According to Thai Quynh Mai Dung, standing member of the NA's Committee for External Relations, Vietnam has made five proposals on enhancing parliaments’ role in climate change-related issues at the plenary debate.
The proposals focused on promoting stronger and more effective implementation of policies to respond to climate change and developing roadmaps towards achieving net-zero emissions as committed at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26); strengthening cooperation on the basis of the principle of fairness and responsibility sharing but with distinction, in accordance with the capacity and condition of each country.
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Standing member of the NA's Committee for External Relations Thai Quynh Mai Dung (Photo: VNA)
Vietnam underlined that parliaments should strengthen law making, monitor and allocate funds to ensure implementation of national climate commitments.
It also suggested the IPU to coordinate with the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to build a mechanism for monitoring, sharing information, experience and good models in implementing national commitments.
At a debate on emergency issues within the IPU-144, the Vietnamese delegation stressed that all international conflicts must be settled through peaceful measures in respect of basic principles of international law and the UN Charter as well as sovereignty equality and political independence and territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs of states and not using or threatening to use forces.
In particular, in the context that Tuvalu could not assume the role of the Asia-Pacific geopolitical group (APG)’s President due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on the basis of the proposal of the IPU Secretariat and the approval of the Vietnamese NA Chairman, Vietnam successfully chaired the APG meeting, contributing to strengthening solidarity and parliamentary cooperation within APG.
In the framework of the IPU-144, the head of the Vietnamese delegation - Chairman of the NA's Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha - met with the President and the General Secretary of the IPU; joined a tripartite meeting with his Lao and Cambodian counterparts on activities to strengthen parliamentary cooperation between the three countries. He also had bilateral meetings with heads of delegations of the Republic of Korea, China, Thailand, and Indonesia to strengthen bilateral and multilateral parliamentary relations; discuss issues of post-pandemic sustainable recovery, and solutions to respond to climate change.
Dung stressed that the Vietnamese delegation’s active participation at the IPU-144 conveyed three important messages, affirming the joint efforts of the Vietnamese NA and Government in implementing climate change adaptation and sustainable development goals in the future; the importance of parliamentary diplomacy to world peace and security; and the active participation of Vietnamese young and female NA deputies in activities of the IPU.
