Istanbul: On its closing day in Istanbul, Turkiye, the 152nd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) unanimously adopted the resolution on the emergency item submitted by the State of Qatar along with a number of other countries, entitled: "the urgent need for coordinated parliamentary efforts to uphold ceasefire agreements and support the achievement of peace in the Middle East and other regions."
The emergency item submitted by the State of Qatar, represented by the Shura Council, received an overwhelming majority to be included on the agenda of the 152nd IPU's General Assembly, during the session dedicated to voting on requests to include emergency items on Friday, which confirms the importance of coordinating international parliamentary stances and strengthening the role of parliamentary diplomacy in supporting peace and stability efforts.
This is the first time that an emergency item submitted by an Arab state has received the necessary votes to be included on the agenda of the General Assembly.
Qatar's delegation during the session was led by HE Speaker of the Shura Council Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim. The Shura Council's participation was active in its general sessions and specialized meetings, and in the discussions that addressed current and multi-dimensional international issues under the theme "Promoting hope, preserving peace, and ensuring justice for future generations."
During the Governing Council meeting, HE Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council, Member of the IPU's Executive Committee, and Vice-President of the Committee for the Arab Group Dr. Hamda bint Hassan Al Sulaiti, delivered a speech in which she addressed the council's contributions to international efforts aimed at achieving sustainable development, through its organization, in cooperation with the union, of a parliamentary forum on investment in individuals and institutions and the role of parliamentarians in social development, which was hosted by Doha on the sidelines of the Second World Summit for Social Development in November.
Her Excellency also addressed, during her participation in the IPU's Executive Committee, which continued to consider the topics on its agenda, a number of topics related to developing the work of the union and enhancing its institutional efficiency.
Her Excellency also participated in the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians, and delivering remarks that focused on the challenges related to digital violence and misinformation targeting women in political life.
She stressed the importance of developing clear and binding regulatory frameworks to reduce this phenomenon and enhance the protection of women, in addition to emphasizing the role of parliamentary diplomacy in supporting international peace and security and protecting civilians and vital infrastructure.
In a related context, members of the Shura Council, as part of the council's delegation for this session, participated in the work of the standing committees that discussed the topics on their agenda. HE Dr. Sultan bin Hassan Al Dhabit Al Dosari participated in the meeting of the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights, while HE Ahmed bin Ibrahim Al Maliki participated in the meeting of the Standing Committee on United Nations Affairs, and HE Yousef bin Ali Al Khater participated in the meeting of the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, in the context of following up on the topics raised and enhancing the contribution of parliaments in addressing them.
The "Istanbul Declaration" also stressed the importance of youth participation in decision-making and women's empowerment, the adoption of long-term, evidence-based policies, and the regulation of the responsible use of modern technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, while strengthening international cooperation and parliamentary diplomacy, and interpreting these commitments into concrete legislative and oversight actions.
