121st ASSEMBLY OF THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION

AND RELATED MEETINGS

Geneva, 19-21 October 2009

Review and follow-up session  on the Global Economic Crisis

Senator Ovidius MĂRCUŢIANU

Romanian IPU Group

Mr. President,

Dear colleagues,

Thank you for giving me the floor. As participant to the IPU Conference of May on the Global Economic Crisis, I welcome the initiative to hold this review and follow-up session.

I will begin by reiterating that, in my view, while responsibility for adopting - both nationally and internationally - measures to address the economic and financial crisis is incumbent upon Governments, employment and social protection must be central to parliamentary involvement in containing the effects of the crisis.

Let me mention in this respect a recent legislative proposal initiated by a members of our Parliament, which introduces measures to reduce temporarily taxes and social contributions, as an incentive for employers in economic sectors to preserve current jobs, create new ones and employ unemployed persons. If adopted, such measures will contribute to the economic growth and the maintaining of purchasing power. The proposal is currently under examination by the Senate’s Standing Committees.

Passing now from the national to a regional approach, I would like to inform you that the Parliament of Romania is holding this year the presidency of the Parliamentary Dimension of the Central European Initiative, a forum of inter-parliamentary cooperation, which gathers together 18 national parliaments representing 9 EU and 9 non-EU member countries from the region.

For the upcoming Assembly of this forum, which will be hosted in Bucharest next week, we have proposed an extensive debate on the role of parliaments in mitigating the impact of the global economic crisis in Central Europe. Based on the experience, good practices and concrete proposals from participants, recommendations will be made for parliamentary action in two topical areas: employment and social protection of vulnerable groups, and the promotion of an investment friendly environment, as pre-requisite for a sound economic recovery.   

I will conclude my intervention with a reference to the Outcome document of the UN Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development, and more precisely to the commitment by member States to strengthen the ability of the United Nations to fulfill its development mandate. I just want to stress that this commitment involves parliaments too. A successful UN mandate at country level requires a solid parliamentary support, thus the need for parliaments to develop enabling mechanisms for a meaningful partnership with the country-based UN funds, programs and agencies. 

Thank you very much for your attention.