§ Held under the patronage of her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak
§ Co-hosted by the UAE Federal National Council and the Inter-parliamentary Union at Emirates Palace, Abu-Dhabi
· The UAE Federal National Council, the parliamentary body of the United Arab Emirates, and the Inter-parliamentary Union will co-host the Global Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, the largest assembly of women speakers in the world
· The summit will convene under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, President of the General Women's Union (GWU), Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation (PDF), and The Supreme President of Council for Motherhood and Childhood
· Set to take place on December 12 and 13 at the Emirates Palace, Abu-Dhabi
· The summit will focus on the role of parliament and women speakers, united across the globe, in mobilizing their collective efforts to address the planet's current and future difficult challenges that affect quality of life, and slow progress towards sustainable prosperity
· The Global Summit of Women Speakers in Parliament will commence under the overarching theme: "United for Shaping the Future". An array of panel sessions will convene under this theme addressing crucial issues our planet faces today
· Will aim to provide a platform for cross-sectional discussion between various branches of government, business, industry and community
· Summit to address key questions pertaining to the legislative role of parliament as well as its role in working with the other branches of government and the community across different domains
· Summit to begin with a planetary session titled "Reimagining the future: The Megatrends shaping our world."
· The Summit will culminate in actionable recommendations with appropriate follow up plans for implementation
· The event will bring together over 50 women Speakers of Parliament from around the world with prominent global leaders across government, business, industry and society
· Sessions throughout the two day event to explore a multitude of topics in an overview of megatrends ranging from political and socioeconomic, environment and demographic, scientific and technological fields
· Her Excellency Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi, President of the Federal National Council (UAE) to give welcome address at opening ceremony
· His Excellency Saber Chowdhury, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union to give welcome address at opening ceremony
· Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb Sheikh of Al-Azhar set to give keynote address at opening ceremony
· His Excellency Ban-Ki-Moon, Secretary-General, United Nations to give video keynote address during opening ceremony
· His Highness Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nayan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, UAE to give keynote address during opening ceremony
· Her Excellency Federica Mogherini, Vice-President of the European Commission to give keynote video address inaugurating the second day of the summit
· Ms. Marillyn Hewson, Chairman, President and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation (USA) to give keynote address during second day of the summit
Abu-Dhabi-UAE - The largest Global Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, under the theme “United for Shaping the Future”, set to run from December 12 to 13, 2016 under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bin Mubarak, President of the General Women’s Union (GWU), Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation (PDF), and the Supreme President of Council for Motherhood and Childhood. The summit is set to take place at the Emirates Palace, Abu-Dhabi.
Global Presence
The summit will be attended by over 1000 participants from all parts of the world, including 50 Women Speakers of Parliament. Other participants include influential global leaders across government, business, industry, and society, a truly distinguished event on the global stage.
Of the 1000 participants, there will be 400 members of parliament representing 50 countries, 100 of which are from the Arab region. Moreover, the summit will include over 100 prominent influencers and thought-leaders who will contribute immensely to the discussion by providing well-evaluated perspectives.
100 youth delegates to participate in a panel dedicated to the youth, in which will allow young minds to generate discussions with prominent parliamentary members from different parts of the world.
Plenary session: Reimaging the future: The megatrends shaping our world
This session will address the overarching theme of uniting members of parliament to shape the future of our plant. It will encompass a variety of topics under this theme including geopolitical, socioeconomic, educational, environmental and technological megatrends that are influencing our future and the way our world is governed.
The discussion will be facilitated and led by Mr. John Defterios, CNNMoney Emerging Markets Editor (USA).
Spearheading the session is a variety of prominent speakers including: Her Excellency Valentina Matvienko, Chairperson of the Council of the Federation (Russian Federation), Her Excellency Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi, President of the Federal National Council (UAE), His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and CEO of ADNOC Group (UAE), Dr Michio Kaku, Theoretical Physicist and Best Selling Author (UAE), Mr. Ray Hammoud, Author and Futurist (United Kingdom), and Mr. Jeff Martin, Founder & CEO of Tribal Planet (USA).
United to Advance Peace and Security
The world is facing an unprecedented rise in terrorism across the globe, as state are engulfed with growing conflicts that have inflicted security within and across state boarders. This session will provide a platform for influencers from a variety of governmental and non-governmental sectors to address the issue of security and to devise concurrent plans to advance peace and stability in our world.
The session will address the key question: “How will parliaments unite to fight terror and help end the root causes?” Panelists will share insights on identifying the key threats of security and put forward a variety of solutions to combat the rise of intolerance and extremism. A vibrant discussion will be facilitates by discussion leader Mr. Frank Sesno, Director, George Washington University School of Media & Public Affairs in United States of America.
Esteemed speakers headlining the session included: Her Excellency Olga Zrihen, Vice President of the Senate in Belgium, Her Excellency Ināra Mūrniece Speaker of the Saeima in Latvia, Her Excellency Margaret Mensah-Williams, Chairperson of the National Council in Namibia, Her Excellency Luz Filomena Salgado Rubianes, President of the Congress of the Republic in Peru, Her Excellency Maja Gojković, Speaker of the National Assembly in Serbia, Her Excellency Christine Muttonen, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
United to Secure Economic Prosperity for Future Generations
As youth take the foreground as agents of change, they are facing major challenges that affect economic prosperity, including scarcity of resources, changing demographics and hype-urbanization in many regions of the world. This session aims to address the key question: “How can parliaments work together to develop innovative policies to tackle shared socio-economic challenges, including achieving equitable development?”
Mr. John Defterios, CNNMoney Emerging Markets Editor (USA) will lead and facilitate the discussion of the session. An array of esteemed speakers include: Her Excellency Gabriela Michetti, President of the Senate and Vice-President of Argentina, Her Excellency Verónica Nataniel Macamo Dlhovo, Speaker of the Parliament (Mozambique), Her Excellency Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, Speaker of the National Parliament (Uganda), Her Excellency Blanca Ruiz Alcalá, President of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament, Ms. Dambisa Moyo, Global economist and author (United Kingdom).
United to Safeguard a Healthy Planet
A look at innovative approaches for protecting our planet and how to lead the way through effective parliamentary action. The session will examine the parliamentary implications of the Paris climate agreement and relevant sustainable development goals.
His Excellency Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, Cabinet Member and Minister of Climate Change and Environment (UAE) will facilitate the session as discussion leader.
Esteemed speakers of this session include: Her Excellency Jiko Fatafehi Luveni, Speaker of Parliament (Fiji), Her Excellency Lucie Milebou-Aubusson, President of the Senate (Gabon), Her Excellency Pany Yathotou, Speaker of the National Assembly (Lao People’s Democratic Republic), Her Excellency Ntlhoi Alice Motsamai, Speaker of the National Assembly (Lesotho), Her Excellency Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, Speaker of the National Assembly (Suriname), Her Excellency Nguyễn Thi Kim Ngân, President of the National Assembly (Viet Nam).
The Changing Dynamics of Political Communication
This session examines the role of parliament in maximizing the use of communication technologies and social media for improving citizen participation while enacting appropriate legislation and working with other government branches to limit its abuse including exploitation by terrorist organizations for political gain.
The discussion will be led by Mr. Mohammed Al Otaiba, Former Editor-in-Chief of “The National”, (UAE). Esteemed speakers of the session include: Her Excellency, Alincia Williams-Grant, President of the Senate (Antigua and Barbuda), Her Excellency Ankie Broekers-Knol, President of the Senate (Netherlands), Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs (UAE), Her Excellency Dariga Nazarbayeva, Chairman of the Committee on International Relations, Defence and Security of the Senate (Kazakhstan), Mr. Frank Sesno, Director, George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs (USA).
Governing Tolerance
The session will address a variety of key questions: “Can tolerance be governed? Can attitudes and values be influenced through legislation and government action? How can parliaments contribute to eradicating the root causes of intolerance, which often leads to violence, discrimination and terrorism?”
A vibrant discussion will be facilitated by discussion leader Mr. Mohammad Baharoon, Director General, Dubai Public Policy Research Centre in UAE.
Esteemed speakers headlining the session included: Her Excellency Sharon Wilson, President of the Senate in Bahamas, Her Excellency Halimah Yacob, Speaker of Parliament in Singapore, Her Excellency Bridgid Annisette-George, Speaker of the House of Representatives in Trinidad and Tobago, Her Excellency Edna Madzongwe, President of the Senate in Zimbabwe, Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of State for Tolerance in UAE, The Right Honorable Lady Justice Anne Rafferty, Chairman of the Judicial College; Chancellor of Sheffield University in United Kingdom.
Youth Perspectives
This session is intended to capture the apprehensions, fears, aspirations and ideas of the youth as related to the three major themes of the Summit: socioeconomic, science and technology and geopolitical. The key question of the session: “How do youth see the present and how do they look at their own future?”
The discussion leader of this session will be Mr. Frank Sesno, Director, George Washington University School of Media & Public Affairs (USA).
Esteemed speakers of this session include numerous well-recognized individuals: His Excellency Saeed Saleh Al Rumaithi, Member of the Federal National Council (UAE), President of the Board of the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians, Her Excellency Alya Soliman Al-Jassim, Member of the Federal National Council (UAE), Mr. Jacobo Pombo Garcia, President of the Global Youth Leadership Forum (Spain), Mr. Jamie Woodruff, Ethical Hacker (United Kingdom).
The session will generate discussion between the prominent individuals mentioned above in addition to a variety of university students representing the youth delegation of this conference: Ms. Hend AlTair, Khalifa University; Ms. Fatima Alqaydi, Khalifa University; Ms.Larissa Bukharina, Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi; Ms. Maitha Al Memari, New York University Abu Dhabi, Mr. Guillaume Sylvain, New York University Abu Dhabi; Ms. Maryam Yaqoobi, Higher Colleges of Technology; Mr. Ahmed Issa Ahmed, Zayed University.
Transformative Innovations: Opportunities and Ethical Dilemmas
From engineering new life forms to having machines trusted with life and death judgements, legislators are facing new ethical dilemmas that need to be addressed. This session examines the opportunities brought about by science and technology that transform our way of life, as well as the ethical and moral implications.
The discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Rafic Makki, Senior VP and Executive Fellow, Globalfoundries (UAE). Esteemed speakers include: Her Excellency Akja Tajiyewna Nurberdiyeva Speaker of the Parliament (Mejlis) (Turkmenistan). Mr Homaid Al Shimmari, CEO of Aerospace & Engineering Services, Mubadala Development Company (UAE), Dr. Charles Elachi, Former Director of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (USA), Mr. Andrew Hessel, Distinguished researcher, Bio/Nano Research Group, Autodesk, Co-founder of Pink Army Cooperative (USA), Mr. Jeffrey O. Kephart, Distinguished Research Scientist, Symbiotic Cognitive Systems, IBM (USA), Dr. Habiba AlSafar, Director, Khalifa University Centre for Biotechnology (UAE).
United towards a more inclusive society
This session aims to address a variety of key questions including: “How can parliaments, through legislation, government oversight and working closely with international organizations, bring about gender balance and put an end to violence against women?”
A presentation will introduce the results of the IPU study on harassment, intimidation and violence against women.
His Excellency Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union will be the discussion leader. Esteemed speakers of the session include: Her Excellency Eileen Alix Boyd Knights, Speaker of the House of Assembly (Dominica), Her Excellency Santi Bai Hanoomanjee, Speaker of National Assembly (Mauritius), Her Excellency Onsari Gharti, Speaker of Legislature-Parliament (Nepal), Her Excellency Jeanne d’Arc Gakuba, Vice-President of the Senate (Rwanda), Her Excellency Edith Mendoza Fernández, President, Andean Parliament, Her Excellency Anna Diamantopoulou, President of the "TO DIKTIO" (Greece), Dr. Dubravka Simonovic, United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women (Croatia).
Transforming parliaments for a better future
This session focuses on the need for parliaments to transform in order to respond to the megatrends that are shaping our world, and address associated present and future challenges.
The session addresses the key question: “What form will such a transformation take and how can we start it today?”
Facilitating the discussion will be Ms. Mary Hanafin, Councillor on Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (Ireland).
Esteemed speakers contributing to this session include: His Excellency Saber Chowdhury, President, Inter-Parliamentary Union, Her Excellency Gabriela Rivadeneira, President of the National Assembly (Ecuador), Her Excellency Maria Lohela, Speaker of Parliament (Finland), Her Excellency Leonne Theodore-John, Speaker of the House of Assembly (St. Lucia). Her Excellency Ester D.S. Dlamini, Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly (Swaziland), Her Excellency Ohood Al Roumi, Minister of State for Happiness (UAE).
Closing session: Abu Dhabi Declaration
The closing session of the summit will be presided by His Excellency Saber Chowdhury, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and Her Excellency Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi, President of the Federal National Council (UAE).
The Summit will culminate with actionable recommendations emanating from this Summit and building on declarations from previous IPU sponsored meetings.
-Ends-
For more information visit: https://www.gsws.ae/
© Press Release 2016
