New Delhi, Oct 26 Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Monday that Parliaments, as vibrant expressions of the people’s will, could serve as bridges of understanding, ease international tensions and help advance peaceful and constructive responses to global challenges.
Inaugurating the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum here, Birla highlighted the mounting challenges posed by regional conflicts, wars, economic instability, trade tensions, terrorism and climate change, and said that the world was passing through a period of profound uncertainty.
“Parliaments, as vibrant expressions of the people’s will, could serve as bridges of understanding, strengthen mutual confidence, ease international tensions and help advance peaceful and constructive responses to global challenges,” he said.
The speaker made the remarks in the presence of representatives of BRICS member nations including Russia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. While Iran is involved in the ongoing conflict in West Asia, Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and the war between the two countries is going on since then.
The consequences of the uncertainties, Birla noted, transcended national boundaries and called for a spirit of collective responsibility.
“In such a challenging global landscape, dialogue, diplomacy and cooperation assumed even greater significance,” he said.
Birla said although BRICS countries differed in their national circumstances, developmental priorities and perspectives, they were united by fundamental aspirations: peace, security, mutual respect, equal opportunities and a better quality of life for their citizens.
“These shared aspirations provided a strong foundation for deeper engagement and purposeful cooperation. The BRICS Parliamentary Forum must therefore emerge as a dynamic platform for building confidence, fostering understanding and advancing collective action in pursuit of these common goals,” he said.
Calling for renewed commitment among BRICS member countries, the speaker urged them to transform experience into joint action, understanding into enduring trust, and dialogue into concrete and meaningful cooperation.
Birla said through parliamentary diplomacy, elected representatives could exchange perspectives, draw upon shared experiences, identify common interests and open new avenues for meaningful international cooperation.
He observed that BRICS carried the significant responsibility of amplifying the voice of the Global South and advancing its aspirations on the world stage.
New Delhi is hosting the two-day event that is being held at Samvidhan Sadan, the old Parliament building.
Birla said BRICS nations hold nearly half the world’s population and about a third of its land, with a significant share of the global economy and trade.
Despite differences in geography, culture, language and society, he noted that the members are bound by democratic values and a shared commitment to humanity.
He emphasised that this aspiration must move beyond the realm of dialogue and declarations to find concrete expression in responsive policies, practical cooperation and collective initiatives that improve people’s lives.
The strength of the grouping, Birla noted, would be reflected in its ability to transform shared aspirations into purposeful action and ensure that the concerns and priorities of developing nations received due consideration in global decision-making.
The speaker called upon the Parliaments of BRICS member and partner countries to strengthen their collective resolve towards people-centric development, global peace, sustainability and international cooperation.
Emphasising the transformative potential of parliamentary engagement, he underscored the need to harness the collective wisdom of nations to address shared challenges, deepen mutual understanding and bring meaningful, positive change to the lives of citizens.
Welcoming the parliamentary delegations from BRICS member and partner countries to India, Birla observed that their presence reflected a shared commitment to dialogue, parliamentary cooperation, mutual respect and democratic values.
He said that notwithstanding their geographical, cultural, linguistic and social diversity, the countries were united by their faith in democratic ideals and a common sense of responsibility towards humanity.
The true strength of BRICS lies in its ability to transform diversity into a source of strength, shared purpose and collective progress, the speaker said.
(PTI News)
