IPU Assembly debate on risk resilient development

Towards risk-resilient development: Taking into consideration demographic trends and natural constraints.

Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade

As part of its ongoing work on the resolution Towards risk-resilient development: Taking into account demographic trends  and natural constraints, the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade will hold a panel discussion at the 129th IPU Assembly in Geneva. The purpose of the panel is to present the background paper which the two co- Rapporteurs – Mr. P. Mahoux of Belgium and Mr. S.H. Chowdhury of Bangladesh – will have prepared, and to garner the initial views of IPU Member Parliaments on this topic. The outcome of this discussion and the subsequent written inputs by the Member Parliaments will help the co- Rapporteurs prepare the draft resolution on the above-mentioned theme. The resolution will be debated and adopted at the 130th IPU Assembly.

The links between disaster risk reduction and demographic trends have been recognized for a long time. Both the Rio Declaration (principle 8) agreed at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the Programme of Action (principle 6) of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in 1994 in Cairo, Egypt, emphasize two critical elements for sustainable development: the need for sustainable patterns of production and consumption, and the need to address population dynamics. Twenty years later, in June 2012, the Rio+20 Conference reaffirmed the important linkages between sustainable development and population dynamics.

Moreover, the outcome document of Rio+20 called for increased efforts and action on disaster risk reduction in line with the internationally agreed Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015, which aims to build the resilience of nations and communities to disasters. Review of the HFA in 2015 will offer an historic opportunity to address disaster risk and build disaster risk resilient development towards sustainable development. The IPU resolution will aim to spur action in and among parliaments on these important issues and ensure that parliaments send a message and provide input to these global processes.

Format and panellists

The format of the panel will be Davos-style. The co-Rapporteurs will be asked to speak first and present their work on the resolution thus far. The moderator will then ask each panellist to give a five- to seven-minute introduction, focusing on key issues, and provoking thoughts and discussion with the audience. The panel will aim for an interactive discussion and therefore, prepared speeches will be discouraged. In order to strengthen and support the debate, the panel will feature appropriate multimedia, such as slides with key figures and statistics, short clips or films, etc.

Lead speakers:

- Mr. S.H. Chowdhury, MP, Bangladesh, co-Rapporteur
- Mr. P. Mahoux, Senator, Belgium, co-Rapporteur

Panellists:

- Ms. M. Temmerman, Director, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, WHO
- Ms. M. Wahlström, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction
- One MP from a country particularly affected by the issues addressed by the resolution
- One expert/civil society representative.