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G20 Speakers' Consultations

G20 Speakers' Consultation Joint Communiqué

May 20, 2011, Seoul, Korea

1. We, the speakers of the G20 Parliaments, have gathered in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from May 18 to 20, 2011 under the theme of "Development and Growth for Common Prosperity," in the recognition that it is our common responsibility to seek a common approach toward shared growth in which all of humankind can lead prosperous lives and to secure the safety of the global community.

2. Today, humanity faces risks both diverse and complex, including economic crisis and its social consequences, natural disasters, nuclear accidents, climate change, terrorism, transnational organized crime and other humanitarian concerns. Stronger cooperation among G20 countries is imperative in order to adequately respond to challenges to social and economic development, global safety and our common prosperity.

3. We are witnessing a rising frequency of natural disasters, which are, together with the consequences of climate change, becoming a growing threat to the safety of the world and there is a need to establish a collective system of disaster prevention and relief efforts.

4. The recent accident at a nuclear power station in Japan, which was caused by the unprecedented earthquake-born tsunami, calls on the international community to re-examine existing nuclear safety standards. Parliaments of G20 countries should make efforts to focus on issues of nuclear safety regulations with a view to achieving highest standards possible and strengthen cooperation on nuclear safety, information sharing, capacity building, and emergency systems.

5. We recognize that addressing the challenges of climate change is an urgent priority for all countries, and we urge the international community to actively participate and conclude, at the earliest possible date, the United Nations climate change negotiation currently under way, reinforcing the principles agreed at the 2010 UN Climate Change Summit in Cancun, Mexico. In addition, we share the understanding that the international community should be more active in developing new and renewable forms of energy, which will help resolve issues related to climate change, and providing technological and financial assistance to least developed countries.

6. Terrorism is a grave crime that violates a human being's most fundamental right to life, and we condemn all forms of terrorism, committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes. We encourage international coordination efforts against terrorism and new threats to security, including piracy, based on a global consensus on the principles and mechanisms of the United Nations. Additionally, we anticipate that the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit to be held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, should produce recommendations that inter alia contribute to existing international measures in preventing the acquisition of nuclear materials by terrorist organizations.

7. Conflicts still prevalent in different parts of the world present a significant threat to world peace. We recognize the importance of the role of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and parliamentary diplomacy to contribute to global peace and stability.

8. We welcome the "Seoul Development Consensus for Shared Growth" and "Multi-Year Action Plan on Development" endorsed by the G20 Seoul Summit, and believe that the development commitment of the G20 will be duly actioned. In addition, we call for comprehensive support for the G20 Framework for Strong, Sustainable, and Balanced Growth and the facilitation of knowledge sharing among countries so that the diverse development experiences will be shared with the world's least-developed countries.

9. We also recognize that the development gap is one of the sources of global imbalances and that in the aftermath of the recent global financial crisis, the global economy should move toward a "shared growth for humanity". We also call for the development of preventive mechanisms against future contingencies.

10. In order to effectively respond to the diverse and complex crises that humanity faces today, such as the increase of poverty and unemployment, resulting from the recent economic and financial crises, countries should go beyond individual risk management and strengthen international cooperation and coordination on a regional and global scale. We encourage the ongoing discussions at the G20, the Financial Stability Board and at the Bank for International Settlements, and the swift and thorough implementation of Basel III.

11. We believe that the G20 Seoul Speakers' Consultation, which succeeded the G20 Speakers' Consultation held in Ottawa, Canada, last year, provides new momentum for Parliaments representing both advanced and developing countries to accumulate wisdom, to strengthen democracy and respect for human rights and enhance cooperation on various pending global issues in the international community and agree that we will continue to meet in the future.

12. We express our appreciation to the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea for graciously hosting the G20 Seoul Speakers' Consultation 2011, and welcome the hosting of the next Consultation in Saudi Arabia in 2012.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

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