Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Khadija Zoumi, Takes Part in the Parliamentary Forum of UN LDC5

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Khadija Zoumi, took part in the Parliamentary Forum of the Fifth UN Conference on Least Developed Countries, organized in partnership between the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Shura Council of the State of Qatar on March 4, 2023, in Doha, Qatar.

The Parliamentary Forum aims to encourage parliaments to work on the new 2022-2031 decennial action plan of Doha for the least developed countries through a high-level plenary session and other thematic meetings on the priority areas concerning the questions of least developed countries.

The Session also featured the intensive participation of several parliamentary delegations from the world, experts, UN officials, diplomatic representatives, as well as revered researchers and academics specializing in the questions relating to the development of the least developed countries.

In her intervention during the Forum, Rep. Khadija Zoumi noted the pressing need for coordinated action and stronger political will at the national and international levels and the consolidation of parliamentary action to enable the least developed countries to achieve their desired development aspirations. The Deputy Speaker of the House added that accelerating the development of these countries cannot be achieved without investing in their human capital by widening the scope of access to education, healthcare, and social protection. She also underscored that working on reinforcing gender equality and empowering women, girls, and youth by promoting their accession to decision-making positions in all areas would enhance the quality of services and strengthen the ability of these categories to contribute to social and economic development.

On the same occasion, the Deputy Speaker of the House shed light on the initiatives undertaken by the Kingdom of Morocco in favor of the least developed countries, particularly African ones, as part of South-South Cooperation.

It should be noted that the General Assembly of the United Nations decided to hold this Conference, which takes place every ten years, in two parts. The first one occurred in New York last March and featured the elaboration of Doha's 2022-2031 decennial action plan for the least developed countries that will be adopted by the end of this Forum.