In his Participation in 42nd Session of AIPA, Speaker of the House of Representatives Expresses Aspiration of the House to Bring Added Value to the Assembly

Speaker of the House of Representatives Habib El Malki took part for the first time as an observer member in the 42^nd session of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (AIPA), held on August 23-25 via videoconference, on “Forging Parliamentary Cooperation in Digital Inclusion towards ASEAN Community 2025.”

On this occasion and in the presence of the Speakers of parliaments of the Member States and representatives of regional and international organizations, in addition to numerous guests, Mr. Habib EL MALKI addressed the Assembly on August 23, 2021. In his address, Mr. EL MALKI acclaimed the observer member status granted by the Assembly to the House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Morocco and expressed the House’s aspiration to be an added value to the work of the Assembly. He looked forward to seeing the House play a major role in bridging the relationships between Asia and Africa and sharing expertise and best practices, namely “in the light of the significant experiences accumulated by the Member States’ parliaments in multifaceted parliamentary action, which could be of great benefit to the House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Morocco.”

The Speaker of the House of Representatives noted that amid the current global digital revolution, the digitalization of parliamentary interaction has become a key element in inter-institutional cooperation, as it helps build bridges between countries and peoples by providing a parliamentary prospect for international governance and peace promotion. “Therefore, digitalization is a key factor for international cooperation and the consolidation of democracy.”

Mr. El Malki pointed out that the House of Representatives gives priority to digitalization as part of a comprehensive strategic vision and approach aiming to achieve digital justice and reinforce the centrality of the voter, that is the human element, in the relations between the different institutions that opt collectively for instilling the values of democracy in a way that guarantees sustainability, openness, and transparency of the legislative institution, and reduces the digital gap.

It should be noted that during the 41^st session of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), held in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, in September 2020, the House of Representatives was granted the observer status within the bodies of the AIPA; an unprecedented achievement since the Moroccan Parliament is the first African parliament to accede to the Asian parliamentary body.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is an economic and political association established in 1967. It gathers ten countries, including Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Brunei, Laos, and Cambodia. The Association aims to accelerate economic growth, achieve social and cultural development in Southeast Asian countries, and create a free-trade zone between its Member States.