I. Parliamentary Diplomacy: Concept and Function
In our ever-evolving global landscape, we’re facing a whirlwind of challenges that span politics, security, economics, and the environment, stemming largely from the transformative force of globalization, which has effectively blurred the once-clear boundaries between local and global spheres, ushering in an era where the impacts of actions taken in one corner of the world reverberate across the entire planet. This has given rise to significant concerns among the global public and has led to a growing need for the direct involvement of parliamentarians in the decision-making process concerning these global issues and threats. While diplomacy traditionally involved communication and interaction among official state representatives, there is now a growing need for parliaments and legislative institutions to expand their role beyond legislation and oversight of the executive authority, and actively participate in diplomatic activities. This led to the emergence of parliamentary diplomacy, which has been employed in extraordinary situations to tackle and resolve crises that pose a threat to international peace and security.
Parliamentary diplomacy did not emerge recently. Its origins can be traced back to the late 19th century. It has evolved to foster stronger connections between countries, advance universal human values, including democracy and adherence to international law, and promote global peace and security through international and continental parliamentary forums that offer valuable opportunities for regular consultations and discussions among parliamentarians, who possess constitutional mandates from their respective nations. The aim is to address global threats and crises effectively. Further, the regular interaction between parliamentarians and voters enhances the former’s receptiveness to the shifting patterns of public sentiment on different matters, enabling them to articulate these views more effectively. This gives them more flexibility and room to maneuver than official representatives and government officials when dealing with such issues.
II. Forms of Parliamentary Diplomacy
Parliamentary diplomacy encompasses two primary forms: bilateral parliamentary diplomacy and multilateral parliamentary diplomacy. Bilateral parliamentary diplomacy refers to the methods used to strengthen bilateral relations between the parliaments of different countries. This involves exchanging experiences in parliamentary and legislative matters, as well as improving consultation and coordination between the parliaments on regional and international issues on the international parliamentary forums. Parliaments engage in bilateral parliamentary diplomacy through various mechanisms, particularly bilateral parliamentary friendship groups. This practice greatly contributes to the exploration and improvement of opportunities for bilateral cooperation between countries. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in strengthening cooperative, friendly, and communicative relations between different nations. Multilateral parliamentary diplomacy refers to the establishment of collective parliamentary ties within international and regional parliamentary organizations. This aspect of parliamentary diplomacy focuses on harmonizing the stances of different parliaments on global issues and analyzing international topics of significance to establish a unified parliamentary standpoint on matters pertaining to global peace and security issues. These issues include nuclear proliferation, counteracting terrorism, reforming the international system’s institutional architecture, resolving global conflicts, promoting global economic development, addressing climate change and desertification, empowering women and youth, protecting children’s rights, combating poverty, strengthening collective parliamentary work to defend democratic values to strengthen the pillars of good governance, advance parliamentary work, expand it, and make the most of its tools and functions to increase public involvement in domestic and international decision-making.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), as the largest and most established worldwide parliamentary organization, assumes a primary role in the realm of multilateral parliamentary diplomacy. Established in 1889, the IPU is a prominent demonstration of the primacy of parliamentary diplomacy. It serves as a global entity that coordinates activities of parliaments, promotes more collaboration among the peoples they represent, strengthens friendships and camaraderie among parliamentarians, and unifies their positions on a range of global issues. The founding of the IPU, which predates the emergence of international institutions, provided validation for the longstanding practice of parliamentary diplomacy, especially in its global and cooperative nature. Following the establishment of the IPU, various regional and continental parliamentary organizations and unions were formed to promote regional cooperation. These include the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union, Arab Parliament, African Parliamentary Union, Pan-African Parliament, Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, European Parliament, Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States, and Asian Parliamentary Assembly.
III. Parliamentary Diplomacy in Egypt: A Rich History and Pioneering Role
With a history spanning over 150 years, the Egyptian Parliament provides leadership and efficacy for Egyptian parliamentary diplomacy. Egypt actively engaged in multilateral parliamentary diplomacy from an early stage. Marking a century of leadership in the field of parliamentary diplomacy, the Egyptian Parliament is commemorating this year the centenary of its 1924 admission to the IPU, becoming the first African and Arab parliament to join the Union. During its early years as a member of the IPU, Egyptian parliamentary diplomacy was focused on leveraging its membership in the IPU to attain Egypt’s ultimate objective of full independence by bringing the Egyptian issue before the delegations of world parliaments, who were the most influential voices in determining foreign policy at the time.
Egypt had the privilege of hosting the IPU meetings in Cairo in both 1947 and 1997. Furthermore, Dr. Ahmed Fathi Sorour, former Speaker of the Parliament, served as the president of the IPU from 1994 to 1997. During Egypt’s hosting of the IPU meetings in Cairo in 1997, the Universal Declaration on Democracy was adopted. Furthermore, Egyptian parliamentary diplomacy has achieved several noteworthy national milestones in recent years. Among these are its groundbreaking contribution to presenting the actual state of affairs in Egypt subsequent to the June 30 Revolution, elucidating the Egyptian people’s revolution against terrorist groups, detailing the steps taken to reinstate the unity of the Egyptian state and its institutions, and dispelling the fallacious claims that surrounded the Egyptian revolution. The culmination of this endeavor was the IPU’s recognition of the Egyptian people’s revolution on June 30, 2013. The IPU was the first global organization to acknowledge this event, which accurately reflected the groundbreaking and historic nature of Egyptian parliamentary diplomacy and its efficacy.
In addition to participating in IPU activities, Egyptian parliamentary diplomacy helped form parliamentary unions and organizations within Egypt’s Arab, African, Islamic, and Euro-Mediterranean circles, as well as on a continental level. Throughout it all, it was a trailblazer in defending Egypt’s determinants and constants with regard to different national, regional, and international issues to meet the goals of Egyptian foreign policy, chief among them the safeguarding and advancement of vital Egyptian interests and the maintenance of Egyptian national security, as well as the assiduous pursuit of bolstering cooperative Arab and African action and the defense of Arab and African issues in international parliamentary fora.
Egyptian parliamentary diplomacy plays a leading role in bolstering Egypt’s bilateral relations with countries worldwide. The interactions between Egyptian parliamentarians and their counterparts from various parliaments worldwide offer a valuable opportunity to enhance Egypt’s bilateral relations with brotherly and friendly countries. As a result, Egyptian parliamentary diplomacy and its mechanisms have evolved into something akin to friendship societies, serving as a vital conduit for promoting Egyptian interests worldwide, disseminating the Egyptian perspective on a range of regional and global issues, showcasing the state’s achievements and experiences in different domains, exchanging parliamentary and legislative experiences with parliaments worldwide, and coordinating with other parliaments on a number of global issues pertaining to the agendas of international parliamentary organizations and forums. This all provides backing for government and official diplomacy at all levels.
IV. Egyptian Parliamentary Diplomacy and its Unwavering Support for the Palestinian Cause
The Palestinian cause has consistently held the highest importance in Egyptian foreign policy, being regarded as the foremost central issue. All branches of Egypt’s government have long rallied behind the Palestinian people’s fight for independence from Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital.
Throughout its history, Egyptian parliamentary diplomacy has played a leading and supportive role in the Egyptian state’s approach to the Palestinian cause. Egyptian parliamentarians have effectively addressed and explained the various aspects of the Palestinian cause and the rights of the Palestinian people in their meetings with counterparts from other parliaments worldwide. They have also collaborated with the parliaments of friendly countries to advocate for the rights of the Palestinian people in international and regional parliamentary forums. The ultimate goal is to harmonize and align perspectives to issue resolutions from international parliamentary organizations that endorse the establishment of a Palestinian state in accordance with relevant international resolutions and references.
Over the past two hundred days, Palestinian cause has undergone a significant shift, during which the comradely Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip have been subjected to brutal Israeli aggression. This signifies a new cycle of the prolonged and excessive violence that Israel has perpetrated against them over the course of several decades. The present circumstances encompass significant risks that will have enduring consequences and implications not only for the Palestinian cause, but also for regional and global stability and security, a situation the Egyptian government has consistently cautioned against in all forums. In the midst of this dire Palestinian situation, Egyptian parliamentary diplomacy has taken the lead in supporting the state’s efforts to immediately halt Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
At the national level, the Egyptian Parliament dedicated its plenary sessions to expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause and the brotherly people who live there and supporting the state’s and its institutions’ efforts to end the suffering of the Palestinian brothers and find a fair and long-term solution to the Palestinian cause that would guarantee Egypt’s national security on its strategic eastern borders. At the bilateral parliamentary level, Egyptian parliamentarians have consistently included the Palestinian cause in their agendas when meeting with parliamentary delegations from around the globe and with officials of international organizations. These gatherings aim to provide clarity on the dire circumstances to which the Palestinian people are presently subjected, as well as to assess and elucidate on the Egyptian government’s endeavors in this regard.
At the multilateral level, Egyptian parliamentary diplomacy mobilized its tools by taking on the responsibility of coordinating between the parliaments of the Arab, African, and Islamic geopolitical groups during IPU General Assembly meetings in order to reach strong and supportive decisions on Palestinian rights. The Egyptian parliamentary diplomacy, in collaboration with parliaments of sisterly and friendly countries, is actively working to engage global public opinion, encourage parliaments worldwide to fulfil their moral obligation, and exert pressure on governments to ensure that the Palestinian people obtain their inherent rights to establish an independent state as per resolutions of international legitimacy.
In short, the increasing significance of parliamentary diplomacy is evident on a global scale. This is especially true of Egypt’s parliamentary diplomacy, which has, throughout its history, supported the goals of official and governmental diplomacy. This is especially true of Egyptian parliamentary diplomacy, which has consistently played an active and pioneering role in supporting official and governmental diplomacy on regional and global issues. It has demonstrated its ability to engage with parliaments worldwide and effectively communicate Egyptian positions on national, regional, and global matters. This has been particularly evident in the current crisis surrounding the Palestinian cause, highlighting the crucial role of Egyptian parliamentary diplomacy in achieving the objectives of Egyptian foreign policy and safeguarding Egyptian and Arab national security.
