Role of parliaments, legislators urgent

To achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), parliaments and legislators must play an important role, stressed Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) President Saber Hossain Chowdhury yesterday.

He said there would be an opportunity for the parliaments and lawmakers of different states to work for the people of the globe as three important UN conferences would be held this year to bring them together.

Saber was speaking at the fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament at the UN Headquarters in New York yesterday. In the conference, organised every five years by IPU and supported by the UN, about 180 parliamentary leaders from nearly 140 countries took part.

Saber, also a lawmaker of the ruling Awami League, said IPU would play an important role in establishing good governance and achieve SDGs by building the capacity of the parliamentary organisations of different countries.

The IPU president said, "IPU calls on all Speakers to commit to leading efforts in building a world the people want, demand and deserve."

Saber also exchanged views with the Speakers of Vietnam, Iran, Hungary and Lithuania.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the legislators to help drive forward the new UN sustainable development agenda and ensure that civil societies are equal partners in "building the future we want."