I invite global parliaments to be part of the solution, act as a bridge, carry a mission of peace, (establish) dialogue and negotiations, promote togetherness, avoid division.
President Joko Widodo on Thursday urged the parliaments of all countries to be a part of the solution to various global challenges.
"I invite global parliaments to be part of the solution, act as a bridge, carry a mission of peace, (establish) dialogue and negotiations, promote togetherness, avoid division," he remarked at the opening of the 8th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) here.
The meeting hosted at Nusantara Building, Parliament Complex, was attended by the parliamentary leaders of G20 countries, delegates from ally countries, and the president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Duarte Pacheco.
Widodo started by commending the P20 session which, according to him, has given fresh optimism that all countries will work together, learn from each other, and collaborate.
According to him, this is important because currently, the world is facing serious challenges, starting from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has yet to truly end, geopolitical conflicts with global impacts, as well as the threat of various crises in the energy, food, and financial sectors, which have gripped all countries, without any exceptions.
"And, at the same time, all countries will face the impact of climate change, which also causes disruption to food production. Thus, the threat of hunger appears before our eyes," he stressed.
Widodo also reminded that each country has different capabilities for dealing with these threats. Some have been able to survive because they have high resilience, but many are also on the brink of failure, he noted.
This is not only impacting the citizens of the countries in question, but also has the potential to worsen global economic inequality.
"Therefore, I believe that this G20 parliamentary forum is very strategic to discuss common world agendas that require political support from the parliament to solve real problems faced by all citizens of the world," Widodo opined.
He called upon all countries to manage their egos, try to push differences aside, and focus on common ground in order to encourage global economic recovery and overcome crises more effectively.
"Multilateralism is the most effective way to overcome common challenges," the President added.
He said he believes that not a single problem can be solved by only one or a few countries alone. All countries must be willing to sit together and talk to each other in order to find a way out of problems.
"Conflicts and divisions actually make us all miserable. Everyone is affected, everyone loses, everyone is threatened, no one wins because, in truth, everyone loses," he opined.
At the end of his remarks, Widodo expressed his belief that the P20 is a representation of the voice of the global people. The G20 parliaments were elected and trusted by the people, have become the voice of the people, and have involved the people to work together in facing tough challenges.
"I expect this forum to be the right place to develop togetherness with the people, build cross-country togetherness, build world peace, and work together to solve humanitarian problems, and build a more prosperous and just world," he said.
Earlier, House Speaker Puan Maharani outlined a number of strategic issues that will be taken up during the P20 Session, including mitigating the risk of a global economic crisis, ensuring global commodity market stability and fair trade of food commodities, accelerating sustainable economic growth and a green economy, pursuing cleaner and new renewable energy, overcoming funding gaps for developing countries in carrying out the global agenda, improving social inclusion, pushing gender equality and women's empowerment, and enhancing democratic civilization.
P20 is one of the engagement groups that are meeting as part of the G20 Summit, an international-scale event. Indonesia, which is holding the presidency of the G20 in 2022, will host the summit in Bali on November 15–16.
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