JOINT STATEMENTwomen parliamentarians from ECO Countries consensus, launc ECO Women Parliamentarians Forum

ISLAMABAD
 women parliamentarians from ECO Countries meets at the First Conference of the Parliamentary Assembly of the ECO Countries at Islamabad,
Sharethe common aspirations ofour people within the region to live in peace and prosperity through social and economic justice;
Welcome the efforts of all ECO countries to strengthen social and economic justice of which women empowerment is an integral part;
Considering that the women of ECO region canbe a source of great strength for the overall sustainable development of the ECO region
Realizing that the needs and concerns of ECO women are more or less common in the emerging geo-political, socio-cultural and economic scenario, and so are some of the constraints to meet these challenges;
Recognizing that the women representatives have a special role and responsibility in articulating and shaping women's socio-economic and political empowerment within their respective countries;
Reaffirmingthe desire to build a just and inclusive order within the region that promotes people-centricsocial and economic justice.
Inter aliacalls upon member countries to focus on thesocial, economic and political empowerment of women as well as on the potential of women's agency for social change
It is acknowledged women achieve results and advance their interests:

        i.            If  in numbers which is important for the critical mass factor

      ii.            If they organize themselves into women's groups within parties and on multi-party level such as the Women's Parliamentary Caucus in Pakistan

    iii.            If they are mainstreamed into the body of politic of the parliamentary system

DO HEREBY UNDERTAKE THROUGH THIS ISLAMABAD DECLARATION
Ø  To join hands and raise a collective voice through initiating discourse and series of dialogue to address the emerging socio-economic needs and concerns of the women of the ECO countries;

Ø  To make concerted and collective efforts to position women for undertaking meaningful role at the policies and decision making levels within all spheres of the political and socio-economic development;

Ø  To emphasize onadopting special measures to promote women's economic, social and political progress within our respective countries

Ø  To evolve mechanisms that ensure positive and greater cooperation through launching ECO Women Parliamentarians Forum

The Meeting Further extends its gratitude to the Parliamentary Assembly of ECO Countries for deciding to incorporate such an initiative into its Charter and to encourage the holding of its first meeting as the first agenda item at its First Conference being held in Islamabad 10 – 13 February 2013
Transmits the joint statement to theExecutiveCouncil with the request that the honorable Speakers individually and collectively would continue to facilitate in taking it forward
Further requests, it is transmitted to the first meeting of the Women Parliamentarians at theFirst Conference of the Parliamentary Assembly of ECO Countries for attention as having taken place successfully and appropriately
The common objective is to establish a single market for goods and services.Under the agreement reached between ECO members, the common trade market should be established by 2015
Sustainable economic development of Member States
The status and power of the ECO is growing. However, the organization faces many challenges. Most importantly, the member states are lacking appropriate infrastructure and institutions which the Organization is primarily seeking to develop, to make full use of the available resources in the region and provide sustainable development for the member nations.