Abu-Dhabi: A two-day summit of women speakers of Parliament will be held in Abu Dhabi on Monday and Tuesday, it was announced on Sunday.
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 (GWU), Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation (PDF), and the Supreme President of Council for Motherhood and Childhood. The summit is set to take place at the Emirates Palace.
It will be attended by over 1,000 participants from all parts of the world, including 50 women speakers of Parliament. Other participants include influential global leaders across government, business, industry, and society, a truly distinguished event on the global stage.
Of the 1,000 participants, there will be 400 members of parliament representing 50 countries, 100 of which are from the Arab region. Moreover, the summit will include over 100 prominent influencers and thought-leaders who will contribute immensely to the discussion by providing well-evaluated perspectives.
Hundred youth delegates will also participate in a panel dedicated to the youth, which will allow young minds to generate discussions with prominent parliamentary members from different parts of the world.
Plenary session
The plenary will address the theme of uniting members of parliament to shape the future. It will encompass a variety of topics under this theme, including geopolitical, socioeconomic, educational, environmental and technological megatrends that are influencing our future and the way the world is governed.
The discussion will be facilitated and led by John Defterios, CNNMoney Emerging Markets Editor, from the US.
The speakers include Valentina Matvienko, chairperson of the Council of the Federation (Russian Federation), Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi, President of the Federal National Council (UAE), Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and CEO of ADNOC Group (UAE), Dr Michio Kaku, theoretical physicist and best-selling author (UAE), Ray Hammoud, author and futurist (United Kingdom), and Jeff Martin, founder and CEO of Tribal Planet (USA).
To address the unprecedented rise in terrorism, a session on peace and security will provide a platform for influencers from a variety of governmental and non-governmental sectors to address the issue of security and to devise concurrent plans to advance peace and stability.
The session will address the key question: “How will parliaments unite to fight terror and help end the root causes?” Panellists will share insights on identifying the key threats to security and put forward a variety of solutions to combat the rise of intolerance and extremism. A vibrant discussion will be facilitated by discussion leader Frank Sesno, director, George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs, USA.
Prominent speakers in this session include Olga Zrihen, Vice President of the Senate in Belgium; Inara Murniece, Speaker of the Saeima in Latvia; Margaret Mensah-Williams, Chairperson of the National Council in Namibia; Luz Filomena Salgado Rubianes, President of the Congress of the Republic in Peru; Maja Gojkovi, Speaker of the National Assembly in Serbia; and Christine Muttonen, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
As youth take the foreground as agents of change, they are facing major challenges that affect economic prosperity, including scarcity of resources, changing demographics and hyper-urbanisation in many regions of the world. This session aims to address the key question: “How can parliaments work together to develop innovative policies to tackle shared socioeconomic challenges, including achieving equitable development?”
John Defterios will lead and facilitate the discussion of the session. The speakers include, Her Excellency Gabriela Michetti, President of the Senate and Vice-President of Argentina; Her Excellency Verónica Nataniel Macamo Dlhovo, Speaker of the Parliament (Mozambique); Her Excellency Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, Speaker of the National Parliament (Uganda); Her Excellency Blanca Ruiz Alcalá, President of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament; and Dambisa Moyo, global economist and author from United Kingdom.
Box
Summit highlights
The summit will culminate in actionable recommendations with appropriate follow-up plans for implementation.
Sessions throughout the two-day event to explore a multitude of topics in an overview of megatrends ranging from political and socioeconomic, environment and demographic, scientific and technological fields.
Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi, President of the Federal National Council, UAE, to give welcome address at opening ceremony.
Saber Chowdhury, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, to give welcome address at opening ceremony.
Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed Al Tayeb Shaikh of Al Azhar set to give keynote address at opening ceremony
Ban-Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations, to give video keynote address during opening ceremony.
Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nayan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, UAE, to give keynote address during opening ceremony.
