Speaker of Shura Council Participates in Conclusion of Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament

20 August 2020




The Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament concluded Thursday, with the participation of HE Speaker of the Shura Council Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud.

The conference, which was held via video conference, concluded with a declaration in which it affirmed belief in and support of the purposes and principles set out in the Charter of the United Nations, and that parliaments should lead by example in defending multilateralism and a rules-based international order, firmly standing up for the international system built around the United Nations.

The conference stressed that international cooperation and multilateral action are needed now more than ever, particularly in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact, providing greater support to developing countries and helping them build their capabilities to confront the epidemic.

It said that preventing the world economy from falling further into recession is an immediate priority by enhancing international macroeconomic policy coordination and maintaining global financial markets, while stressing the need to deepen the partnerships and strengthen the architecture that bring that blueprint to fruition, and developing cooperation between countries as a basic means of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Goals.

The Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, which was attended by HE Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, stressed that addressing climate change should be an important part of the future strategy.

The conference also called for non-politicization of humanitarian efforts, commitment to protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, strengthening the role of young men and women in parliaments and all state institutions, supporting the core values of democracy and enabling parliaments to express the will of peoples. It also stressed respect for international law as the bedrock of a world order based on solidarity and cooperation.