It is entirely befitting that the UAE host the Global Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament that begins in the capital today. It is the first event of its kind in the world and this distinction works at many levels to enhance the UAE’s image as an incubator of progressive ideas.

In an editorial on Monday, the Dubai-based Gulf News said, "Having elected its own first woman speaker of the Federal National Council last year, who is also the first woman speaker of a national parliament in the Arab world, the UAE has become a role model for the region. Coupled with its consistent emphasis on gender equality, and the remarkable role Emirati women are playing in nation building, the UAE’s message to the world on women is unequivocal, they are indispensable partners in shaping political and social agendas at the national and global levels.

"This summit is set to reiterate that message. In bringing the world’s largest gathering of women parliamentary speakers under one roof, along with international figures, hundreds of participants and the youth, the summit’s theme of 'United for Shaping the Future' is rooted in clarity and purpose, to address key questions on the evolving role of parliament, including how parliaments can work with the other branches of government, with the private sector and the wider community, and also to emphasise the role women speakers can play in uniting parliamentarians around national and political interests to deliver sustainable prosperity and security for present and future generations.

"Today’s geo-political reality is a coalescence of megatrends, challenges and opportunities that create areas of overlapping impact on economies and societal progress around the world.

"The resultant interdependency between countries regarding national goals can be rendered truly advantageous through such exchanges of ideas and initiatives to create solutions that are for a common good. This summit offers women in the highest decision-making positions of parliament a wonderful opportunity to partake in this purpose.

"As Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi, the UAE’s first woman speaker of the Federal National Council, put it, 'Through the summit, it is our aim to create a foundation on which we can build a sustainable vision of the future that is inclusive, representative and realistic.' "The two-day summit will conclude with the Abu Dhabi Declaration, which will call upon parliaments worldwide to work together to tackle current and future challenges. In creating this platform, the UAE has, once again, displayed its characteristic vision of inclusion and growth, not just for itself but also for the world at large."