QNA
Malabo
The Shura Council participated in the 11th consultative meeting of the Association of Senates, Shoora and Equivalent Councils in Africa and the Arab World (ASSECAA), held in the capital of Equatorial Guinea, Malabo, over two days, under the theme ‘Strengthening the Joint Parliamentary Action of the Global South Countries to Face Environmental, Technological and Development Challenges’.
Shura Council member HE Saad bin Ahmed Al Mesned and Shura Council member HE Khalid bin Abbas Kamal Al Emadi represented the Council at the meeting, which focused on strengthening cooperation and partnerships among the countries of the Global South to address common development challenges, particularly regarding sustainable investment and modern technologies like artificial intelligence, which contribute to improving quality of life, education and healthcare.
Participants also discussed combating desertification and soil erosion, being critical environmental issues, and called for enhanced international cooperation to address them through natural resource protection and developing effective strategies. The meeting also emphasised the importance of leveraging modern technologies to tackle environmental and economic challenges and achieve sustainable development.
In his opening remarks, Mesned highlighted Qatar’s leading role in supporting cooperation among the countries of the Global South, noting the scale of Qatar’s investments in these regions and the development aid it provides during both normal circumstances and at times of disaster.
He pointed to Qatar’s hosting of major United Nations conferences, including the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5), during which Qatar pledged $60 million in support of these countries.
He underscored parliaments’ important role in enacting legislations facilitating cooperation agreements and monitoring the implementation of joint projects among the countries of the Global South, stressing the need for adequate budget allocations for these initiatives.
Mesned added that parliaments could explore collaboration opportunities and share best practices through parliamentary diplomacy and partnerships with diplomatic missions in the countries of the Global South.
He also proposed drafting a model framework agreement among legislative councils to define mechanisms for implementing bilateral and collective cooperation projects in various fields.
Meanwhile, Emadi addressed the topic of Artificial Intelligence and the countries of the Global South: challenges and opportunities, underscoring the significance of AI and developing it to be able to learn, analyse and predict independently.
He noted AI’s substantial benefits to humanity across sectors, including the scientific, health and economic sectors, while at the same time warning against the potential risk of misuse associated with digital transformation and AI within cyberspace.
Emadi said the lack of an international law governing the use of these technologies could pose a threat to international peace and security, stressing the need for international cooperation in order to utilize these technologies safely and sustainably.