jordan pulse -

Senate Speaker Faisal Al-Fayez on Friday called on parliaments around the world to play an active role in responding to contemporary global crises, stressing that the challenges facing the world require strong parliaments capable of protecting their peoples and building a more stable future.

Al-Fayez said conflicts and challenges around the world were becoming increasingly complex, but the key issue was how to address them. Responding to these challenges, he noted, was not the sole responsibility of governments but required genuine partnerships among civil society institutions and various international bodies, with parliaments playing a central and effective role.

He made the remarks in a speech at the International Conference of Speakers of Parliaments, which opened in Rome on Friday under the theme "The Role of Parliaments in Addressing and Responding to Contemporary Crises." The conference brought together a broad range of parliamentary speakers and representatives of international parliamentary organizations and bodies. Jordan's Ambassador to Rome, Qais Abu Diyeh, also attended the event.

Al-Fayez pointed out that, amid the growing number of crises, none could be considered the exclusive concern of a single country. These challenges include escalating climate crises, economic and financial difficulties, conflicts threatening international peace and security, and emerging digital and cybersecurity threats.

According to a statement issued by the Senate, Al-Fayez briefed parliamentary speakers and representatives of international parliamentary organizations on the key messages conveyed by His Majesty King Abdullah II in his address to the United Nations General Assembly.

He said the King's speech had laid bare the realities of the conflicts, crises and challenges facing the international community, as well as their political, security and economic consequences and their impact on international peace, human dignity and people's right to live in freedom and security.

Al-Fayez added that the King had urged the international community to assume its responsibilities in safeguarding international peace and stability, ending violations and respecting international law. The King also stressed the need to move from managing crises to addressing their root causes, and from merely stating positions to taking practical measures that protect human beings and their right to life.

"What is the value of international law if it can be ignored for decades. And what is the value of international institutions if the rules are not the same, the rights are not the same, and human dignity is not the same?" Al-Fayez quoted the King as asking.

He said that, as the international community looked on, the Israeli government had continued for eight decades to commit war crimes against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, according to the King's address. He also pointed to continued violations against Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, Israeli government efforts to Judaize the Jordan Valley, and infringements on people's freedoms and dignity.

Al-Fayez questioned why the international community's mechanisms for punishment and accountability remained ineffective when it came to Israel, and why the Israeli government continued to evade accountability and defy international legitimacy resolutions and international humanitarian law.

He also highlighted the King's assertion that demolishing Palestinian homes to expand settlements in the West Bank was not law enforcement but forced displacement, while seizing occupied land was not land registration but de facto annexation.

Similarly, he said, Israeli checkpoints across the occupied West Bank were not security infrastructure but a system of repression, while systematic attacks on Palestinian communities were not merely "settler riots" but part of an ongoing Israeli policy.

Turning to the challenges facing parliaments, Al-Fayez said rapid global transformations had created unprecedented pressures on their legislative and oversight functions. These challenges were no longer limited to traditional political crises but had expanded to encompass complex technological, social and environmental issues.

He identified the digital divide and the rapid pace of technological advancement as major challenges, saying parliaments were facing a technological surge that required swift responses to keep pace with change.

Parliaments were also experiencing a widening trust gap with the public, he said, requiring greater transparency to counter fake news and attempts to undermine parliamentary work. In addition, cross-border crises, including climate change, epidemics and economic instability, required parliamentarians to adopt an international rather than exclusively domestic perspective.

Al-Fayez stressed that addressing crises and responding effectively to them required parliaments to become more flexible and better equipped to mitigate their consequences. Parliaments, he said, were not merely legislative institutions responsible for enacting laws but also the voice and conscience of the people.

During times of crisis, he added, their role became even more important, encompassing efforts to end conflicts, promote social justice, advance education and healthcare, bridge the digital divide between the Global North and South, address cybersecurity threats and ensure the responsible and ethical use of modern technologies to protect individual privacy. These objectives could be achieved through appropriate legislation and stronger parliamentary oversight.

He said cooperation, experience-sharing and coordination among parliaments and executive authorities could help establish early-warning networks and enable collective pressure to secure peaceful and just solutions to conflicts through dialogue and responsible engagement.

Such cooperation could also help address the challenges of asylum and displacement, climate change, sustainable development in conflict zones, poverty and hunger, while reinforcing human rights, integrity and transparency.

Al-Fayez emphasized that stronger partnerships among parliamentary bodies, built through closer ties of friendship and cooperation, would enhance their influence, expand their expertise, support sustainable development and strengthen the foundations of peace and security.

He added that effective parliamentary responses to crises required stronger institutional capacities, mechanisms for rapid consultation with experts, civil society and the private sector, and greater international cooperation among parliaments.

"Many crises cannot be resolved in isolation from others. The role of parliaments during crises is not that of a bystander, but of an active and responsible partner," Al-Fayez said.

He urged parliaments to take proactive measures and turn crises into opportunities to strengthen preventive legislation, build more resilient and equitable systems, and reinforce trust between citizens and the state.

Concluding his speech, Al-Fayez cited data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which estimated that global military expenditure reached approximately $2.88 trillion in 2025. Estimates for 2026 put the figure at between $3.1 trillion and $3.3 trillion.

He concluded by asking, "Can we say that we are living in a safe and stable world?" //Petra// MF