"To pursue the 2030 Agenda, we need strong, prestigious and active parliaments. They are truly an engine of the rule of law and political citizenship, without which development is neither fair nor sustainable", stated Augusto Santos Silva.
Speaking this Tuesday at the plenary session of the 147th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (UIP), which takes place in the Angolan capital, the president of the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal considered that the need to have strong and active parliaments is valid at on a national scale and also on an international scale.
Cooperation between the different parliaments, he continued, "is a school where everyone learns from each other, sharing experiences, and is a platform for agreeing positions".
"It brings people together, encourages collaboration between States, induces the formation of global public opinion, so necessary in these times marked by the co-presence of globalization and deglobalization trends", he noted.
Santos Silva argued that in order to preserve international cooperation, it is necessary to "overcome divisions and avoid confrontations. In days of so much tension, in Ukraine, the Middle East, the Sahel, the Caucasus, East Africa and other regions, it is essential that voices that advocate the peaceful resolution of conflicts, override those that sow hatred and violate international law".
"That's why multilateral organizations are necessary, as spaces for integration and reciprocal rapprochement. That's why the Inter-Parliamentary Union is so important, where parliamentarians from 179 countries meet regularly and discuss issues of common interest", he maintained.
"Parliamentary Action for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions" is the motto of this 147th Assembly of the IPU, which must elect a new president – four African candidates are running for the position – replacing the Portuguese Duarte Pacheco.
Augusto Santos Silva also highlighted the theme of peace, as the theme of the debates at this meeting, considering that in each country the role of parliament "is unavoidable, in the triple mission that characterizes it".
Regardless of whether the regime is parliamentary, presidential or mixed in nature, argued the president of the Portuguese Assembly, parliament is always a basic institution, at the service of the population. It promotes civil peace, because it welcomes and institutionalizes the debate of ideas, peacefully organizing social conflict.
He recalled that parliament promotes justice because "it guarantees the rule of law, favors political alternation, makes laws and monitors their execution, as well as strengthening institutions, because it brings them closer to people and is the common home where everyone fits".
The 147th IPU Assembly runs until Friday, in Luanda, and the work sessions are being held at the headquarters of the Angolan parliament.
