By Dipo Olowookere
The second edition of Global Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament (GSWS 2016), hosted by the UAE Federal National Council in collaboration with Inter-Parliamentary Union, under the theme ‘United for Shaping the Future’, concluded in the UAE capital city of Abu Dhabi Tuesday.
The event witnessed the participation of 34 high-profile global women speakers of parliament, around 400 parliamentary representatives and more than 1,000 delegates with diverse expertise – including scientists, influencers, policy makers, entrepreneurs and government representatives.
A first-of-its-kind in the world, the summit comprised a series of panel sessions that addressed political, social, economic, environmental, and demographic issues relevant to the world today. The programme agenda also focused on the political, technological, and economic developments that are poised to transform the world in the imminent future.
Speaker of the Federal National Council (UAE), Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, opened the event on December 12 (Monday) and welcomed women speakers and parliamentarians from around the world and other prominent delegates to the GSWS 2016.
On day one, the event spotlighted the effectiveness of policies, regulations and strategies that can effectively combat some of the most pressing issues facing society and the economy at large.
Experts from around the globe highlighted issues pertaining to women’s empowerment, gender balance, and the legal and legislative challenges posed by significant technological transformations to existing laws and regulations.
They also examined how to avoid and mitigate conflicts that might result from such transformations.
The event’s highlights are to be summarised in the Abu Dhabi Declaration. The Declaration will support the efforts of political and parliamentary organisations in enhancing security and stability.
Serving as a roadmap for building a better future, the report will encourage world governments and organisations to adopt regulations and policies that promote sustainable development, help resolve armed conflicts, and mitigate political extremism.
The report will further demonstrate the vision of women speakers of parliament in addressing issues of global interest and compile the summit’s outcomes and final recommendations that reflect regional and international political, economic, social, and environmental trends.
