Bali Declaration

Why in news?

Indian parliamentary delegation refused to be a part of the Bali declaration adopted recently in Indonesia.

What is Bali declaration?

• ‘Bali Declaration’ adopted at the ‘World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development’, in Indonesia.
• The declaration went on to “call on all parties to contribute to the restoration of stability and security, exercise maximum self-restraint from using violent means.
• It claimed to respect the human rights of all people in Rakhine State regardless of their faith and ethnicity, as well as facilitate safe access for humanitarian assistance.
• The declaration adopted carried “inappropriate” reference to the violence in Rakhine State from where 1,25,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh.

What is the reason for India’s stand?

• India repeated its stance that the purpose of convening the parliamentary forum was to arrive at a mutual consensus for implementation of SDGs.
• The proposed reference to the violence in Rakhine State in the declaration was considered as not consensus-based and inappropriate.
• India senses that the conclusion of the Forum, was not in line with the agreed global principles of ‘sustainable development.

• India objected spoke of the forum expressing deep concern on the ongoing violence in the Rakhine State of Myanmar.
• Never before country specific issues have been included in the declaration as these dilute the objective of these forums.

Source: Times of India , The Hindu