"I feel honoured to address you today on the importance of parliaments in promoting peace, justice, and strong institutions. Current violent conflicts around the world are derailing the global path to peace and prosperity. Brutal war in Ukraine, and the bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas are vivid demonstrations of the explosive nature of the destructive impact these conflicts have on world peace and democracy. Armed violence and insecurity often deteriorate problems of forced displacement, civilian deaths, and crime. All these have devastating consequences for peoples and communities, especially socially vulnerable groups of population", - the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, H.E. Shalva Papuashvili, stated in his speech at the 147th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), which was held in the capital of Angola, Luanda, where more than 50 speakers from 130 countries participate in the work of the Assembly.

According to Shalva Papuashvili, amid the current complicated geopolitical situation, each of us better comprehends the value of peace.

"We, the speakers of parliaments, have a crucial role to play in promoting the rule of law and protecting human rights, fostering open andaccountable institutions to ensure peaceful, stable, and prosperous environment for our peoples", - Shalva Papuashvili noted, adding that the strength of democracy depends on the strength of its institutions.

According to him, stable state institutions are the pillars of a strong and viable democracy and the foundation of any successful society.

"They protect individual rights and freedoms, provide continuity and consistency in governance, foster transparency and accountability, and ensure that policies and laws are implemented in a fair and effective manner. This stability promotes economic growth and creates an environment conducive to social progress, peace and development. Without these institutions, democracy becomes vulnerable. As responsible citizens, it is our duty to support and strengthen these institutions. It was the establishment of effective institutional architecture that made Georgia one of the frontrunners in effective, innovative and inclusive public services, fight against corruption and organised crime, transparency and accountability. Indeed, Georgia’s progress is reflected in influential international rankings. To name only recent achievements, in terms of Corruption Control by World Bank, Georgia ranks 20th in the world and 11th in Europe; in terms of the Rule of Law by the same organisation, Georgia ranks 29th in the world and 14th in Europe; according to the report “Transparency in the Time of War” by the European Research Centre for Anti-Corruption and State-Building, Georgia ranks 17th in the Transparency Index 2023, ahead of 15 EU member states, four G7 member states, and so on. However, dear friends, the state institutions are under attack from various threats, including disinformation and foreign malign interference that pose a significant danger to the very foundations of democracy. In recent years, we have witnessed a rise in disinformation campaigns that aim to manipulate public opinion, distort the truth and undermine the trust we place in our democratic institutions. And Georgia too, despite the above-mentioned spectacular achievements, is not immune from the unprecedented challenge. The problem consists of, first, external geopolitical pressure and dangers of foreign interference; and, second, rising domestic radicalism and populism", - the Speaker stated.

According to him, in the foreign direction, Russia undermines the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia by occupying two historical parts of Georgia - Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region, refuses to fulfill its international obligations and maintains instability and criminal activities on the ground.

"This must end. Disrespecting the key principles and values of international law opens the Pandora box that has a potential to drag the entire world in the swamp of unseen chaos. And the vocal voice of each of you in support of international law, thus in support of Georgia’s territorial integrity, is vital. In this regard, we are grateful that due to solidarity of so many of you, UN General Assembly Resolution on status of internally displaced persons and refugees from Georgia’s Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region got the record high supportive votes in 2023. I would like to kindly ask your continued support on this matter", - Shalva Papuashvili stated.

As the Speaker underscored, in order to deal with growing domestic radicalism and populism, we must continue to fight against the disinformation narrative.

"Much has been said about the ways to tackle disinformation, so let me focus more on the communication and outreach. In fact, communication between the national parliament and the population becomes critically important for the stability of the democratic political process. In the Parliament of Georgia, we put much effort into strengthening the bonds of trust between people and the Parliament through promoting open, accountable and transparent governance. For example, the Georgian Parliament is among the global frontrunners in terms of the Open Governance. We have also forged an agreement with a platform that represents the great majority of non-governmental organisations across Georgia’s regions and sectors in order to to ensure more inclusive and informed decision-making. We make sure that the parliamentary processes are accessible both physically and online to boost openness and transparency of the Parliament of Georgia and raise awareness about the legislative and oversight activities of the Parliament among the public", - Shalva Papuashvili stated, emphasizing that the Parliament of Georgia is committed to enhancing its transparency and openness through diligent efforts to facilitate access to parliamentary proceedings, both in physical attendance and through online platforms.

According to him, the Parliament pays special attention to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, realizing that without peace, justice and strong institutions, it will be difficult to make progress on the path to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

"Finally, we are working on the establishment of the Civic Education Center to promote synergies among the Parliament, schools and universities, and to facilitate more active engagement of the youth in parliamentary processes”, - the Speaker stated.

As the Speaker remarked, the role of state institutions is great in any democratic society. These institutions are the pillars that strengthen the principles of democracy, protect the rights of citizens and ensure the proper functioning of the government.

"We, as parliamentarians, shall do our utmost in these volatile times to protect our democracies via defending and advocating for state institutions, internally and externally. This way we can create an environment that is conducive to long-term development, peace and prosperity. I believe that international cooperation and experience-sharing is crucial to address such common challenges", - Shalva Papuashvili highlighted in his speech.