Maja Riniker welcomes women speakers of Parliament to international summit

This year the 15th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament will take place at the seat of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva. The high-level meeting is convened by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in cooperation with the Swiss parliament and brings together female politicians from all over the world. The summit is taking place during a year of many milestones for women's rights, marking two important anniversaries: the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action and the 10th anniversary of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The theme of the conference is 'Leading for inclusive and lasting peace' and offers female politicians a platform to exchange experiences, discuss challenges and develop concrete solutions to strengthen the political leadership role of women worldwide.

Maja Riniker, who will chair the summit, states: "It is an honour for me to welcome so many inspiring female parliamentary speakers to Switzerland. Together, we are sending a strong signal in favour of equality and the important role of women in parliamentary democracy."

Journalists are cordially invited to attend the conference on 28 July at the International Labour Organization, 4 route des Morillons, 1211 Geneva. Please obtain accreditation using the following link: 15th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament

The results of the summit will flow into the subsequent 6th IPU World Conference of Speakers of Parliament which will take place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 29 to 31 July. This high-level conference takes place every five years and will be attended by both the president of the National Council, Maja Riniker, and the president of the Council of States, Andrea Caroni.

On the fringes of both conferences, Ms Riniker and Andrea Caroni (FDP, AR), president of the Council of States will hold bilateral talks with Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of People's Republic of China, among others. Switzerland and China are celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations this year.

Founded in 1889, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is the oldest multilateral organisation in the world. It promotes cooperation between parliaments worldwide and addresses issues such as peace and security, sustainable development and respect for human rights. The IPU today counts 181 member states and has been based in Geneva since 1921.