By Rehan Khan
TASHKENT, Apr 07 (APP): President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has urged parliaments across the world to play a greater role in ensuring global peace, social justice, and sustainable development addressing the opening ceremony of the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Tashkent.
Welcoming delegates from over 140 countries, President Mirziyoyev said it was a matter of pride that the historic Assembly, being held in the Central Asian region for the first time, had brought together 181 national parliaments and 15 regional parliamentary bodies in the Uzbek capital.
He said the decision to host the event in Tashkent reflected the international community’s recognition of Uzbekistan’s achievements in democratic reforms and strengthening parliamentary institutions. “As a former member of parliament for 15 years, I fully understand the noble responsibility that comes with representing the people’s will and striving for a more just and peaceful world,” the president remarked.
The Assembly is being held under the theme “Parliamentary Action for Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions,” which President Mirziyoyev said was a timely and symbolic call to address pressing global challenges. Referring to increasing armed conflicts, climate change, poverty, and inequality, he stressed that parliaments must act as a powerful force to tackle these threats and promote inclusive development.
The president noted that despite a 4.5-fold increase in global GDP over the past three decades, income disparities had persisted, with over 575 million people projected to remain in poverty by 2030 if corrective action is not taken. “Parliaments must mobilize their intellectual resources, share best practices, and expand cooperation to mitigate inequality and build just societies,” he said.
Highlighting Uzbekistan’s own democratic journey, President Mirziyoyev said the new Constitution adopted in 2023 had significantly expanded the powers of both chambers of the Oliy Majlis, the Legislative Chamber and the Senate. The share of women in the national parliament has reached 38 percent, the highest growth in Asia over the past 30 years, while youth parliaments have also been established.
He also mentioned that Uzbekistan has formed partnership mechanisms with nearly 100 foreign parliaments and launched over 80 friendship groups and commissions. Underscoring global issues, the Uzbek leader called for; peaceful resolution of conflicts, particularly the situation in Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, supporting the two-state solution; constructive engagement with Afghanistan, urging parliaments to support dialogue with Kabul and avoid its isolation; stronger commitment to climate action, including support for renewable energy and green technologies, aligned with the Paris Agreement; women’s empowerment, referencing recent international forums hosted by Uzbekistan and proposing a UN resolution to expand women’s socio-political engagement; youth participation, proposing the establishment of a Global Platform of Youth Parliaments under the IPU and offering to host its inaugural forum, poverty reduction and social protection, sharing that Uzbekistan’s poverty rate had dropped from 35 percent to 8.9 percent in eight years through the “From Poverty to Prosperity” program, and responsible use of artificial intelligence, suggesting the development of a model law on AI ethics to guide legislation in this emerging field.
President Mirziyoyev reaffirmed Uzbekistan’s commitment to multilateralism and endorsed the UN as the central pillar of global governance. He also welcomed ongoing UN reforms led by Secretary-General António Guterres.
Concluding his address, he expressed hope that the Tashkent Declaration, expected to be adopted at the conclusion of the Assembly, would chart a new course for parliamentary cooperation.
The 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union includes nearly 70 sessions and side events where parliamentarians are expected to deliberate on key international challenges and adopt forward-looking resolutions.