Washington, DC – Today, Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement following his return from the P20 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The P20 is the Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit of the G20 nations, which Chairman Meeks attended in Speaker Pelosi’s stead: 

“Inter-parliamentary cooperation is critical to address serious challenges faced by the G20 and other countries around the globe, whose futures will be shaped by the rapidly growing threat of climate change, food and economic insecurity, and pandemics that know no borders. That is why I thank the Indonesian government for hosting this year’s G20 Parliamentary Speaker’s Summit (P20) as a forum to address these dangers and more.   

“Among our parliaments’ chief priorities must be strengthening our democracies and safeguarding them from efforts to undermine them, whether from outside or within. That includes holding to account state actors - including from some members of the G20 itself – who have shown contempt for transparent and inclusive governance, human rights, and the international rules-based system.  

“I’m deeply disappointed by the lack of consensus among P20 delegations to conclude a joint outcome document clearly condemning Russia’s illegal war of choice against Ukraine. There should be no whitewashing of the truth—this brutal invasion has inflicted a terrible human cost on Ukraine, exacerbated global food and energy crises, and violated the international norms of sovereignty and territorial integrity which all nations should be interested in respecting.   

“I nevertheless welcomed the opportunity to engage with a range of parliamentary counterparts in Jakarta, speaking out with many of them in support of democracy, justice, and human rights—and shoring up our cooperation to ensure that these values are realized for our constituents around the world. 

“I was pleased as well to meet with Indonesian government officials to discuss our growing bilateral cooperation, including on shared objectives of sustainable development in South East Asia and coordination in multilateral fora to address the region’s pressing challenges. I welcomed the opportunity to meet with Indonesian civil society activists working to defend freedoms of religion and the press, protect the rights of minorities, and advance environmental and social justice. I was also honored to visit the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in South East Asia, where our delegation could reflect on the values of peace and tolerance that make our communities stronger and our world safer.” 

A link to Chairman Meeks’ speech during the P20’s breakout session themed, “Effective Parliament, Vibrant Democracy” can be found here

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