As we have reported, Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova is in the Swiss Confederation on a working visit. The Speaker of Parliament has delivered a speech at the meeting with the heads and representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Geneva as part of the visit.

In her address, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova shared her thoughts regarding expansion of international and regional parliamentary co-operation, the role of parliamentary diplomacy in the progress of multilateralism and about also strengthening the roles of parliaments in the international decision-making process and joint approaches to global challenges.

The Speaker of Parliament remarked that such challenges as conflicts, geopolitical tensions, economic inequality, climate change and rapid technological advances require in the modern period closer co-operation amongst states within international organisations.

It was said that the efficiency of multilateralism ought to be measured in not only the representation of individual countries in processes but also in the real influence that their priorities have on formulation of decisions. It is important in this regard that stances of all the regions should be taken into consideration and that equitable participation and mutual trust be ensured as well.

Having touched upon the special role of parliamentary diplomacy in international relations, Sahiba Gafarova underscored parliaments’ significant contribution to preserving dialogue, bolstering mutual understanding and backing peace initiatives where inter-governmental relations become complicated.

The Speaker also broached in her address the matters of sustainable development, women’s and youth’s engagement in public and political life, artificial intellect and digital transformation as well as economic solidarity.

It was noted that making co-operation amongst international and regional parliamentary organisations stronger promotes exchange of experience, the search for joint solutions for common problems and a fuller demonstration of different regions’ priorities on the global agenda.

In her address, the Speaker also talked about the international activities of the Milli Majlis and its involvement in various regional and international parliamentary organisations. The Speaker of Parliament covered in this connection the operation of the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network established upon the initiative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in 2021. She observed that the operation of this organisation had been broadened dramatically, its institutional bodies were formed, its relations with regional and international parliamentary organisations were expanded and the Network was headquartered in Baku during the Azerbaijani chairmanship in the organisation.

It was further said that the events held by the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network had brought together more than a thousand participants including Speakers and Members of Parliament from more than 70 countries.

Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova proceeded to say that the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) being an international parliamentary organisation with the broadest representation ensures the parliamentary dimension of the global multilateral system through close co-operation with the UN.

The IPU serves democracy, parliamentary diplomacy and strengthening of dialogues amongst nations by adding voices of elected representatives to the process of international decision-making. The IPU is a massive platform supporting open dialogues of parliaments, strengthening of mutual understanding and supporting paths to peace. The principal forte of the IPU is that it rallies parliaments with different political systems and regional outlooks to equal dialogue, thus making it possible to form joint parliamentary approaches to common problems.

The Speaker also referred to the question of climatic finance, suggesting that this process should be more predictable, sustainable and accessible. At that, resources should reach those who need them and without such procedures which would make those resources practically inaccessible. She emphasised that parliaments play an important role in this process.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis let the event participants know that the COP29 held in Baku in 2024 came as an important platform in this regard. By virtue of the COP29, the Milli Majlis and the IPU presented a remarkable opportunity to discuss joint responses to climate change by having brought together hundreds of parliamentarians.

Going further, the Speaker pointed out that parliaments’ inclusivity is not limited to the mere representation of diverse social groups and regions. Rather, true inclusivity presupposes granting parliaments equal opportunities to take part in the decision-making process. In this connection, the true representation should be measured in opportunities to define priorities, form resolutions and influence decisions being made.

As the Speaker of Parliament put it, the right to develop, too, is a considerable component of an inclusive and fair approach to governance. It is imperative that each country would have equal opportunities to determine its path of development in keeping with its national priorities and national reality, as well as of strengthening its economic and institutional potentials and ensuring the prosperity of its citizens.

It was stressed that parliaments contribute importantly to ensuring the right of development and to implementation of the sustainable development goals through legislative activity, parliamentary control over budgets and international inter-parliamentary co-operation. Therefore, the strengthening of equal co-operation serves the formation of inclusive development and a fairer system of international relations.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis emphasised in conclusion of her speech that a co-operation aiming a shared future is one of the main principles of the modern multilateral system.

The meeting was attended by the permanent representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the UN Office and other organisations in Geneva Rovshan Sadigbayli as well as the ambassadors, permanent representatives, heads of delegation and other officials of approximately 70 countries.

The Press and Public Relations Department

The Milli Majlis