PGA’s 33rd Annual Forum opens today in Colombo

Parliamentarians for Global Action, a non-profit, non-partisan international network of over 1,000 legislators in 131 elected parliaments around the globe, aims to promote peace, democracy, the rule of law, human rights, sustainable development and population issues by informing, convening, and mobilising parliamentarians to realise these goals will start their three day deliberations in Colombo on 28 October.

PGA’s 33rd Annual Forum on The Impact of Armed Violence on Development - Issues, Challenges and Parliamentary Solutions - will explore the different, and regrettably many, adverse impacts of armed violence in communities and societies in numerous countries around the world.

Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Management and the Chairman of the Sri Lankan Chapter of the PGA briefed the media in Colombo today on the arrangements with regard to the conference The Minister said that this three day forum will be inaugurated by the Speaker of the House Chamal Rajapaksa on 28 October at the Hilton.

The different sectors impacted by armed violence, in the overall ‘development equation’ and that will be the main subject area of discussion and deliberation will include: education and health; gender; security and trade and investment. A forum on this subject matter will also, among other objectives, make an important contribution vis-a-vis parliamentary input into the ongoing negotiations of an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). While many states have repeatedly said that the impact on sustainable development should be taken into consideration when arms transfers are being considered to a particular state or region, other states continue to dispute that view and believe that the linkages between violence on the one hand and delayed or suppressed development on the other, are less than compelling.Assistant Secretary General of Parliamentarians for Global Action Jennifer McCarthy addressing the Media said PGA was established in 1978 by concerned legislators from around the world to take joint action on global problems which could not be solved by one government of Parliament.  While its initial focus was on disarmament issues, PGA today works in three programs: peace and democracy, international law and human rights, and sustainable development, health and population. The broader impact of armed violence - in all countries, not confined to the developing world - will also be considered. While the inadequate regulation of small arms and light weapons arguably has far more devastating effects insofar as it can fuel conflict and delay development in post-conflict states, there is no doubt that the negative fall-out from armed violence in general is a genuinely global phenomenon, affecting even comparatively well-off donor countries too. A plan of action will be adopted at the end of the forum. This outcome document will greatly assist and empower participating MPs in identifying different practical steps and measures that they can take to mitigate the harmful effects in this area, upon return to their respective Parliaments and countries.

Deputy Minister Earal Gunasekara, Secretary PGA Thilanga Sumathipala MP, Vice President John Amarathunga MP, Director of Projects and Senior Program Officer International Law and Human Rights Program Peter Barcroft, Program Officer, Sustainable Development Health and Population Program Monica Aolame were also associated with Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva at this press briefing held at the Government Information Department.