Stronger parliamentary action required for peace, justice — Bagbin
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has stressed the need for Parliaments to nurture hope, secure peace and justice.
Those values, he said, were key pillars for sustainable development.
IPU assembly
Mr Bagbin stated this when he delivered Ghana’s statement at the 152nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Istanbul, Turkey last Friday.
Earlier, Mr Bagbin held bilateral meetings with the Speaker of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş to discuss issues of mutual interest.
The meeting took place in Turkey as part of the side events of the ongoing IPU conference.
Hope
Mr Bagbin described hope as a reflection of confidence in systems that promoted inclusive growth, protected livelihoods and created opportunities, particularly for young people.
He noted that lasting peace went beyond the absence of conflict and must be anchored in justice, equity and resilient institutions.
Mr Bagbin highlighted the critical role of Parliaments in advancing those ideals, citing Ghana’s experience in parliamentary oversight of environmental policies and social protection programmes.
Stability
He, however, acknowledged that despite Ghana’s democratic stability, the country continued to face challenges such as economic inequality, youth unemployment, weak institutional capacity, environmental degradation and security threats, as well as emerging risks linked to misinformation, cybersecurity and unequal access to digital technologies.
Mr Bagbin said Parliament remained central to translating national aspirations into laws, policies and accountability mechanisms through its legislative, oversight and representative functions.
He pointed to government interventions in education, youth empowerment and social protection, alongside ongoing judicial reforms aimed at improving access to justice.
He, therefore, called for stronger collaboration between Parliaments and the Executive for the attainment of the aspirations of the people.
Mr Bagbin noted that building a peaceful, just and hopeful society required deliberate and sustained efforts to safeguard the future of generations to come.
