The Shura Council State of Qatar

Speaker of the Shura Council H E Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanem participated Saturday in the 208th session of the IPU Governing Council, as part of the work of the General Assembly of the Union (IPU), currently being held in the Spanish capital, Madrid.

The session witnessed the election of HE Speaker of the Spanish House of Representatives Meritxell Batet, as President of the 143rd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

The session also included a speech delivered by HE President of the IPU, Duarte Pacheco, in which he indicated that this is the first live meeting since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic.

The President of the IPU said that countries should enact urgent legislations to confront the conditions and turmoil of this pandemic.

For her part, HE former President of the IPU Gabriela Barron, thanked the parliaments of the Union for their cooperation during the past periods, which was brought together by one goal to serve the people and the interests of states, regardless of different cultures, religions and ethnicities. She hoped the meetings would succeed in producing results that contribute to advancement of the world and the overcoming of the consequences of the pandemic.

The session also featured the elections of the Executive Committee, as well as a review of reports on the activities of the Union, the activities of other committees and bodies, the adoption of a new strategy for the Union for the period 2022-2026, discussion of issues related to membership of the Union, and the financial situation of the IPU.

The session was attended by Shura Council Members HE Ahmed bin Hitmi Al Hitmi, HE Sheikha bint Yousef Al Jufairi and HE Mohammed bin Omar Al Mannai.