“Parliaments enhance the legitimacy of global governance”
EP Vice-President Pedro Silva Pereira delivered a statement at the G20 Speakers’ conference in Tokyo on Monday, where he stressed the importance of defending the rules-based global order.
Mr Pedro Silva Pereira represented European Parliament President David Sassoli at the Conference of Speakers of the G20 Parliaments, that took place in Tokyo, Japan. In his address he said: "Today is the sixth time that we speakers have met. We face many common challenges, including tackling climate change, reforming the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to make it fit for purpose and promoting the implementation of the sustainable development goals. These issues require urgent efforts at international level in order for us to be able to tackle them effectively.”
In his intervention, he also pointed to the benefits of negotiation and cooperation rather than turning inwards towards protectionism. Mr Silva Pereira, who was the European Parliament’s rapporteur on the EU-Japan free trade agreement, further recognised the important signal such agreements can send, in a time when the global system is being undermined and trade conflicts are on the rise.
Parliaments play a key part in strengthening global decision-making
He further emphasised that the EU has been and will remain a steadfast champion of multilateralism, which should include sustainable social and economic development and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. Parliaments have a key role to play in strengthening global decision-making by ensuring there is not only parliamentary scrutiny of the executive but also that the voices of citizens are taken into account. This two-way dialogue serves to strengthen global governance.
The European Parliament, which represents the interests of the 500 million citizens in the EU, plays a vital role in the world economy and in implementing global agreements. The EU is the biggest integrated economic zone and a guarantor of an open and predictable regulatory system. Mr Silva Pereira also added that the European Parliament will do its utmost to defend “meaningful multilateralism”, by helping to reform the WTO, improve multilateral investment, whilst redoubling efforts to deliver on our common targets set out in the sustainable development goals.
The European Parliament was actively involved in the drafting of the joint statement which was adopted at the Speakers’ Summit on Monday 4 November, where parliamentarians reiterated the importance of promoting sustainable development and tackling climate change, whilst also focusing on challenges such as harnessing innovation, addressing demographic change and dealing with migration. The statement will be communicated to the G20 Heads of State and Government.
Vice-President Silva Pereira (S&D, Portugal) also held bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the conference with the Speakers of the Japanese and Australian Parliaments. He also addressed a meeting of EU Ambassadors to Japan on current issues including Brexit.
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Snježana KOBEŠĆAK SMODIŠ
Press Officer