IPU President: Vietnam hosts most successful conference ever

The 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians (GCYP) concluded on Saturday in Hanoi. It brought together more than 300 delegates from around the world and set its seal by issuing its first Conference Declaration, which aims to promote the implementation of the Hanoi Declaration, entitled "Sustainable Development Goals: Moving from Words to Action", adopted at IPU-132 in 2015.

On this occasion, the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Duarte Pacheco, spoke to the press about the significant progress achieved by the GCYP.

Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) President Duarte Pacheco speaks at the conference.

What do you think about the results of the GCYP?

It was a successful conference because everything was prepared very carefully. In addition, the conference had the active participation of many parliamentarians from all over the world.

More than 300 delegates came from abroad, about 200 delegates from Vietnam, making a total of 500 young parliamentarians, a large number never seen in previous conferences.

This also shows that politicians can work together to find solutions to world problems such as climate change, drug trafficking, and human trafficking and promote the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.  

In addition, the conference comprised very important discussions. We heard great statements from many delegates who shared good practices to avoid some of the mistakes some countries have made and learn from each other's experiences. The 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians was very useful and successful.

The theme of this conference will be an initiative that we will consider at the next IPU General Assembly, which will be held in Angola next October.

I think Digital Transformation is a good topic. It is important but requires specific implementation. Therefore, building a network to monitor what is being done is necessary to advance the goals.

International delegates at the conference.

This is the first time the GCYP Declaration has been adopted after nine editions. Could you share your thoughts on this conference declaration?

It means that people came here from all over the world not only to meet, not only to discuss but also to share a common goal and need to take concrete action.

Normally, a conference is a place where people discuss and learn. But now, the Conference Declaration has set out concrete actions that each young parliamentarian should try to implement and commit to. The IPU will monitor the implementation of this important declaration.

What is your impression of young parliamentarians and Vietnamese youth in general?

In the early days, before the conference started, I was very impressed by the Vietnamese youth. They have the common characteristic of being very mature in recognizing problems and actively offering and promoting solutions.

Notably, the Vietnamese National Assembly, in particular, and the Vietnamese Party and State leaders, in general, have created specific spaces for youth development.

Compared to other countries in the world, Vietnam's National Assembly has the highest representation of young parliamentarians, perhaps because Vietnam has a young and dynamic society.

Youth can spread energy anywhere, but in politics, they bring new energy and a desire to change and improve the community and society. Perhaps because of so many young parliamentarians, society has become more dynamic.

During the meetings, Vietnam always actively makes specific contributions. The Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam also raised the issue of Vietnam being able to host other conferences, such as the IPU General Assembly (held every five years with the participation of leaders of 80 national assemblies/parliaments around the world); thereby enhancing its position in the international arena.

After all the sessions and discussions, what message do you have for young parliamentarians around the world to promote their role in the field of technology and innovation in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals?

I have two messages.

The first is for young people, especially for young parliamentarians: Please don't give up too soon. We have to build a better world, especially for young people. What we decide today will affect the future of the younger generations, so they need to take an active part. For me, innovation and youth are two sides of the same coin because young people are very open to innovation, change, and the digitalization of the economy and society.

And the second I want to send is not to young people, but to world leaders. World leaders should work with young people and parliamentarians and create space for them to create a better life for everyone.

Thank you for your time!