Parliaments are necessary partners for five rays of “Presidency of Hope”: UNGA President-elect

Parliaments across the globe are “necessary partners” for each of the five rays of hope, prioritized by the President-elect of the United Nations General Assembly’s 76th session, Abdulla Shahid.

Taking the podium at the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament which commenced in Vienna, Austria on Tuesday afternoon, the Maldivian Foreign Minister stated that the 76th session, under his “Presidency of Hope”, will prioritize five rays of hope, all of which require the vital partnership of parliaments.

Speaking at the conference, FM Shahid shed light on the lengthy relationship with the Inter Parliamentary Union during his five terms as the Speaker of Maldivian Parliament. He went on to note that Maldives received the immense support from former IPU Secretary-General Anders B. Johnsson, along with President of the Federal Council of the Republic of Austria, Martin Chungong during its transition into democracy.

Noting that he has no doubt that his experiences as Speaker of the People’s Majlis will serve him well as he takes on the role of the UNGA President, Shahid added that the UN and multilateralism prosper on dialogue, on negotiation, and on nuance, all of which are needed now, “more than ever”.

Highlighting that the only viable path forward is a multilateral one, FM Shahid stated that the world is too interlinked, not to address the common challenges or seize the opportunities paved, as one.

Shedding light on his main five priorities for the “Presidency of Hope”, Shahid stated that it was this “need” for togetherness that led him to choose “hope” as the 76th session of the UNGA’s theme.

Shahid noted that ensuring unbiased access for vaccines is “unparalleled” in importance.

The foreign minister highlighted that he will use the 76th session to bring out the need for a sustainable, transformative recovery from the pandemic.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s recent report was very clear in its assessment of where we are on this issue, said the foreign minister.

Stressing on the need to work together to counter the rising tide of discrimination, FM Shahid urged to work together in unity.

He pledged to focus on empowerment of women, ensuring their full, meaningful and equal representation in society as a supporter of gender equality as well. The UNGA President-elect noted that his cabinet is “gender balanced”, adding that he has been vocal on his intention to only participate in panels and discussions mirroring gender parity.

Shahid promised to continue efforts to make the UN more efficient, effective, accountable and family friendly.

With this being said, the UNGA President-elect stressed on the importance of parliaments, whether it be ensuring access to vaccination, recovering sustainably or even tackling the threats of climate change. He noted that the UN, “cannot act alone” and needs to work with partners in parliament.