Monaco’s National Council President, Thomas Brezzo, has called for stronger international cooperation during the sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, held from Tuesday, July 29 to Thursday, July 31 at the United Nations’ Palais des Nations in Geneva.
The summit, organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in collaboration with the United Nations, gathered 102 parliamentary speakers, 34 vice-speakers, and a host of diplomats, experts, and civil society representatives. The focus was on how parliaments can contribute to peace, justice, and prosperity in an increasingly fractured world.
In his address, Brezzo underscored Monaco’s long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship, multilateralism, and dialogue between nations. “Whatever our size, military might, financial power, religious traditions, or political heritage, we all have a role to play,” he told delegates, insisting that even small states can be catalysts for change.
Brezzo was joined in Geneva by Vice-President Jean-Louis Grinda and Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Fabrice Notari. The trio used the opportunity to strengthen bilateral ties, holding meetings with counterparts from Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, and Iceland. These discussions serve as groundwork for September’s conference in Malta, where leaders of parliaments from Europe’s small states will convene. Brezzo is slated to present a draft global framework designed to boost interparliamentary cooperation among these nations.
Alongside Namibia’s parliamentary speaker, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, Brezzo also presented the Joint Declaration of the Geneva Conference. The document highlights the shared determination of the world’s legislatures to respond collectively to global crises.
Fabrice Notari hailed the declaration as “important,” emphasising that it “reaffirms the need for more effective and democratic multilateralism at a time when the international order is under severe strain.” As parliaments worldwide face mounting challenges, from conflicts to climate change, the Geneva summit reinforced a simple but potent message: solutions require not just governments, but global cooperation at every level.
