IPU, Alm.del - 2024-25 - Bilag 12: 150th IPU Assembly

Dansk Interparlamentarisk Gruppes bestyrelse 2024-25
IPU Alm.del Bilag 12
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150th IPU Assembly

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (5–9 April 2025)

Standing Committee on

Sustainable Development

C-II/150/DR

13 January 2025

Parliamentary strategies to mitigate the long-lasting

impact of conflicts, including armed conflicts,

on sustainable development

Draft resolution submitted by the co-Rapporteurs

Ms. H. Fayez (Bahrain), Ms. E.T. Muteka (Namibia) and Mr. M. R. Fogiel (Poland)

The 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,

(1)

Recalling

the IPU’s long-held position, expressed through many previous resolutions, that there

cannot be peace without sustainable development and that there cannot be sustainable development without

peace,

(2)

Concerned

that conflicts, particularly armed conflicts, hinder progress towards the achievement

of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), profoundly disrupt the lives of millions globally, and have

devastating effects on communities in general, and on marginalized or vulnerable groups in particular,

(3)

Concerned also

about the long-term effects of conflicts on civilian populations, communities and

economies,

(4)

Noting

that such long-term effects include poverty, hunger, forced displacement, and the

destruction of civilian infrastructure that enables the delivery of healthcare, education, security and other

essential services,

(5)

Recalling

the urgent need for comprehensive and robust strategies to address conflicts and to

protect sustainable development during such conflicts,

(6)

Emphasizing

the important role played by parliaments in addressing conflicts, in mitigating their

negative effects on sustainable development, and in promoting peace and stability,

(7)

Emphasizing also

that IPU Assemblies, as places for parliamentarians, policymakers and

strategists from around the world to come together to discuss the most pressing topics in the political sphere,

and to engage in strategic capacity-building and regional cooperation on matters including international

peace and security, risk management, and sustainable development, serve as vital platforms for international

rapprochement and inclusivity, and as effective forums for mitigating and reducing conflicts,

(8)

Highlighting

the importance of strategic partnerships, and of strong and influential alliances,

between parliaments globally in light of the conflicts and challenges the world is witnessing, all of which

require more effective actions in order to provide a safe and prosperous environment for the benefit of

countries, peoples and the future of the world as a whole,

#IPU150

IPU, Alm.del - 2024-25 - Bilag 12: 150th IPU Assembly

C-II/150/DR

(9)

Stressing

that the achievement of the supreme interests of all countries, and of lasting

stability and prosperity, is dependent upon the mitigation of tensions through: stronger compliance with

international humanitarian law; respect for the sovereignty of States and for the principle of non-

interference in States’ internal affairs; efforts to promote a culture of tolerance, coexistence and peace;

renewed strategic cooperation arrangements; and the development of new energy security policies,

(10)

Reaffirming

the critical role of parliamentary diplomacy in supporting all efforts aimed at

addressing conflicts, including by urging parties to such conflicts to engage in dialogue and to seek

peaceful solutions,

(11)

Underlining

the importance of collaboration with international organizations, including the

United Nations, in order to strengthen global efforts aimed at achieving peace and mutual understanding,

(12)

Stressing

the need to provide the necessary guarantees for the protection of infrastructure,

and for adherence to humanitarian and environmental principles, in conflicts, in accordance with the

provisions of international humanitarian law, and to ensure that civilians and humanitarian service

providers are not exposed to any threat during such conflicts,

(13)

Affirming

the need for cooperation with development partners in order to ensure the

continuity of humanitarian services in areas affected by conflicts, and for rapid response to the needs of

populations in conflict situations, including consideration of strategies for reconstruction and emergency

preparedness,

(14)

Affirming also

that the achievement of security is not limited to conflict prevention but also

requires the building of sustainable and safe societies, which in turn contributes to the long-term stability

and development of countries,

(15)

Recognizing

the essential role of parliaments, where they exist, in promoting peaceful and

inclusive societies for sustainable development and in providing access to justice for all,

(16)

Recognizing also

that parliaments play a crucial role in developing accountable and inclusive

institutions at all levels, including in the security and justice sector,

(17)

Recalling

UN Security Council resolution

2553

(2020), which stressed the importance of

reforming the security sector in post-conflict environments in order to prevent countries from relapsing into

conflict, and which further stressed that a professional, effective and accountable security sector, and

accessible and impartial law-enforcement and justice sectors, are equally necessary to laying the

foundations for peace and sustainable development,

(18)

Recalling also

the Pact for the Future (UN General Assembly resolution

79/1,

2024), which

called on States to redouble efforts to significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates

everywhere,

(19)

Conscious

that, through their security sector oversight role, parliaments can play a crucial

role in preventing the onset or recurrence of conflicts, thus mitigating their impact on sustainable

development,

Affirms

that the implementation of the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights, as a basis for peace and sustainable development, contributes to reducing conflicts,

to mitigating the humanitarian impact of such conflicts, and to improving the political

environment;

Encourages

parliaments to promote democracy, the rule of law and human rights principles

as a basis for strengthening peace and stability, ensuring the participation of all segments of

society, including marginalized or vulnerable groups, in the political and social process;

IPU, Alm.del - 2024-25 - Bilag 12: 150th IPU Assembly

C-II/150/DR

Calls upon

parliaments to intensify their efforts to promote dialogue, understanding and

peaceful dispute resolution, and to work towards comprehensive and sustainable solutions to

ongoing conflicts;

Also calls upon

parliaments to support humanitarian and development efforts to meet the

needs of populations affected by conflicts, and to promote economic and social stability in

affected areas, including the provision of basic services such as education, healthcare,

water, electricity and sanitation;

Insists on

the importance of parliamentarians’ oversight and legislative role in pursuing

sustainable development, in monitoring government policies and programmes related to

security, peace and development, and in ensuring the fair representation of citizens, while

promoting transparency and accountability in decision-making;

Urges

parliaments to exercise their oversight role in order to ensure the effectiveness of

humanitarian and development assistance aimed at stemming reversals in the achievement

of the SDGs in areas affected by conflicts;

Calls for

enhanced cooperation between national parliaments, regional and international

organizations, and civil society organizations in promoting joint efforts to strengthen support

strategies for communities affected by conflicts;

Also calls for

the strengthening of partnerships between the public and private sectors, civil

society organizations and civil society in order to ensure the achievement of the SDGs in

areas affected by conflicts;

Calls upon

parliaments to consider the intersection of political, economic, social and

environmental dimensions when developing strategies to mitigate the impact of conflicts on

sustainable development;

Insists on

the importance of encouraging and promoting dialogue and coexistence between

parties to conflicts, as a means of working towards peaceful and constructive dispute

resolution;

Also insists on

the importance of strengthening education systems in order to spread

awareness of the values of peace, tolerance and peaceful conflict resolution, and to promote

a culture of peace and non-violence in society;

Further insists on

the need to foster a culture and awareness of human rights and

environmental considerations in societies affected by conflicts, and on the need to ensure

that such rights and considerations are part of any peacebuilding or sustainable

development process;

Calls for

the establishment of multilateral international parliamentary committees to mediate

disputes and to promote dialogue and understanding between States in conflict;

Welcomes

advanced parliamentary practices that play an important role in promoting

dialogue and understanding, and in achieving peace, in communities affected by conflicts;

Calls upon

parliaments to strengthen coordination with humanitarian and development

organizations and to agree on clear safeguards to protect water, energy and other

humanitarian and civilian infrastructure in areas affected by conflicts, in line with international

humanitarian law;

10.

11.

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IPU, Alm.del - 2024-25 - Bilag 12: 150th IPU Assembly

16.

C-II/150/DR

Insists

that climate change and security are inseparable elements in achieving sustainable

development and ensuring lasting peace, and

calls for

the development of integrated

strategies to reduce the effects of climate change on areas affected by conflicts;

Calls for

the implementation of comprehensive strategies to promote peace and stability on

the basis of national reconciliation, and for the promotion of inclusive governance

approaches that prevent marginalization, and foster social and political harmony, in the

aftermath of conflicts;

Insists on

the importance of incorporating humanitarian exemptions into autonomous

sanctions regimes, in line with the precedent set by UN Security Council resolution

2664

(2022), as an important means of ensuring that humanitarian action is not impeded by the

unintended impact of sanctions, thus helping to ensure continuity of access to essential

services for the civilian population and to stem reversals in the achievement of the SDGs;

Calls for

the establishment of a global commission, comprising strategic experts, with a

mandate to work towards a ceasefire in countries affected by conflicts, and to ensure the

continuation of sustainable development in conflict-affected areas, with a focus on

addressing the root causes of such conflicts;

Encourages

parliaments to periodically review national legislation to ensure its compatibility

with the urgent and other needs of communities affected by conflicts, and to focus in

particular on updating legislation that protects human rights and the environment in such

situations;

Calls for

the strengthening of partnerships between national parliaments and international

and regional organizations with a view to exploring innovative solutions to restore

sustainable development in countries affected by conflicts, while ensuring that civilian

infrastructure is rebuilt in such a manner that it is resilient and better suited to both

pre-existing and post-conflict challenges;

Also calls for

parliaments to play a stronger role in the inclusive and equitable distribution of

resources in areas affected by conflicts, in supporting reconstruction programmes in line with

the principle of environmental and social sustainability, and in ensuring that marginalized or

vulnerable groups benefit from such programmes and are not left behind;

Further calls for

the rapid restoration, in an inclusive and equitable manner, of essential

services during early recovery and reconstruction following conflicts, while building back

better and providing more resilient essential services to the civilian population in line with UN

Security Council resolution

2573

(2021);

Encourages

parliaments to develop a sound legal framework for democratic civilian control

of the security sector, and to ensure that such a framework is compatible with international

laws, norms and standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as

the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 SDGs;

Calls upon

parliaments to exercise their budgetary function to challenge, question, cancel or

adjust the resources allocated to security, and to demand that the security sector meets high

standards of accountability and effectiveness;

Also calls upon

parliaments to exercise their oversight function to verify whether security-

related laws and policies are being implemented effectively and are having the intended

effect, and whether resources allocated to the security sector are being used efficiently;

Recommends

that parliaments exercise their representative function to facilitate political

consensus on security issues through dialogue and transparency, and to ensure that a wide

range of citizens are represented in the decision-making process, including those who are

frequently underrepresented, such as women, ethnic and religious minorities, and other

marginalized or vulnerable groups.

17.

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