Warming, inequality and Islamophobia: Alvi for global consensus on major challenges

President Dr Arif Alvi has said that there is a need to develop consensus at international level to address the challenges of global warming, inequality, ethnicity, xenophobia and Islamophobia. President Alvi expressed these views while addressing the 5th Asia Region Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Conference 2019 here on Tuesday.
Rebecca A Kadaga, Speaker of Parliament of Uganda and CPA President, Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Cameroon and Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, Dr Dato Noraini Ahmad, Member of the Federal Parliament of Malaysia and Chairperson Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP), JM Ananda Kumarasiri, MP, Deputy Speaker from the Parliament of Sri Lanka, speakers from provincial Assemblies of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh, and special guests from Uganda, UK, Malaysia, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir legislative assemblies participated in the CPA conference.
He said that there is a disparity in the international politics and tremendous inequality in the world, adding that the governments of Asian countries have a responsibility to respond to this issue. President Alvi said that the corporations need to be fair to their employees, customers, community, environment and the next generations. He said that the governments are responsible for equalising societies.
He said that poverty, education, health and inequality are important problems in South Asia. He said that in a vibrant democracy, problems are first recognised then fenced and afterwards are resolved through implementation of laws. He said that implementation of laws is as important as their legislation.
The President said that the South Asian countries need to cooperate with one another to resolve the issues related to poverty, health and education. He said that the Parliament is the will of the people to address their problems. He said that Pakistan is "over-legislation country" but the issue here is that of implementation.
He said, "We observed that some countries are not allowing the entry to the war refugees but Pakistan has taken care of 3.5 million Afghan refugees for many decades." While addressing the inaugural ceremony of the fifth Asia Region Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Conference, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser said, "Pakistan deeply values the common bond which binds us together - the bond of the Commonwealth."
He said that the tradition of continuing collaborative synergy between the National Legislature of Pakistan and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Asia region branches for deepening democratic linkages, promoting people-to-people contacts and boosting regional cooperation must be continued. He said that most of South Asian nations are mired with geopolitical constraints, as the story of South Asia has seldom been viewed through the glass of the rising democratic consciousness of its citizens.
He said, "With the rising democratic consciousness among the citizens of the region, the people of South Asia are investing in their democracies to benefit from a competitive system and to give voice to their interests." Qaiser said that the cooperation between and among the states in its real sense can be achieved when the parliaments build consensus of opinion on matters of interests as the decisions resulting from the dialogue and discussion of the parliaments will have long-lasting impacts on the international political dynamics.
While indicating the potential of South Asia, he said that for South Asia's rise as the global economic, technological and cultural hub, it has become necessary to promptly address and neutralise the common roadblocks jeopardising the well-being, prosperity and future of millions. Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee Emilia Lifaka said that the first thing needs to be done is prioritising the betterment of respective societies by using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a blueprint.
She said that SDGs address the global challenges "we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, prosperity, peace, and justice." She said that the goals interconnect and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that "we achieve each goal and target by 2030." She said that in fact, for SDGs to succeed, legal implementation on the national level is required. "As parliamentarians it is our duty to promote the SDGs, given its importance to the needs and aspirations of the people we represent," she said.