Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Sahiba Gafarova highlighted the crucial role of parliamentary diplomacy in Geneva. This was reported by the Press and Public Service of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan following Gafarova's speech at a meeting with heads and representatives of the diplomatic corps based in Geneva, held as part of her working visit to Switzerland. According to the report, in her speech, she shared her views on the expansion of international and regional parliamentary cooperation, the role of parliamentary diplomacy in the development of multilateralism, the increasing role of parliaments in the international decision-making process, and joint approaches to global challenges.
Gafarova noted that in modern times, challenges such as conflicts, geopolitical tensions, economic inequality, climate change, and rapid technological development necessitate closer cooperation between states within international organizations. She pointed out that the effectiveness of multilateralism should be measured not only by the representation of different countries in processes, but also by the real impact of their priorities on the formation of decisions. In this regard, it is of great importance to hear the positions of all regions, ensure equal participation, and mutual trust.
Speaking about the special role of parliamentary diplomacy in international relations, Gafarova stressed that parliaments make a significant contribution to maintaining dialogue, strengthening mutual understanding, and supporting peace-oriented initiatives in cases where intergovernmental relations become complicated. In her speech, she also touched upon the issues of sustainable development, participation of women and youth in socio-political life, artificial intelligence and digital transformation, and economic solidarity. She noted that strengthening cooperation between international and regional parliamentary organizations allows for the exchange of experience, finding joint solutions to common problems, and more fully reflecting the priorities of different regions on the global agenda.
Besides, Gafarova spoke about the international activities of the Azerbaijani parliament and its participation in various regional and international parliamentary organizations. In this context, she recalled the activities of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Parliamentary Network, established in 2021 at the initiative of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. She pointed out that during the chairmanship of Azerbaijan in this organization, its activities have significantly developed, its institutional structures have been formed, and its relations with regional and international parliamentary organizations have been expanded, while the headquarters of the Network has been located in Baku.
She also pointed out that the events held by the NAM Parliamentary Network brought together more than a thousand participants, including heads of parliament and deputies from more than 70 countries. Gafarova noted that the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is the most widely represented international parliamentary organization, providing the parliamentary dimension of the global multilateral system in close cooperation with the UN. The parliament chief further noted that the IPU serves democracy, parliamentary diplomacy, and strengthening dialogue between peoples by bringing the voice of elected representatives to the international decision-making process.
She said that the IPU is an important platform for maintaining open dialogue between parliaments, strengthening mutual understanding, and supporting paths to peace. According to her, the main strength of the IPU is that it allows parliaments with different political systems and regional views to form joint parliamentary approaches to common problems by uniting them around an equal dialogue. Drawing attention to the issue of climate finance, the speaker noted that this process should be predictable, sustainable, and accessible.
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