The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean at the 15th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament in Geneva
28 July 2025, Geneva, Switzerland – The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) participated and contributed to the 15th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), in partnership with the Swiss Parliament, and hosted at the premises of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Hon. Maryam Bin Theneya (UAE), President of the PAM Women Parliamentary Forum (WPF), represented the Assembly.
The 15th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, which preceded the IPU Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, drew over 330 participants from 37 countries, including 30 Women Speakers of Parliament. This high-level meeting served as a platform to reaffirm global commitments to women’s rights, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the 10th anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals, and 25 years since the adoption of the UN Women, Peace and Security Agenda.
In her intervention, Hon. Bin Theneya, reaffirmed the collective responsibility of parliaments to accelerate progress toward gender equality and women’s empowerment. She also underlined the core objectives of the PAM WPF, which include promoting women’s rights as integral to democratic governance, fostering cooperation among parliamentarians to ensure gender mainstreaming in all policies, and encouraging the active and equitable participation of women within parliamentary institutions. Hon. Bin Theneya referred as well to the United Arab Emirates as a regional model for advancing women’s leadership, noting its supportive legislative framework and inclusive policies.
In this context, she extended the invitation to all participants to attend the Second Session of the PAM WPF, to be hosted by the UAE Federal National Council, in Abou Dhabi, from 26 to 28 January 2026.
Hon. Bin Theneya also met Mr. Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the IPU, to exchange views on enhancing inter-parliamentary cooperation in support of gender equality and inclusive governance.
The Summit concluded with the adoption of a final declaration, in which Women Speakers expressed their solidarity with women and girls living in conflict-affected areas, and raised deep concern regarding the disproportionate risks they endure in times of war.
The declaration further underscored the need for inclusive, gender-responsive approaches in science and diplomacy, particularly in relation to climate action, the governance of emerging technologies, and the restoration of public trust in democratic institutions.
The outcomes of the Summit, as reflected in the declaration, contributed to shaping discussions of the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, on 29-31 July 2025, in Geneva, to which Hon. Giulio Centemero, President of PAM, contributed.