The Speakers’ Summit and Parliamentary Forum in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was a valuable exercise because of the strategic importance of topics being discussed among G20 Parliaments’ leaders attending.
“South Africa is looking at all these issues,” Ms Modise told Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies television channel, D-Tv, this week on the sidelines of the series of meetings by Heads of Parliaments of G20 nations.
“We are worried about empowerment of women and gender equality. We take it further – for us equality is also not just about men and women. It’s also about the rural-urban divide, it’s about culture and language and it’s about race.”
Another important topic on the agenda was ensuring transparent and effective government which is free from corruption. “It’s important for us because when we were struggling for (freedom), we never thought we’d look at corruption as endemic as it is now in South Africa. South Africa is in the middle of cleaning out now,” Ms Modise said.
The parliamentary events, which the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the National Congress of Argentina had organised, were also important because they were about holding the executive to account, having oversight on the issues they discuss and where the resources are going.
The Speakers’ Summit and Parliamentary Forum are being held to provide parliamentarians from G20 and other countries with the opportunity to interact on key issues coming up at the forthcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit and to consider how parliaments can support the implementation of decisions taken.
Discussion today, the last day of the engagement by the leaders of Parliaments of G20 members, focuses on the role of Parliament in the G20 architecture. Delegates will then adopt resolutions related to discussions at the G20 Leaders’ Summit, scheduled to take place from 30 November to 1 December, also in Buenos Aires.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
Source: Apo-Opa
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