Arusha:Bahrain's parliamentary delegation, led by Jamal Mohamed Fakhro, First Deputy Chairman of the Shura Council, concluded its involvement in the 153rd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly and related events held in Arusha, Tanzania, from October 5 to 9.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the delegation participated in 40 sessions, meetings, and workshops, and conducted nine bilateral and coordination meetings. The Assembly gathered around 700 parliamentarians from over 130 countries, including 50 parliamentary speakers and 45 deputy speakers.
The delegation included other prominent members such as Hala Ramzy Fayez, Deputy Head of the delegation and Shura Council member, along with Council of Representatives members Hassan Ibrahim Hassan, Zainab Abdulameer Khalil, and Ali Saqr Al Doseri. Bahrain proposed an emergency item entitled "Ensuring freedom of navigation, maritime security, and the flow of international trade through maritime corridors and straits, in accordance with international law A call for urgent parliamentary action." This proposal garnered 877 votes but was surpassed by Nepal's proposal by 24 votes.
During the assembly, the delegation conducted meetings with representatives from several countries and organizations, including the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan, China, Serbia, Zimbabwe, the Twelve Plus Group, France, and Ukraine. Additionally, they participated in the election of Milton Dick as the IPU's 32nd President. Dick, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Australia, secured 56% of the votes in a single round of secret balloting.
An agreement was signed by Fakhro with Rojo Edwards Silva, President of the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC), establishing a cooperation mechanism between the legislative councils of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states and the Latin American and Caribbean geopolitical group.
The delegation also attended the 218th session of the IPU Governing Council and participated in various meetings of parliamentary forums, standing committees, and regional coordination groups. Workshops covered topics such as international humanitarian law, counterterrorism, and artificial intelligence.