South Asian Speakers’ Summit 2017 concluded in Indore

The South Asian Speakers’ Summit 2017 concluded on 20 February 2017 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The summit was organised for three days by the Parliament of India in association with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

The summit was held as a follow up to the conclusions of the South Asian Speakers’ Summit. The summit was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2016.

About South Asian Speakers’ Summit 2017

• The focus of the summit was to evolve appropriate strategies to achieve goals set by the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (SDA) of the United Nations.

• The summit deliberated on opportunities and challenges that parliaments in South Asia face in making their contribution to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• The agenda of the summit embedded the gender perspective to reflect growing inequalities between men and women.

• Discussions also focussed on the impact of climate change on economic and social development in the region.

• The participants of the summit also discussed measures to strengthen cooperation among parliaments to address today's most pressing challenges.

About Inter-Parliamentary Union

• The IPU is the international organization of parliaments. It was established in 1889.

• The union is the focal point for world-wide parliamentary dialogue and works for peace and co-operation among peoples and for the firm establishment of representative democracy.

• In October 2011, the IPU adopted its Strategy for 2012-2017 under the overall title – “ Better Parliaments, Stronger Democracy".

• The IPU is financed primarily by its members out of public funds.