PEACE-MAKER Jose de Venecia Jr.
Former Speaker of the House (Part II) In our column last Sunday, we highlighted the statement of the 350-strong International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) on peace, security and stability, which was issued at the conclusion of our 11th General Assembly in Istanbul, Nov. 17-20, under the theme “Role of Political Parties in Strengthening Dialogue for Global Peace, Prosperity, and Cooperation.” The conference was hosted by the governing Justice and Development Party led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Below is our statement on globalization, climate change, pandemic, trade and SDGs. “We noted with concern that the global economy is experiencing a backlash against globalization. Grievances are mounting that the globalization is not creating fresh opportunities for hundreds of millions of people as preached, but rather widening the gap between richest and poorest countries and increasing inequality within many countries. This negative perception of globalization has been magnified during the Covid-19 pandemic. In this regard, we agreed to the need for creative thinking about how to strengthen and reform the institutions, rules and customs by which nations and peoples manage the challenge of complementing the benefits of the global market with collective efforts; We also noted that climate change is posing real and immediate threats to mankind. Enormous damage has been caused by extreme weather such as super-typhoons, wildfires, heat waves, flooding, drought, landslides, desertification and even rising sea-level, which are growing in frequency and intensity. The recent devastating floods in Pakistan of epic proportions are a poignant reminder that climate change is a living global threat to people’s lives and livelihoods, through no fault of the victims. The issues of climate finance and climate justice are important in alleviating the hardships of people affected by climate change. In this regard, we revisited the statement adopted at the 2021 U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26) and the ICAPP Special Workshop on Climate Change held in December 2021, which called for governments and parliaments in the region to take bolder actions for a clearer and more ambitious policy framework to achieve the net zero emission target by 2050; We recognized that Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the urgency of regional and global cooperation in the public health sector, especially on the fair and equal access to vaccines and medical supplies. We learned a precious lesson that no nation is safe until every nation is safe, and emphasized the need to build an effective regional or global network to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines and medical supplies to be more resistant to the future global health crisis. We also reaffirmed our determination to help design and implement national and regional strategies for fast and resilient post-pandemic economic recovery based on solidarity and partnership, especially in the fields of tourism and human mobility which have been hit the hardest; Against this backdrop, we confirmed that despite the global economic tumult, multilateral trading mechanisms should be preserved and strengthened to ensure a fair, predictable, and stable trade environment. We stressed the need to support the norms and practices that guard against protectionism. We stood united in our conviction that regional economic integration would also lead to greater peace and stability for the people in the region. In this vein, we welcomed the launching of the ICAPP Business Council (IBC) as a new affiliated body of the ICAPP. We expected that the IBC would contribute to promoting regional integration by creating and expanding intra-regional and inter-regional networks of business communities in our region and beyond; We also renewed our commitment to supporting the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that by 2030 all people in the world enjoy peace and prosperity. We reminded ourselves that all countries have committed to prioritize progress for those who are furthest behind and to end hunger, AIDs and discrimination against women and girls. In this regard, we agreed that the creativity, knowhow, technology and financial resources from all of society are necessary to achieve the SDGs in every context.”