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Amidst an unprecedented rise of terrorism across the globe, the Global Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament dedicated its second panel discussion to devising viable plans for advancing peace and stability in the world.
Titled ‘United to Advance Peace and Security’, the session addressed the question of the hour: How will parliaments unite to fight terror and help eradicate its root causes? Against the background of countries engulfed by growing conflicts that are threatening security within and across borders, panelists shared their insights on identifying key security threats and proposed a variety of solutions to combat the rise of intolerance and extremism. Frank Sesno, Director of the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs, facilitated the vibrant discussion.
Esteemed speakers headlining the session included Olga Zrihen, Vice President of the Belgian Senate, Inara Murniece, Speaker of the Latvian Saeima, Margaret Mensah-Williams, Chairperson of the Namibian National Council, Luz Filomena Salgado Rubianes, President of the Congress of the Republic of Peru, Maja Gojkovic, Speaker of the Serbian National Assembly, and Christine Muttonen, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
The session instigated a discussion on the role of parliaments and society in tackling the overarching levels of violence and the various methods of eradicating extremism, hatred, and intolerance. A common consensus was reached that world parliaments can work together across political domains and religious groups to address methods of promoting peace and security through tolerance, education, equality and dialogue.
Each speaker offered a different perspective on intolerance, however, they all agreed that women have the ability to address conflicts, and must work together to increase their role across political, social, and economic platforms.
In the first speech of the session, Olga Zrihen focused on the role of parliamentarians in addressing human rights issues. She said, "A key message I would like to communicate is the message of responsibility. It is the responsibility of the government authorities to guarantee the rule of law in their countries so that society can remain open and inclusive. These are the conditions that democracy needs to exist. Marginalisation of countries and societies breeds conflicts, which, in turn have many victims. Today, as we witness a huge influx of refugees, we can clearly see how internal conflicts can create fear abroad."
She added, "What is also important, I believe, is that we have to work together to address the fundamental roots of conflict and find solutions. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) adopted a resolution for combating terrorism, which shows that parliamentarians can unite against violence and terrorism."
Inara Murniece stressed the importance of addressing human rights violations and implementing international order. She said, "The world today faces a multitude of challenges to international peace and security in a time of military conflicts and hybrid warfare, terrorism, extremism, and violence. Violent conflicts have evolved from inter-state wars to intra-state conflicts. Our rule-based international order has been undermined by those who disregard the fundamental principles of peace and human life."
Addressed the Syrian crisis, she said, "All of us gathered here know about the horrible human suffering in Syria. Nothing short of a humanitarian catastrophe, increasing violence in Aleppo has caused unspeakable suffering of civilian populations. This cannot continue, the perpetrators of international crimes must be brought to justice. We strongly support the recent United Nations Human Rights Council resolution for staging special inquiry into the events in Aleppo."
She added, "Peace and security cannot be guaranteed without protection of human rights and good governance. The protection of human rights is central to conflict resolution. The time has come where we have to strengthen our efforts to prevent conflicts from arising. We need to support peaceful and inclusive societies, but we cannot speak of inclusiveness without recognising the critical role of women. The full participation of women and girls in all aspects of social, political, and economic life is critical to sustainable peace and prosperity, therefore we need to eliminate all legal and social barriers that hinder the empowerment of women and girls."
Margaret Mensah-Williams, Chairperson of the National Council in Namibia spoke of her appreciation of the UAE in hosting this summit. She said "I congratulate my sister Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi as well the Mother of the Nation, all the UAE leaders and H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF) and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood. "I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your hospitality and the way in which you organised this beautiful global summit for women."
She spoke extensively about increasing the role of women in the decision making process and in eradicating conflicts. "I encourage all of us to look at the consistent key role for women in development for peace and security. Women should play an active role in this field because whenever there is terrorism and war, the economy and markets crash, and even at times of peace and progress, women are always involved and among the first to be affected. We must take part fully and actively in negotiating peace, because women are by their nature peaceful."
She added, "We should not have women merely partaking in peace keeping missions but rather leading these missions. I would like us to look at three pillars: social inclusivity, political inclusivity, and economic inclusivity for minority groups including women. Unfortunately if we do not look at social inclusivity we will ignore the human rights of people."
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