Om Birla urges countries to take climate action at IPU in Belgrade

The speaker of the lower house in Parliament, Om Birla, on Tuesday, urged the developed countries to take a demonstrable lead in combating climate change. He also called for a collective global action to face the climate change challenge. Om Birla hosted a debate to exchange political ideas for taking emergency steps against climate change which was proposed by India. The participants in the debate consisted of high-level leaders at the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Om Birla’s address during the IPU assembly 

This parliamentary delegation, led by Birla, attended the 141st assembly of the IPU in Belgrade. Other countries that participated in the debate included Uganda, Bhutan, Fiji, Chile, Bangladesh, Brazil, and others. These countries also applauded India's initiative to bring a resolution on climate change as an emergency item. Om Birla also gave a speech at the assembly during the break-out session of the Speakers' Dialogue on Development and Economy. In his speech, he explained various crucial economic indicators that helped India in growing and he also underlined Indian perspective on the issues of development and economy. 

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Discussions on the sidelines of the assembly 

Apart from his dialogue, the speaker of Lok Sabha, Om Birla also held a bilateral discussion with his counterpart from the Iranian Parliament on the sidelines of the assembly. He discussed the issues pertaining to the mutual interest of both the countries during his talk with Iran. Members of Parliament, including Ram Kumar Verma, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, and Sasmit Patra, attended the special segment of the Assembly. Bhartiben Dhirubhai Shyal, on the other hand, attended the meeting of the IPU Advisory Group on health. Karunanidhi was a part of a panel discussion on the follow up of IPU's earlier Resolution on 'A nuclear-weapon-free world'.  

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Other MPs who attended various sessions

Shashi Tharoor was invited as a panelist to attend the second break-out session of the Speaker's Dialogue on Security. Whilst, Sasmit Patra attended the meeting of the Drafting Committee on the emergency item on climate change and Karandalaje was a part of the panel discussion on the theme of criminalisation of money laundering. MP Wansuk Syiem was a part of the workshop on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: Achievements and Challenges-Parliamentary perspectives on the way forward. Lastly, Snehlata Shrivastava, Secretary-General, Lok Sabha and Desh Deepak Verma, Secretary-General, Rajya Sabha attended the sessions of the Association of the Secretaries-General of Parliaments (ASGP). 

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(With ANI Inputs)