There should be a joint SAARC parliament, supreme court and common currency senator Haji Muhammad Adil says

There should be a joint SAARC parliament, supreme court and common currency", said Senator Haji Muhammad Adil while speaking on the second day of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute's (SDPI) thirteenth annual conference, 'Peace and Sustainable Development in South Asia: The way forward' here on Wednesday.

Senator Adil said that the democracy deficit is an important reason for the slow regional integration process within South Asia and educational institutions must promote peace, co-existence, and mutual respect not war within the South Asian region.

In a panel on financing climate change, Shafqat Kakakhel, former Ambassador and Acting Executive Director UNEP underlined that there is an urgent need to respond to climate change challenges in South Asia . " Pakistan must not wait for the international world to address the climate crisis; we must stand up and resolve these imminent challenges within our borders ourselves" he added. Experts
pointed out that climate change is the result of historic emissions of greenhouse gases by today's developed world and demanded that the developed world must provide much needed financial and technical assistance to developing countries that are being compelled to confront the devastating impacts of climate change.

In a panel on chemical management, the speakers urged the government to regulate many
carcinogenic, hormone disrupting and toxic chemicals used by the cosmetic industry. They conferred on the urgent task of containing contamination from the 50,000 different chemical substances used daily in agriculture, industry and homes. "Sound management of chemicals is essential if we are to achieve sustainable development, including the eradication of poverty and disease, the improvement of human health and the environment, and the elevation and maintenance of the standard of living in
countries at all levels of development" said Dr. Mahmood A. Khwaja from SDPI.

In the session on Indus Water Treaty, former Chairperson WAPDA, Shams ul Mulk underlined that the both Pakistan and India should adopt a sane approach over natural resources of the region.

In the session on the role of think tanks in development, while acknowledging the unprecedented research contributions by research institutions, the experts identified the problems of brain drain and the donor-driven research agenda as important impediments in improving the local research environment. They agreed that linkages between research and policy can be strengthened through the increased role of the media and educational institutions in improving the effectiveness of
research.

During the session on poverty reduction and social exclusion, experts emphasized the urgent need for effective policy responses to climate change and resource degradation. A large proportion of South Asians are facing the problem of social exclusion due to endangered livelihoods which has to be addressed seriously by national governments, they underscored. Safety net programs like the Benazir Income Support Program must be expanded while politicization of such programmes must be
avoided.

In another panel, experts agreed that livelihoods across South Asia face increasing vulnerability as a result of the increasing frequency of natural disasters as projected under climate change modeling. Climate change thus presents a serious security risk and sustainable development strategies must be immediately implemented in the interest of peace and human security in South Asia .

During the session on violence against women, the panelists highlighted the unconventional role of men in confronting the issues of violence against women. They discussed institutional gaps, local perceptions of masculinity as "gatekeepers or protectors of women", as well as the important role of educational institutions in forming gender perceptions in young children.

In a session on IMF and World Bank impacts in South Asia , experts and participants raised concerns about negative effects of Structural Adjustment Programs on women. They also highlighted the problem of agricultural land acquisition by foreign investors, which is supported by the World Bank and facilitated through the structurally adjusted open economy.

In the panel 'Peace Through Development', speakers discussed the plight of Malakand division,neglect of Rod Kohi affected communities in district Rajanpur, and the alienation of Pakistani youth and the difficulties faced by IDPs. It was noted that the Malakand division has faced military operations, floods, land disputes, climate change and fluctuating strategic interests, which have changed the dynamics in the region with far-reaching consequences. Improving public service delivery infrastructure especially educational facilities and ensuring employment to youth was
highlighted as crucial to combating extremism, terrorism and conflicts.

The conference would conclude tomorrow in which many activities will take palce such as sessions on different subjects, launch of energy governance report, key note address of Dr Tariq Banuri while Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister for petroleum and natural resources would chair the concluding ceremony.