Luanda - The Speaker of the Angola National Assembly Carolina Cerqueira reaffirmed Monday in Luanda, the commitment parliamentarians have to build bridges of dialogue and fraternity and universal human values to be cultivated and preserved in a context of major global challenges.
Speaking at the opening session of the 147th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) the Speaker called on parliamentarians to be united to guarantee peace and its preservation.
According to the Speaker, in this difficult period of global military confrontations, there is a need to reaffirm the commitment to justice and strengthen institutions, honouring and keeping the common good in mind in all actions and decisions.
"Social solidarity and aid for the humanitarian crisis have never been more urgent in order to save millions of human lives. Only by observing and enforcing this principle will justice be accomplished, and only justice leads to peace! There is no peace without justice, there is no justice without forgiveness, there is no forgiveness without love, so we must believe that every time is a time for renewal, it is a time to believe," said Carolina Cerqueira.
Carolina Cerqueira drew attention to the current global context of wars that has caused harmful and destructive effects weakening democratic and justice institutions and the permanent violation of fundamental human rights, underlining that peace is the only way to follow.
The Speaker added that the military confrontations in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, with a dangerous and growing risk of escalation, conflicts in various African countries and other parts of the world have affected millions of people and destroyed humanity's dream of a safe and peaceful world seriously jeopardizing the success of international diplomacy mechanisms and parliamentary diplomacy initiatives.
According to Carolina Cerqueira, strong institutions composed of strong women and men are needed to be capable of bringing to light the reasons behind the differences in countries' development.
The Speaker also spoke of the shocking images every day marked by young people drowning in the oceans in the quest of dreams of a better life or children being denied their fundamental rights and infrastructures being destroyed by deadly weapons that do not spare defenseless people.
The guarantee of peace, a sense of justice and the need to strengthen the role of institutions, Cerqueira said, must be the guidelines for parliamentarians and that efforts should not be spared in urging our governments and organs of justice to take a dignified stance, respecting human life and complying with the law, with fair and impartial judicial action.
The Speaker added that the rule of law must prevail, through the guarantee of strong institutions that act according to the principles of morality, ethics and good customs, reversing the discourse of war on agendas, since the world faces other challenging problems that require immediate solutions.
"We will continue our action for peace and development based on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and also guaranteeing the exercise of freedoms," Cerqueira said.
Carolina Cerqueira stressed that the world and food security, energy crisis and the effects of climate change continue to be on the agenda, underlining that the "My Planet My Parliament" programme is welcomed.
The Speaker underscored the need for gender equality, youth inclusion and orphanage trafficking, digital transformation, culture of transparency, fight against corruption, terrorism and the involvement of citizens to restore confidence in national institutions.
Carolina Cerqueira pointed to Angola as an example to follow, since it is currently firmly following the paths of peace, the challenges of reconciliation and national reconstruction as factors of economic development, stability and social cohesion, essential for the consolidation of democracy, unity and effective and permanent solidarity.
The Speaker added that Angola has achieved this thanks to its actions in favour of peace and stability in Africa, particularly in the Great Lakes Sub-Region, an unquestionable contribution that earned the Angolan President the title of Champion of Peace by the African Union.
"War must not be necessary for peace! It is by cultivating peace that war is avoided," she said, calling for the commitment to parliamentary action for justice, peace and strong institutions to prevail in the minds of all deputies and senators.
Carolina Cerqueira took the opportunity to call on the candidates for the UIP presidency to demonstrate high political maturity, with parliamentary decorum and ethics.
Candidates from Somalia, Malawi, Senegal and Tanzania are running for the IPU presidency.
The 147th General Assembly of the IPU taking place in the Angolan capital until October 27 is being attended by more than a thousand delegates representing parliaments from all over the world.
Founded in 1889 on the initiative of Englishman William Randal Cremer and Frenchman Frédéric Passy, the IPU is one of the oldest political organizations in the world and currently has more than 46,000 members from 179 national parliaments, whose aim is to promote peace and democracy.
It is a centre for dialogue and parliamentary diplomacy between legislators representing all political systems and the main political ideologies at global level, providing a unique platform for observing political opinions and trends around the world.
The IPU is the UN's main parliamentary interlocutor and brings the voice of parliaments to the decision-making processes of the United Nations, regularly presenting its resolutions to the General Assembly, making statements, participating in debates and organizing parliamentary meetings on the main issues of the UN agenda.
In recognition of this important role, in 2002 the United Nations granted it permanent observer status. DC/VM/AMP
