The 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers Summit on Friday adopted a joint statement affirming today’s era must not be of war, and declared the Speakers will engage in parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue to promote international peace, prosperity and harmony, including supporting peaceful resolution of conflicts and disputes.

“We call on all states to uphold the principles of international law including territorial integrity and sovereignty, international humanitarian law, and the multilateral system that safeguards peace and stability,” the Joint Statement said.

The G20 Speakers agreed the peaceful resolution of conflicts, and efforts to address crises as well as diplomacy and dialogue, are critical. “We will unite in our endeavour to address the adverse impact of the war on the global economy and welcome all relevant and constructive initiatives that support a comprehensive, just, and durable peace in Ukraine.”

The Speakers favoured the initiatives should uphold all the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter for the promotion of peaceful, friendly, and good neighbourly relations among nations in the spirit of “One Earth, One Family, One Future.”

The Speakers’ Statement said “emphasizing the importance of sustaining food and energy security, we called for the cessation of military destruction or other attacks on relevant infrastructure. We also expressed deep concern about the adverse impact that conflicts have on the security of civilians thereby exacerbating existing socio-economic fragilities and vulnerabilities and hindering an effective humanitarian response.”

The Speakers welcomed the comprehensive and constructive dialogue held during the G20 Leaders’ Summit and India’s G20 Presidency, focusing on the issues related to accelerating progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), technological transformation and inclusive digital economy.

The Speakers recognized that Parliaments play an important role in encouraging women-led development, deterring from discrimination and enhancing women’s full, equal, effective, and meaningful participation as decision-makers for addressing global challenges inclusively.

Acknowledging the disproportionate impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and other crises on women and girls, the Speakers recognized their substantial role in economic recovery. “We will promote equal access to education and professional opportunities, women’s entrepreneurship and leadership, financial and digital inclusion, as well as the enhancement of social, healthcare, and educational services,” they said.

“We commit to eliminating all forms of violence and harassment, both online and offline. Towards this end, we welcome the development and implementation of initiatives to eliminate gender-based violence against women Parliamentarians,” the Speakers said.

“We note with concern that globally women remain significantly under-represented in national Parliaments. As leaders in our Parliaments, we commit to assessing and improving the level of gender-sensitivity of our Parliaments by taking steps to close any gaps identified through this process,” the joint statement said.

In this context, the Speakers said, “we welcome the adoption of the Women’s Reservation Bill 2023 by the Parliament of India in September 2023. We also thank the United Nations and the IPU for their efforts and affirm that gender equality and youth participation are essential for achieving the 2030 Agenda.”