Story by George Sanzila
Date: 14/10/2024
Geneva, Switzerland – Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Prof. Peter Katjavivi has implored parliaments to enact legislations that establish ethical standards for science, technology and innovation development including ensuring the implementation of such laws. Speaker made this call today in his final speech to hundreds of delegates gathered for the 149th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. He was contributing to a debate on the overall theme of the assembly, entitled “Harnessing science, technology and innovation (STI) for a more peaceful and sustainable future”.
According to Katjavivi, legal and ethical standards in science and technology are important to ensure that science, technology and innovation are used in ways that are beneficial to society.“Ethical considerations are integral to the development and implementation of ethical frameworks for science, technology and innovation. Science, technology and innovation play a central role in human development and must be seen as a primary mechanism for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. As the supreme law-making institution and agents of people’s well-being, parliaments main responsibility is to ensure that the benefits of science, technology and innovation reaches all segments of our society”, noted Katjavivi.
The Speaker further bemoaned the widening digital divide, urging parliaments to be at the forefront of narrowing the gap by collaborating more and harmonizing digital legislations.
“As we all know, the digital gap is now a worldwide concern, and this is an opportune time to unpack it. Therefore, as parliaments it must be our primary objective to work together to build cooperative projects, unify digital regulations and standards, and establish frameworks for cross-border digital trade and cooperation through international collaboration, global partnerships and funding”, appealed Katjavivi.He also called for the establishment of dedicated science and technology committees at parliaments and strengthening the capacities of parliamentary research services, he believes are integral to the realization of scientific evidence use in law making and oversight. The Speaker further used the platform to bid farewell to the IPU Assembly. This assembly, marks Katjavivi’s final appearance as Speaker of the National Assembly as he is set to retire in March 2025. He highlighted the role played by Namibia in the organization.
“It has been a privileged for the past ten (10) years to lead the Namibian delegation to the IPU Assemblies and Related Meetings. As a close IPU family, Namibia has played an active part in promoting IPUs global vision. I remember, when my predecessor the late Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab took IPU Presidency in October 2008, the first question he asked the former Secretary General Anders Johnson was the IPU Strategic Plan. We did not have one at that time, and as we move on we produced the first ever IPU Strategy 2012 – 2017 titled “Better parliaments, stronger democracies”, said Katjavivi to loud applause.
Katjavivi is currently the Vice President of the IPU task force addressing the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The IPU Assembly is a global organization of Parliaments around the world that brings together lawmakers to identify international challenges and make recommendations for action.
