ACHIEVING PEACE, STABILITY AND COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT IN THE WORLD AND FORGING CLOSER POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL TIES AMONG PEOPLES

Resolution adopted without a vote by the 103rd Inter-Parliamentary Conference
(Amman, 5 May 2000)

The 103rd Inter-Parliamentary Conference,

Considering that parliaments, as representatives of the people, play an important role in promoting dialogue and strengthening cordial ties between nations and peoples in the political, economic and cultural fields with a view to attaining global stability and peace,

Convinced that the United Nations and regional organisations under the UN Charter are more necessary than ever in order to contain and resolve conflicts between nations and that the United Nations must remain the cornerstone of strong global cooperation and welcoming in this connection the ongoing reforms within the UN,

Concerned by the actions of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund that have not succeeded in reducing the gap between rich and poor countries,

CoConsidering that although the globalisation of economies, the increase in trade and the acceleration of technical progress undoubtedly fuel growth, they also worsen the imbalances between the wealthiest and poorest countries insofar as they give priority above all else to market forces,

Convinced that the inequitable distribution of wealth between countries and the considerable discrepancy in people's living standards are major factors of imbalance and a source of conflict among nations,

Convinced also that inequalities within a country prevent sustainable development,

Aware that genuine and lasting peace is essential to sustainable economic, social and cultural development focused on the human being and shared by all,

Recalling that the participation of people in choices concerning them is necessary for any project to succeed,

Stressing that women do not participate equally with men in political, economic and social decision-making and that often discrimination against women, including poverty, denial of access to education, violence and sexual exploitation, limits their ability to contribute to the prevention and resolution of conflict within and between States,

Affirming that parliamentary democracy based on respect for human rights is the best means of ensuring transparency, justice, the freedom of peoples and concord among nations,

Stressing that transparency in decision-making and full access to information attract greater commitment by those involved,

Concerned at overarmament, which generates mistrust between countries and financial waste,

Greatly concerned that poverty and its consequences, including hunger, malnutrition and illiteracy, engender helplessness and marginalisation, which are an obstacle to participation in society and in decision-making processes,

Reaffirming the importance of the IPU resolution on "Parliamentary action to encourage all countries to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty prohibiting all nuclear testing, to encourage universal and non-discriminatory nuclear non-proliferation measures and to work towards the eventual elimination of all nuclear weapons" adopted by the 101st IPU Conference (April 1999, Brussels), the ultimate aim of which is the abolition of all forms of nuclear weapons,

1. Welcomes the United Nations' proclamation of the year 2000 as the International Year for the Culture of Peace;

2. Recommends that all governments pursue policies and adopt mechanisms to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities, and in this regard reiterates its commitment to the implementation of the final Declaration adopted by the specialised Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Attaining the World Food Summit's Objectives Through a Sustainable Development Strategy, held in Rome in 1998;

3. Urges nations and international organisations to give priority to developing programmes concerning women and children;

4. Recalls that the United Nations General Assembly recommended that developed countries raise the amount of their official development assistance to 0.7 per cent of GNP;

5. Urges international financial organisations to support programmes for combating poverty and marginalisation, to limit the adverse effects of adjustment programmes on the most vulnerable sectors of the population and to give priority to social objectives;

6. Further urges the international community to pursue its endeavours to restructure the trade system in keeping with the principles of non-discrimination and mutual benefit;

7. Supports decisions to cancel the external debt of heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs) and calls for broader criteria of eligibility for such measures, in conformity with the IPU resolution on this subject adopted at its 101st Conference in Brussels;

8. Advocates the conversion of the external debt of emerging countries into social development projects;

9. Recalls that environmental conservation and development are essential to sustainable development, peace between peoples and the survival of future generations;

10. Calls on all States to implement Agenda 21 adopted by the Earth Summit in 1992 and updated in 1997;

11. Reaffirms the importance of the IPU resolution on "Cooperation for world and regional security and stability, as well as for respect of all forms of the sovereignty and independence of States", adopted by the 97th IPU Conference (April 1997, Seoul);

12. Considers that confidence-building measures are a good means of strengthening security and stability in international relations, in particular through an ongoing dialogue on defence and security concepts and doctrines;

13. Requests the abolition of those types of sanctions that hit civilians, and especially children, the hardest;

14. Deplores the stockpiling of weapons of mass destruction and conventional weapons, and the rapid increase in the illicit trafficking of small arms which are becoming more and more threatening;

15. Urges all States to limit their armed forces strictly to their security needs and to use the resources thus released to pursue peace and cooperation;

16. Recommends the signing and ratification by all States of the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons;

17. Hopes for the earliest possible disappearance of all weapons of mass destruction, be they conventional, biological, chemical or nuclear.

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* The Indian delegation expressed its reservations regarding operative paragraph 16.

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