“ACHIEVEMENT OF SDGs WILL ADDRESS MOST OF PROBLEMS THAT ARE HOLDING

BACK PEACE AND PROSPERITY IN SOUTH ASIA”, SAYS LOK SABHA SPEAKER

            Indore, 19 February 2017 : The South Asian Speakers’ Summit on

Achieving Sustainable Development Goals, which was inaugurated by the

Lok Sabha Speaker Smt. Sumitra Mahajan  on   18 February 2017,

concluded today. At the Valedictory Session, Smt. Mahajan observed that the achievement

of SDGs will address most of the problems that are holding back peace

and prosperity in South Asia. With less than 4 per cent of the world’s

land surface area, it is host to about 25 per cent of world’s

population but this population is young and is our human resource

potential. She underlined that large number of people are still living

in extreme poverty which continues to be major challenge for the

policy makers. As such, the countries of the region share the

collective responsibility to find solutions to issues that are

affecting them. In this backdrop, she felt that the discussions at two

day Session have been remarkable and fruitful experience.

          Smt. Mahajan said that on one hand, there is a need for development,

while on the other, we must protect environment. An imbalance between

the two can trigger massive negative consequences and affect climate.

She added that engaging with SDGs and working out a viable roadmap for

effectively accomplishing the targets within the stipulated period was

the consensus that delegates arrived at, in Dhaka, in January 2016.

She said that taking the threads forward here in Indore, the Summit

has at length discussed ways in which Parliaments can ensure that

adequate financial and other resources accompany implementation of

national and regional SDG strategies. She hoped that tapping on the

opportunities of cooperation among Parliaments and between Parliaments

will definitely prove to be a golden path in our collective journey

towards achieving the SDGs.

          Lok Sabha Speaker observed that gender inequality is a sensitive

challenge  and women have right to live with dignity and equality. She

emphasized that women must enjoy equal access to education, economic

resources and employment and expressed happiness that the Summit

deliberated threadbare the issue of gender inequality as a barrier in

the way of achieving SDGs. She added that there was a convergence of

views that gender parity or better gender balance can act as a

critical factor for sustainable development.

          Smt. Mahajan further said that the countries of the region are victims

of frequent natural disasters, like cyclones, earth quakes, floods,

etc.  and as such, climate change has emerged as a major challenge not

only for the people of this region but for the entire world. The need

of the hour is to look for meticulous, integrated and networked

solutions through regional cooperation.

She informed that a regional consultation on SDG Indicators and South

Asia would be hosted by India later this year. This meeting of experts

and officials of the region would focus on the outcomes of the global

process led by the United Nations.

          Smt. Mahajan expressed her gratitude to the visiting Presiding

Officers of South Asian countries and members of their Delegation for

their proactive and purposive participation in the Summit. She thanked

Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan for

extending all the support in organizing the Summit. She also extended

a word of praise for Speaker of Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Shri

Seetasaran Sharma for having spared time to be in Indore for the

Summit.  She also praised the efforts of  officers of Lok Sabha

Secretariat and Madhya Pradesh Government for working hard in making

the Summit a great success.

          Mr. Saber Chowdhury, President, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) said

that the Summit has been rich in substance and inspiring in terms of

aspirations which are not only national but regional and global as

well.  The centrality of the people lies in SDGs and they need a new

approach and new partnership.  He also felt that the Parliamentarians

are not substitute of the Government but together they can engage the

functionaries in Government for  the better implementation of SDGs.

          Earlier, the Summit resumed its deliberations on the theme Dealing

Effectively with the Challenge of Climate Change and Natural

Disasters: Opportunities for Regional Parliamentary Cooperation in its

Working Session today.  Participating in the Session, Professor

Santosh Kumar, Executive Director, SAARC Disaster Management Centre,

said that climate change is a serious concern and the risk to the

South Asian region is very high.  He cautioned that after Gujarat and

Nepal earthquake disasters, it has become all the more important to

have disaster preparedness in place to reduce the impacts to our

cities and countries.  Dr Balakrishna Pisupati, Vice Chancellor, Trans

Disciplinary University, Bengaluru, described five key points of Paris

Agreement and suggested that there is need for national action by each

country by legislating new climate laws, reassessment of climate

policies and mainstreaming climate action.

          Shri Sachin Chaturvedi, Director-General, Research and Information

System for Developing Countries (RIS), summed up the discussions held

during the Summit.

The Summit ended with the adoption of the Indore Declaration