Lusaka/Geneva, 18 March 2016
 
 More than 130 young Members of Parliament (MPs) from across the world  committed to enhancing transparency and oversight of public finances
 as a cornerstone of their fight against corruption at the conclusion  of a global conference in the Zambian capital, Lusaka.
 
 The MPs, attending the 3rd IPU Global Conference of Young  Parliamentarians (#youngMPs), set their sights on increased public
 scrutiny of state spending in a series of measures they would take to  help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The
 SDGs commit nations to ambitious targets on reducing inequalities,  eradicating poverty, and promoting sustainable economic growth and climate action by 2030.
 
 Adopting an outcome document at the end of a two-day conference  jointly organized with the Zambian Parliament on Agenda 2030: Youth
 leading the way, leaving no-one behind, the young MPs highlighted  corruption as one of the greatest challenges to implementing fair,
 equitable and sustainable development. It diminished trust in institutions such as parliament and tackling it would make for stronger democracies.
 
 Dedicating their leadership to working for the common good of all  humanity in a critical era for global development, the young MPs
 committed to prioritizing national budget expenditure on social  well-being and international development cooperation over military
 spending. Development assistance would be monitored to promote public  health, job creation and education in developing countries.
 
 Participants at the IPU conference pledged to channel young people's  views and concerns into national development plans, strategies,
 policies and laws by directly interacting with them through social  media and other online tools and by boosting partnerships with youth organizations.
 
 They also committed to contributing to systematic reviews of  government progress on the implementation of development plans in a
 way that would reinforce transparency, access to information and youth rights.
 
 The annual IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians, supported  by Japanese non-profit organization Worldwide Support for Development,
 enables young MPs to address and influence issues of global  significance and is part of IPU¹s work to empower young MPs and support youth engagement in politics.