The Shura Council State of Qatar

HE the Speaker of the Shura Council Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud presided over the delegation of the State of Qatar during the closing session of the 141st General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and related meetings that lasted for five days.

At the end of its work, the General Assembly adopted the Belgrade Declaration, 'Strengthening international law: Parliamentary roles and mechanisms, and the contribution of regional cooperation'.

Participants expressed their support for strong and effective multilateral institutions, with the United Nations at their core, designed to find solutions to common challenges and settle disputes between States.

They also pledged their commitment to regional cooperation as a means to enhance the international legal order and work towards the full implementation of shared international commitments, to ensure accountability for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and combating impunity, and to ensure that States abide by international obligations and back regional cooperation that helps improve the international legal system.

Participants condemned all actions inconsistent with international law, encouraging changes that would transform the vision of a more beautiful world into reality, and stressing that the people can live a life free from want and fear.

The Declaration discussed the formulation and implementation of international law to ensure that international law is transformed into national legislation and that legislation is implemented through the development of effective and evidence-based policies and programs with the necessary budget allocation and strict supervision of their successful implementation.

It also discussed the implementation of priority areas, including resolutely addressing climate-related emergencies, ratifying and implementing the Paris Climate Agreement and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It also guarantees respect and promotion of international human rights law as well as international humanitarian law and international criminal law.

The regional contribution to international law project, which was discussed, aims to use the tools provided by parliamentary diplomacy to address unresolved issues and help build bridges in time of crises, in addition to identifying and disseminating good practices for regional cooperation and formulating proposals for concrete joint action.