Story by Margaret Matibiri
THE Speaker of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, presented a report on shaping the digital future during the closing of the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament held in Geneva, Switzerland.
Held under the auspices of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) from July 29 to July 31, the conference brought together representatives from 120 Parliaments, including 102 Speakers, 34 Deputy Speakers, members of parliament, diplomats, United Nations officials, civil society, and academia.
Speaker Mudenda presented on Panel 4, themed “What Role for Parliaments in Shaping Our Digital Future,” which generated strong interest and featured contributions from 11 Speakers and eight panellists.
In his presentation, he emphasised the importance of aligning legislation with technological advancements.
“There is a need for a legislative balance where innovation is encouraged while protecting rights,” he noted, adding that parliaments should adopt the “Three A’s” principle Agility, Adaptability, and Anticipation to keep up with the pace of digital change.
The panel also underlined the need for international collaboration in AI governance, with Advocate Mudenda stating that “addressing AI challenges requires multisectoral approaches, involving parliaments, governments and the private sector.”
He further highlighted the UN’s Global Digital Compact as a key framework for bridging the digital divide.
Looking ahead, a follow-up conference on responsible AI application is set to be held in Malaysia in November, co-organised by the IPU.
The global gathering concluded with the adoption of a High-Level Declaration which, among other priorities, reaffirmed parliamentary commitment to peace, justice, and prosperity, and called for stronger multilateralism.
On the sidelines of the conference, Speaker Mudenda met with the Speaker of the Palestinian National Council, His Excellency Mr Rawhi Fatoo. The two discussed the humanitarian crisis in Palestine and expressed support for the two-state solution.
Advocate Mudenda said, “Zimbabwe stands by Palestine and supports its quest for self-determination as articulated by UN resolutions.”
He condemned Israel’s expansionist policy and reiterated Zimbabwe’s backing of South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
