Parliament Speakers of the G20 countries issued a joint final statement Saturday following the conclusion of the two-day Seventh Summit in the Italian capital, Rome, with the participation of the Saudi Shoura Council. The Saudi delegation headed by the Speaker of the Council Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Ibrahim Al Al-Sheikh stressed the importance of building an international consensus on the main global economic and social situation, in light of the repercussions of the Coronavirus pandemic. The speakers reiterated that the G20, which includes the world's largest economies, is the main platform for achieving that consensus, in addition to its ability to stimulate the permanent pursuit of coordinated, just and effective solutions that can establish a better and more sustainable future, and balanced and comprehensive growth. The speakers added that the pandemic has disturbed societies, caused serious damage to the economy, employment, health care, social relations, and education, and led to an emergency that compounded other great challenges, such as climate change and the fight against inequality. The statement urged the G20 states to prioritize food security and intensify their efforts to ensure safe and adequate nutrition to end all forms of malnutrition, protect agricultural biodiversity, develop science and innovation-based solutions, make advanced business practices compatible with local food practices. They statement called the G20 states to develop science-based solutions and innovation taking into account local conditions, production systems, consumption patterns, and traditions, while stressing the importance of international trade to global food security and nutrition, based on an open, transparent and WTO-compliant multilateral trading system. Moreover, the final statement cleared that the priorities of the G20 programs are based on three interrelated areas: peoples, the environment, and prosperity, indicating that the most effective approach to confronting the pandemic emanates from assuming common responsibilities and starting an international cooperation process that ensures multilateralism to confront threats and challenges. The statement noted that the G20 is capable of encouraging the international effort to boost immunization for all the world's population, effectively tackle the pandemic, and spur global recovery, calling on the G20 to renew its commitment to play a leading role in contributing to the implementation of the current programs for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The statement stressed that the sustainable development goals are the most effective and comprehensive way to promote healthy, equitable and sustainable development to recover from the pandemic. It pointed to the importance of intensifying efforts to improve the ability of parliaments to transform these international commitments into real measures to be implemented at the national level, calling on parliaments to enhance the utilization of their positions to implement policies that accelerate the implementation of sustainable development goals. In their statement, the G20 speakers said the economic growth and the increase in human activities arising from global population growth must always go hand in hand with the balances of nature, ensuring a future sustainable for the environment. It called for a tangible transition towards a sustainable circular economy that ensures environmental balance and creates new job opportunities in the green economy, while paving the way for a production model based on the best use of renewable energy, stressing the importance of development and movement towards smart and sustainable cities and the development of new forms of transportation and mobility. The joint statement urged the G20 to advance the global recovery, overcome the current crisis, seize planning opportunities, and create a more just, sustainable, and prosperous global society, stressing the need for the continued support of economies and developing plans to enhance infrastructure investments and encourage innovation. Meanwhile, Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Ibrahim Al-Sheikh met on the sidelines of the summit with his Italian counterpart Maria Elisabetta Casellati, in the presence of Prince Faisal Bin Sattam, Saudi ambassador to Italy. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the bilateral ties and means of cooperation in all fields and discussed strengthening relations at various levels, and joint parliamentary coordination between the Shoura Council and the Italian Senate, in a way that contributes to strengthening bilateral relations and constructive cooperation between the two friendly countries. — SPA
