN Secretary-General entitled The state of South-South cooperation (23 August 2007 and 24 August 2009)and Promotion of South-South cooperation for development: a thirty-year perspective (27 October 2009), Considering that the outcome document of the High-Level United Nations Conference on South-South-Cooperation, held in Nairobi from 1 to 3 December 2009, fails to mention the positive role that parliaments can and should play to develop South-South cooperation and make it more efficient, Underscoring that in a globalized world, South-South and triangular cooperation are more important than ever to achieve sustainable development in developing countries, given that economic development, social progress and environmental protection are interdependent and mutually reinforcing goals, Recalling that the South has a number of success stories, best practices and lessons learned in addressing major development challenges, such as microfinance, which have brought about a profound societal transformation in many countries, such as Bangladesh, Aware that South-South cooperation has a long history (the UNDP Special Unit for South-South Cooperation was established in the late 1970s) and an essential role to play in developing countries, Convinced that organizations within the UN system, due to their universal membership, neutrality and political independence, represent essential vehicles to catalyse, support and strengthen South-South cooperation, Recalling that financing for development, as set forth in the Monterrey Consensus, is about tapping all available resources, not only development assistance and debt relief, but also financing from domestic resources, fair trade, foreign investment and remittances, all of which are all complementary, Noting the growing volume of ODA flows from southern contributors, and observing a lack of accessible and comprehensive information on these flows, Considering that there is a need for standards, rules and regulatory frameworks that are able to enhance South-South cooperation, as well as for methodologies for gathering information on South-South flows of assistance and other forms of cooperation, Noting that the private sector, civil society actors and individuals are assuming a new and dynamic role in South-South cooperation, Underscoring that achieving the internationally agreed development goals will not be possible without progress on gender equality and women's empowerment, Emphasizing that women are active and successful in building South-South non-governmental networks for improving their status and addressing major economic, social, environmental and political concerns, Noting that the agenda for South-South cooperation has expanded significantly to include not only economic and technical cooperation, but also good governance, health and disease control, environmental issues and transnational security threats, Also noting that capacity-building programmes in the framework of South-South cooperation have made a significant contribution to the achievement of the MDGs, Strongly concerned that some donor countries tend to make light of the weakness of democratic governance in beneficiary countries in order to acquire their natural resources, Noting that OECD donor countries have partnered with middle-income developing countries to provide development assistance to the least developed countries, Considering that the rationale underlying triangular development cooperation is that southern countries, which are still themselves developing, are better placed and have the relevant experience to respond to the needs and problems of other developing countries, Underscoring that triangular development cooperation programmes can be more cost effective, Considering that regional integration is an essential process which can overcome, by common accord, political, physical, economic and social barriers that divide countries from their neighbours and foster collaboration leading to economic growth, expansion of regional trade and investment, management of shared resources, regional public goods and climate change, and the prevention of disasters, Stressing in this respect that regional and subregional organizations play a prominent role in conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding and are important partners of the United Nations in promoting international peace and security, Also stressing that South-South cooperation and integration are highly complementary to North-South cooperation, along with regional integration among developing countries, Considering that regional initiatives such as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP) and the Pacific Plan may further enhance regional cooperation with a view to meeting development, democracy, good governance and security challenges, Aware that no single model of regional integration can be imposed since all integration strategies have to be adapted to particular interests and circumstances, but that general features can nonetheless be identified which impede or foster integration processes,
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