Parliament, Friday 7 October 2022 - National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula says Parliaments need to build on a positive step of the G20 countries on the ‘debt interest payment’ moratorium to enable poorer countries to recover from the devastating Covid-19 pandemic effectively.
Addressing the 8th P20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit held in Jakarta – Indonesia, during a debate on building an “effective parliament, vibrant democracy”, Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula said the ‘door is open to the cancellation of debt on a case-by-case basis. She said the strengthening of multilateralism progressively enables the resolution of the “world’s most pressing problems including poverty, inequalities, climate change and gender-based violence.
The Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit – P20, is led and hosted by the House Speaker of the Indonesian Parliament Ms Puan Maharani in line with the G20 countries' traditions, as Indonesia holds its Presidency this year. Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula said Parliaments must play more hands-on roles in addressing global challenges by strengthening coordination on a multi-lateral basis. She said the strengthening of Parliamentary diplomacy helped boost the Parliaments' capacity to deliver on its core mandate of making laws, monitoring executive action and enhancing citizen engagement to build a better life for all.
The speakers’ summit held at the Nusantara Building of the Indonesian Parliamentary Complex, was officially opened by President Joko Widodo who applauded the mainstreaming of the Parliament's role in addressing global development challenges. The G20 countries comprise mostly the world's largest economies, which are expected to play a significant role in building a better and more equitable world order.
Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula and her delegation that includes House Chairperson for Committees, Oversight and ICT Mr Cedric Frolick, and the Secretary to Parliament Mr Xolile George, held bilateral meetings with the Russian and Ukrainian Speakers on the sidelines of the two-day summit. They first met the Speaker of the Russian Federal Council (Parliament) Ms Valentina Matvienko followed by the Deputy Chairwomen of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine, Ms Olena Kondratiuk.
Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula, who also serves as part of the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s (IPU) Task Force on War in Ukraine, described the bilateral engagement as fruitful. She is due to continue with her bilateral meetings on the second day of the P20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit today. Furthermore, she is scheduled to deliver a keynote address on Social Inclusion, Gender Equality, and Women Empowerment; which will be followed by a debate with other Speakers’ inputs.
The P20 Speakers’ Summit will conclude with the adoption of a joint statement and addresses by the co-organisers, the Indonesian Speaker of the House of Representatives Dr Puan Maharani and the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Mr Duarte Pacheco.
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