For his part, in his remarks during the opening session of the 10th conference of the Association of Secretaries-General of Arab Parliaments, HE Shura Council Secretary General, President of the Association of Secretaries-General of Arab Parliaments Dr. Ahmed bin Nasser Al Fadala stressed the great interest that the State of Qatar, under the leadership of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, attaches to the efforts, activities, and achievements of the Association of Secretaries-General of Arab Parliaments through its interaction with the latest regional and international issues. His Excellency pointed out that the conference will discuss the topics on its agenda and exchange opinions on the most successful and easiest ways to achieve the association's goals, in a way that serves Arab parliaments and legislative councils and contributes to serving the Arab peoples and realizing their hopes and aspirations.
His Excellency added that the conference will also address the completion of the discussion and study of important issues, including studying the powers of the secretaries-general and issuing a guideline for that, as well as following up on the decisions issued by the Baghdad conference in February by forming two committees, the first concerned with studying the statute and bylaws of the proposed assembly that were approved, provided that it will be approved at the Doha meeting, while the second committee is concerned with issuing the guidelines. The conference will also approve the association's draft annual financial budget, as is the case in previous conferences, approve its final account, determine the date and location of the association's next meeting, and consider membership applications submitted to join it.
His Excellency said that what reinforces the certainty of the association's growing role in serving Arab parliaments is its effective response and keeping pace with developments and the aspirations of Arab parliaments, as this was reflected in its interest in reviewing its bylaws, working to develop the competencies of secretaries-general, and highlighting their vital role in the performance of parliaments. His Excellency noted that the growing role of the association was evident in its obtaining the status of an observer member in the Arab Parliament and the Parliamentary Union of OIC Member States (PUIC) and that it is still moving forward at the same time in completing the procedures for its membership as an observer in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). He added that the periodic meetings of the association have been held regularly over the past two years, accompanied by an increase in the volume of participation and an increase in interaction with all regional and international parliamentary activities .
His Excellency said that the association, with the efforts and support of everyone, was able during the past two years to discuss and study the most important structural, methodological, and guiding issues that enhance its effectiveness, which contributes to establishing institutional frameworks for its work, making it an enlightening and advisory center for Arab parliaments, especially since it has now contained distinguished experiences and practices that are exchanged in such platform.
HE President of the Association of Secretaries-General of Arab Parliaments said that since its establishment in 1995 and through its successive conferences until today, the association has become accustomed to choosing one topic on which to base collective opinions and to study and discuss it to results that members agree on and work to implement them. He added that as the growing pivotal role of the association is applauded in supporting the member states supervisory and legislative councils to achieve the aspirations of their peoples, the association looks forward to making more efforts and contributions to its various activities.
In his speech, HE Dr. Al Fadala praised the development witnessed by the association's performance recently, the achievements it has achieved, and its active participation in parliamentary forums and platforms, including, for example, its participation in the work of the second meeting of the Call for the Sahel, which was held in February in Algeria under the title "engaging communities in the prevention of violent extremism", at a time when the number of tasks entrusted to the association by the Arab Parliamentary Union and member parliaments to perform administrative or legislative parliamentary tasks that serve the Arab parliaments has increased. In return, the association's interests have also increased, and its membership in parliamentary organizations and unions has multiplied, which requires everyone to make more efforts and work to keep up with these requirements, as well as evaluate the association's financial situation and seek to attract additional resources commensurate with the increased burden o n it.
His Excellency pointed out the importance of the presence of members of the association and their participation in various unions, organizations, and parliamentary gatherings while using this presence to hold meetings on behalf of the association on the sidelines, which contributes to highlighting the association's name and role in parliamentary work and provides an opportunity to exchange opinions and hold discussions on various issues of interest to the association, reiterating the importance of the participation of secretaries-general in the association's meetings.
Meanwhile, at the beginning of his speech, HE President of the Association of Secretaries-General of Arab Parliaments condoled the sisterly Kingdome of Morocco on the devastating earthquake that hit Morocco on Monday, as well as condoled the sisterly state of Libya on the floods and torrents that hit the country on Sunday, as the two disasters left several deaths, injured, and missing. He expressed, on behalf of all participants in the conference, sincere condolences and solidarity with the Kingdom of Morocco and the state of Libya, government and people, in this great tragedy, and their condolences to the families of the victims of the earthquake and floods, wishing for mercy and forgiveness for the dead and a speedy recovery for the injured. (MORE)
Source: Qatar News Agency