Considering the historical, cultural,
social, economic and political ties between our states as well as the people-to-people interaction of our citizens that build up a strong foundation
for deepening our relations and bilateral and multilateral cooperation;
Welcoming the efforts of our
Parliaments to ensure cooperation on the basis of Islamabad Declaration of 24 December 2017 on 'Partnership for Peace, Development and Connectivity' and Tehran Declaration of 8 December 2018 on 'Synergy for Countering Terrorism and Consolidating Regional
Cooperation' of the previously held Conferences of Speakers of Parliaments;
Endorsing the Islamabad and Tehran
Declarations of this Forum and the issues mentioned therein;
Guided by the system of international
relations that based on the principles of equality, dialogue, cooperation,
respect for international law, respect for the sovereignty of states and noninterference in their internal affairs;
Stressing that States and their competent bodies have
the primary responsibility in preventing and countering terrorism and extremism
at the national and international levels, and the need to promote international
cooperation in accordance with the principles of international law, the Charter
of the United Nations, relevant UN Security Council Resolutions as well as the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy;
Being interested in further
strengthening of inter-parliamentary relations to promote common interests and values in the international arena as well as to support the multi-dimensional
cooperation of our governments as parliaments;
Deeply convinced that
inter-parliamentary cooperation establishes dialogue channels that advance
interstate relations, contributes to rapprochement between countries and plays
an essential role in conflict prevention and resolution;
Stressing the commitment to deepen
interaction between legislative authorities and exchange experience in order to further improve the quality of law-making and decision-making processes;
Emphasizing that terrorism in all its
forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security and undermines the wellbeing, prosperity and stability of our peoples and our states;
Reaffirming that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable
regardless of their motivations, whenever, wherever and by whomsoever
committed, and reiterating that terrorism should not be associated with any
religion, nationality or civilization, and further stressing the inadmissibility of the use of terrorist and extremist groups to achieve
political goals;
Recognizing the urgent need to build a sustained and comprehensive
approach and a strategic framework, involving active participation and collaboration
of all States and international and regional organizations to impede, impair,
isolate, and incapacitate the terrorist threat;
Considering also that the financing of terrorism is a matter of grave
concern to the international community as a whole;
Cognizant of the interlink between security, peace and development and that achieving lasting stability requires a motivated private sector, strong
trade relations and investment-friendly environment as well as adequate and well-developed human capital;
Affirming the utmost importance of fostering economic relations and trade channels to strengthen regional connectivity;
Aware of the complexities of regional and global challenges and the importance of multilateralism in addressing those challenges but also of new opportunities
which will shape the future of the Euro-Asian and Mediterranean area as well as the required enhanced capacity in addressing the challenges and profiting by the opportunities in the context of cooperation;
Highlighting the necessity of further interaction and dialogue among our
parliaments, governments and nations;
Discussed the role of parliamentary diplomacy in addressing key issues
of the regional and global developments and we agreed to
1. Reaffirm our
commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations in particular those concerning the maintenance of international peace and security;
2. Reaffirm also our adherence to the principles and norms of the international law, as well as the international obligations under
the treaties and other international instruments to which our countries are
party in order to strengthen cooperation;
3. Renew our
commitment to strengthen inter-parliamentary relations and support establishing
and accelerating the relations between committees, friendship groups and administrative organs of our parliaments;
4. Reiterate the role
of bi- and multilateral relations in fostering international peace and security
and resolving international disputes and support the international organizations,
particularly parliamentary assemblies in their efforts to provide platforms for constructive dialogues and cooperation;
5. Encourage the inter-parliamentary organizations to promote the improvement of the regional connectivity and to establish a comprehensive approach and a strategic framework in countering terrorism; in line with international obligations and national laws;
6. Remain united in combatting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations; encourage the exchange of legislative experiences in the field of counter –terrorism;
7. Remind further the primary responsibility of states to take solid measures to prevent and suppress the financing of terrorists,
terrorist acts and organizations, and to end proxy wars;
8. Emphasize that the spread of terrorist organizations and significant rise in acts of terrorism
directly undermine the maintenance of international peace and security as well
as endanger the global economy and sustainable growth and development;
9. Express serious concern at the continuing threats
posed by different terrorist organizations, their affiliates and Foreign Terrorist
Fighters and stress the need for coordinated actions to counter these threats
10. Support strategies
for the prevention, detection, and elimination of terrorism, taking into account
particular regional and national circumstances, all in compliance with
international law, including human rights and the rule of law;
11. Confirm the essentiality of the exchange of information and experiences among the competent national authorities, in accordance with national law, as a core component of cooperation aimed at effective criminal investigation and prosecution of any person who supports, facilitates, participates or attempts
to participate in the financing, planning, perpetration or commission of terrorist acts or provides safe havens, on the basis of the principle of ”extradite or prosecute“, including those inciting to a terrorist act
or acts, as well as foreign terrorist fighters;
12. Recommend a comprehensive approach based on addressing
the conditions conducive to terrorism as stipulated in the UN Global
Counter-Terrorism Strategy as well as countering violent extremism conducive to terrorism, combatting radicalization and recruitment, hampering terrorist
movements, countering terrorist propaganda and ideology and to prevent
terrorists from exploiting technology, communications and resources to incite
terrorist acts, including through the internet and social networks;
13. Highlight the importance
of the effective and constructive role of parliaments in creating legal
framework to combat terrorism, and in this regard, emphasize the inter-parliamentary engagement and cooperation at various levels in order to use experiences of each other to aim at achieving a world free of terrorism;
14. Encourage the security authorities of the participating states to establish a special
mechanism for the exchange of intelligence, information, good practices and lessons learned aimed at preventing and combating terrorism;
15. Recall the commitments of all states for implementation of General Assembly and Security
Council resolutions relating to international terrorism, and acknowledge the need for all States to avoid politicization of the UN Sanctions regime and the work of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF);
16. Emphasize that
there are common interests in building a sustainable environment of peace and security. Common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security should be
pursued to promote development and progress. We stand ready to build a secure
environment and a constructive partnership based on mutual trust, good neighbourliness
and cooperation;
17. Remind that regional connectivity contributes to integrated, inclusive, balanced, interconnected and sustainable development
which is also indispensable in fight against the internal and external root
causes of terrorism;
18. Invite governments,
civil society, international community and other related actors to strengthen
the regional connectivity by focusing on new economic, cultural and social
projects and initiatives to promote cooperation;
19. Welcome and support the Belt and Road Initiative. We
appreciate the progress already made and important opportunities created in the Belt and Road cooperation, especially the outcomes in areas such as development
policy synergy, increased infrastructure investment, economic corridors,
economic and trade cooperation zones, industrial parks, finance and trade
cooperation, innovation and technology, maritime cooperation,
business-to-business ties, people-to-people and cultural exchange. Such
cooperation explores new sources of growth and offers potential for economic
and social development, and contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable
Development Goals. We also strive to cooperate with a vision for the revival of the ancient Silk Road and the Trans Caspian East-West Middle Corridor
Initiative;
20. Further invite to explore ways to enhance economic, financial and institutional connectivity and connectivity between people, including cross-border mobility for the purpose of facilitating trade and supporting economic growth in the region;
21. Emphasize the need
to further expand parliamentary support for development of multilateral
regional cooperation including cooperation in education, science, culture,
health care, sports, and tourism;
22. Underscore the fact
that intensive consultation and cooperation at bilateral, regional and international level enhance the strategic dialogue, political consultation and operational cooperation on issues of common interest;
23. Bear in mind that under the current circumstances,
being committed to multilateralism is an essential element to boost
international cooperation against mounting common risks and challenges, and to maintain world peace and prosperity;
24. Convene the next Conference in 2020.
