GENEVA

The sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament opened in Geneva on Tuesday with strong appeals for renewed multilateral cooperation and inclusive leadership in the face of growing global divisions.

The conference, organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), will continue until Thursday, bringing together over 180 parliamentary leaders from across the world, including Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus.

Tulia Ackson, president of the IPU, said during her opening remarks that the conference aims not to set new policies but to evaluate global parliamentary progress and strengthen action.

"Our purpose is not to come up with a new policy agenda, but to take stock of where we are as a parliamentary community and to boost parliamentary action in support of agreed commitments," she said.

Ackson warned against "short-termism" in politics and called for collective action in three key areas: peace, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, and universal access to health, education, housing, and a clean environment.

She urged parliaments to "counter the destructive force of injustice with a political culture of cooperation, solidarity and unity," grounded in the idea that "there is no such thing as a nation that can live and prosper in isolation."

"Now more than ever … countries need to work together to find solutions to their common problems," she added.

The conference is expected to adopt a declaration reaffirming parliaments' commitment to a reformed and more effective multilateral system.