The Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament 2025: A Global Gathering for Parliamentary Diplomacy
The Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, a landmark event for global governance and parliamentary diplomacy, is set to take place in Geneva, Switzerland. Organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in close collaboration with the United Nations, this conference brings together top parliamentary leaders from around the world to address pressing global challenges.
Key Details:
Dates: July 29 - 31, 2025
Location: Palais des Nations (United Nations Office at Geneva), Geneva, Switzerland
Organizers: Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations (UN)
Purpose and Significance:
Held every five years, this quinquennial gathering serves several critical functions:
Strengthening the Parliamentary Dimension: A primary objective is to reinforce the integral role of parliaments within the operations of the United Nations. It aims to foster stronger, more operational partnerships between national parliaments and UN organizations to effectively tackle shared global challenges.
Bridging the Democracy Gap: Since its inception in 2000 (on the eve of the UN Millennium Summit), the conference series has consistently aimed to bridge the "democracy gap" in international affairs. It achieves this by amplifying the voice of parliamentary leaders on the global stage, ensuring that democratic representation is heard in international decision-making.
High-Level Dialogue: The conference provides an unparalleled forum for high-level engagement and constructive dialogue among parliamentary leaders. It also facilitates interaction with prominent figures from other international organizations, academia, civil society, and the media, fostering a multi-stakeholder approach to global issues.
Overarching Theme and Key Deliberations:
The central theme for the Sixth World Conference is: "The Role of Parliaments in Promoting Pluralism, Ensuring Justice, and Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals 2030."
Key topics expected to be deliberated during the three-day event include:
Parliamentary Cooperation and Multilateralism: The General Debate will focus on "A world in turmoil: Parliamentary cooperation and multilateralism for peace, justice, and prosperity for all."
Strengthening Justice and Equality: Addressing issues of fairness, equity, and human rights on a global scale.
Progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs): A critical review of achievements and ongoing challenges in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, with only five years remaining until the target date. Parliaments are recognized as crucial for enacting necessary legislation, allocating budgets, and ensuring government accountability in achieving these goals.
Women's and Youth Participation: Enhancing the engagement, representation, and effective leadership of women and youth in parliamentary processes and decision-making.
Parliaments' Role in the Digital Future: Discussions will cover legislative frameworks for emerging technologies, cybersecurity, and strategies for parliaments to adapt to and shape digital transformation responsibly.
Innovating for Peace and Anti-Discrimination: Exploring new approaches to conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and combating all forms of discrimination globally.
"Networked" Global Governance: An interactive debate with multiple stakeholders on how to achieve more integrated, inclusive, and effective global governance structures.
Preparations:
The conference represents the culmination of two years of dedicated work by a Preparatory Committee. This committee, comprising approximately 20 Speakers of Parliament from all regions of the world, has meticulously planned the agenda and structure, aiming to make this the largest gathering of its kind to date.
Preceding Event:
On July 28, 2025, the 15th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament will be held at the International Labour Organization (ILO) headquarters in Geneva, immediately preceding the main conference. Organized in collaboration with the Swiss Parliament, this summit focuses specifically on promoting women's roles in parliamentary action and enhancing their effective contribution to policy-making and decision-making processes. Discussions at this summit have notably included the challenges and future direction of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, marking 25 years since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325.
Expected Outcomes:
The Sixth World Conference is expected to adopt a final declaration. This declaration will outline concrete commitments and a comprehensive roadmap for parliamentary action on the themes discussed. Previous conferences have consistently produced declarations that have significantly shaped and strengthened the parliamentary dimension of global governance, providing guidance for national parliaments in their contributions to international efforts.
Past Declarations (Examples):
First (2000): "The Parliamentary Vision For International Cooperation at the Dawn of the Third Millennium."
Second (2005): "Bridging the democracy gap in international relations: A stronger role for parliament."
Third (2010): "Parliaments in a world of crisis: Securing global democratic accountability for the common good."
Fourth (2015): "Placing democracy at the service of peace and sustainable development: Building the world the people want."
The 2025 Conference aims to build upon these foundational achievements, addressing current pressing global challenges and further emphasizing the vital role of parliaments in fostering peace, strengthening democracy, and achieving sustainable development worldwide.
I'm Aisha shehu
Talksocialtalka News
