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AMMAN, Jordan, Jul 21 (IPS) - Held for the first time in the Arab world, an annual meeting of Asian and Arab Parliamentarians examined how regional conflicts hinder the development of effective policies to achieve sustainable development, particularly as they generate large numbers of refugees, internally displaced persons and migrants.
To reach a comprehensive solution, legislators called for examining the roots and background of conflicts in the region.
The meeting kicked off Tuesday, July 18 in the Jordanian capital Amman with a focus on challenges faced by youth, including high unemployment rates and poor access to healthcare, as well as women's empowerment and other sustainable development issues.
Around 50 legislators and experts from Asian, Arab and European countries attended the meeting, organized annually by the Asian Population and Development Association (APDA) which serves as the Secretariat of Japan's Parliamentarians Federation for Population (JPFP).
This year's meeting was held under the theme "From Youth Bulge to Demographic Dividend: Toward Regional Development and Achievement of the SDGs" and hosted by the Jordan Senate and Forum of Arab Parliamentarians on Population and Development (FAPPD).
On behalf of the conference organizers, Acting Chair of JPFP Ichiro Aisawa addressed the gathering, devoting his remarks to the need to address challenges facing youth in the region, which he described as the birthplace of two of the world's three major monotheistic religions and which has contributed richly to humankind's cultural heritage.
Aisawa, who...