Abu Dhabi: The determination that created the UAE and made it an exemplary model on the global stage, together with the strong will to face challenges and the placing of national interest above all, inspired the historic Global Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament to create a better future for the world, a top official said yesterday (Monday).
Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, Speaker of the Federal National Council, said this summit’s primary mission is ensuring the union creates a better future, as this summit presents a valuable opportunity to support international efforts seeking solutions for the challenges we face.
“The summit offers us an unprecedented platform for international dialogue in search for realistic solutions, and strategic, creative visions for the future,” Dr Al Qubaisi, also chairman of the summit, said in her opening speech.
The Global Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, under the theme ‘United for Shaping the Future’, is being held under the patronage of Her Highness Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, President of the General Women’s Union, Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation, and Supreme President of Council for Motherhood and Childhood, at Emirates Palace.
Dr Al Qubaisi stressed the summit is an invaluable opportunity for a unique kind of dialogue, one that cuts across myriad generations and cultures, in search of common ground. “The languages we speak might differ, but we share the desire to create a better future for the world. It is also our aim to support parliaments’ unique political values, and finding the necessary strategies to ensure long-term relations as well as supporting countries’ ambition for happiness and well-being,” she said.
The summit brings together parliamentarians from over 50 countries, including women speakers of parliament from 35 countries, as well as government leaders, international organisations, members of academia, and envoys of a multitude of fields such as science and technology, youth organisations and universities. “I am especially delighted to witness the rise in numbers of women speakers of parliament, currently numbering 53, or 19 per cent of total speakers of parliament this year. This is important and positive progress, considering their vast influence in creating a better future. Of the 1,000 participants, there were 400 members of parliament representing 50 countries, 100 of whom are from the Arab region. Moreover, the summit includes over 100 prominent influencers and thought leaders who will contribute immensely to the discussion by providing well-evaluated perspectives,” Al Qubaisi said.
Al Qubaisi said the summit is an enhancement of the role women play on the global stage in achieving peace and security, and in diffusing the culture of productive dialogue. “Women are purveyors of peace, with the unique ability to offer real contributions in every field of development. The Global Summit will lay down the foundation for serious dialogue between parliamentarians and strategic partners, discussing the most critical issues the world faces today. These issues directly affect our lives, and we shall discuss the appropriate ways to deal with them,” Dr Al Qubasi said.
“We view any international exchange as an invaluable opportunity to better our country’s relations with the rest of the world. Parliamentary diplomacy plays a vital role in UAE foreign policy, and it only further deepens the UAE’s status as a leading model for development and diversity,” she said.
Dr Al Qubaisi added, “Our model of diversity is one that welcomes 200 nationalities, each enjoying security and stability, and benefiting from the fruit of their honest work. These guests to the UAE represent a vital influence on their countries’ economies, which hearkens to the UAE’s wider goal — successfully contributing to global development.”
Saber Chowdhury, president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, agreed the UAE is a model that inspires other nations and the world and said the UAE’s 50-year journey from pearl diving to space exploration inspires the world as a symbol of capability and hope for a new era of peaceful human development.
Chowdhury added he was inspired by the futuristic vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces when he told him the UAE is investing today in the right sectors, so that it can celebrate exporting the last oil barrel.
Chowdhury added what he finds very inspiring about this cooperation is that Dr Al Qubaisi, who is the first woman parliamentary speaker of the Arab world, is an inspiring leader.
Chowdhury stressed that it is a partnership between men and women, it is a partnership between governments, it is a partnership between the legislature and executive, and it is a partnership of the people and between the various sectors of society.
