By Aldridge Dzvene
As the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament drew to a dramatic close in Geneva, Switzerland, it became evident that parliaments across the globe are undergoing a profound identity shift, redefining themselves as active shapers of the international order rather than ceremonial custodians of tradition.
Behind the diplomatic niceties and formalities, Speaker after Speaker echoed a radical new call to action , one that places innovation, foresight and moral authority at the heart of legislative power. The adoption of the High Level Declaration was not business-as-usual; instead, it projected deep anxieties about fractured multilateralism, democratic decline, artificial intelligence disruption and deepening inequality, and positioned parliaments as frontline actors in confronting these threats.
Delivering a keynote report on Panel 4 titled ‘What Role for Parliaments in Shaping Our Digital Future’, Zimbabwe’s own Speaker Jacob Francis Mudenda championed the revolutionary mantra of the “Three A’s”, Agility, Adaptability and Anticipation, arguing that lawmakers must upgrade from ‘slow-moving regulators’ into rapidly evolving architects of tomorrow’s world, capable of legislating before disruption hits. His call for Parliamentary Committees of the Future was underpinned by urgency: technology waits for no man, nor parliament.
It is this ideological shift from reactive governance to pre-emptive guardianship that emerged as the most telling outcome of the conference. Notably, the declaration reaffirmed that digital governance is now a geopolitical battlefield, and parliaments must lead on ethical AI, cyber norms and equitable access, or risk ceding the future to unaccountable superpowers and tech barons.
Beyond the tech sphere, the Declaration struck a defiant tone on reviving multilateralism, restoring trust in democracy, and deploying legislation as a tool to combat insecurity born out of poverty, climate change and economic marginalisation. The framing was stark: security must no longer be defined by military might but by human resilience.
This human-security doctrine was further echoed in calls for people-centred, sustainable economic reform, positioning green energy and care-economy investments as legislative priorities of modern parliaments seeking to protect vulnerable populations from the shocks of a changing world.
Speaker Mudenda was additionally vocal on Palestine in sideline engagements, lambasting Israeli aggression while backing South Africa’s ICJ case and reaffirming Zimbabwe’s unwavering solidarity. His stance epitomised a new phenomenon emerging from Geneva, parliaments are reclaiming moral voice and diplomatic courage, even where national executives tread lightly. This reflects a return to the liberation ethos that once governed Southern Africa and a possible reawakening of parliamentary solidarity diplomacy among the Global South.
In all, the Geneva conference did not just mark the end of another Speakers’ forum, it heralded the rise of the activist parliament, a bold, politically conscious institution ready to legislate the future, defend democracy, shape global norms, and confront injustice on the world stage.
