Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council H E Dr. Hamda bint Hassan Al Sulaiti during the IPU hearings at the UN headquarters in New York.
New York: The Shura Council participated over two days in the 2026 Parliamentary Hearing organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in cooperation with the United Nations at its headquarters in New York, under the theme “Parliaments and the United Nations: Better together, delivering for the people”.
The Council was represented at the session by Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council H E Dr. Hamda bint Hassan Al Sulaiti, and Member of the Council
H E Ahmed bin Ibrahim Al Maliki, alongside a number of speakers and members of legislative councils and national parliaments, permanent representatives of states to the United Nations, as well as international experts and advisors.
The hearing aimed to explore ways in which parliaments and the United Nations can work together more effectively to achieve a more peaceful, just, sustainable, and prosperous world.
The session addressed several key issues, most notably discussing the journey of the United Nations as it marks the 80th anniversary of its founding, and examining ways to strengthen international partnerships to ensure the sustainability of the Organization’s objectives. This axis discussed how parliaments can assist the United Nations in fulfilling its commitments.
The discussions also included activating the United Nations Pact for the Future by translating global commitments into tangible realities within countries through the oversight and legislative roles of parliaments.
The parliamentary hearing further addressed safeguarding public participation by examining the challenges facing parliaments and their impact on the performance of their oversight and legislative roles.
It also discussed United Nations financing and securing its future in a manner that ensures financial sustainability and the independence of its programmes and activities.
The session witnessed the launch of the IPU report titled “Political Violence Against MPs Rising Worldwide,” which monitors the phenomenon of violence and harassment targeting parliamentarians and its impact on their lives and ability to carry out their legislative and oversight duties.
In her intervention during the discussion of the theme “UN at 80: Renewing Trust and Purpose through Cooperation and Partnership,” Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council Dr. Hamda bint Hassan Al Sulaiti, emphasized that geopolitical divisions among major powers are among the most significant challenges undermining the effectiveness of the United Nations.
She added that the Organization’s inability to enforce its resolutions in a binding manner, as well as declining trust in it, limit its impact.
She stressed that legislative councils and parliaments can serve as essential partners to the United Nations in fulfilling its promises by translating international commitments into national legislation, allocating the necessary resources, and following up on implementation through oversight committees.
She noted that reforming the United Nations and activating its role requires the inclusion of parliaments as a fundamental pillar in the international system. Under the theme “Financing and Future-Proofing the United Nations,” she pointed out that the future of the United Nations depends on its ability to obtain balanced and predictable resources.
For his part, Ahmed Al Maliki stated, in his intervention during the discussion of the theme “Translating Together International Commitments into National Realities,” that parliaments can work jointly with other parliaments to translate UN principles into tangible realities that serve peoples and enhance trust in the international system.
In the other session, which included the launch of the Inter-Parliamentary Union report monitoring violence and harassment targeting parliamentarians, His Excellency affirmed that intimidation and threats against parliamentarians undermine the ability of legislative institutions to perform their core functions.
