The G-20 Speakers Consultation ended on May 20 after two days of talks in Yeouido, Seoul. Parliamentary speakers from more than 20 countries attended the forum to discuss ways to enhance cooperation at the parliamentary level in order to fight against terrorism and pursue worldwide prosperity.
A total of 26 speakers from 25 countries, including representatives from five non-G20 member countries and the International Parliamentary Union, adopted a joint communiqué titled the "Seoul Declaration" after discussing measures to achieve co-prosperity under the theme of "Safe World, Better Future."
They also shared opinions on strategies for inter-parliamentary collaboration for world peace and anti-terrorism, strategies for developing economies based on the experiences of advanced countries and the role of parliaments in post-financial crisis international coordination for shared growth.
In the communiqué, the forum participants agreed to work together in order to better respond to global security threats, including piracy and terrorism, based on international consensus on the principles of the United Nations. They also agreed to strengthen international cooperation to enhance nuclear safety by reexamining the existing nuclear safety standards in the wake of the nuclear radiation leak in Fukushima, Japan.
The participants urged international collaboration to prevent terrorism. They agreed to work together to meet the highest level of nuclear security and safety standards by strengthening cooperation, sharing information, capacity building and emergency systems.
To achieve balanced growth among advanced countries and developing countries, the forum attendees urged the international community to faithfully fulfill the development agendas agreed on at the previous G20 Summit, share development experiences and set up a mechanism to prevent a future crisis. The participants agreed to hold a G20 speakers' forum regularly and scheduled the next conference for Saudi Arabia in 2012.
For more information about the meeting, please visit the homepage of the G-20 Speakers Consultation (http://seoulspeakers.assembly.go.kr) (Korean, English).
Source: Apec-vc
