September 8, 2025
The Asian-African Parliamentary Council concluded its first conference on Tuesday with the issuance of the “Beirut Declaration” as the official closing statement.
At the conclusion of the conference, the representatives of parliaments from Asia and Africa elected the leadership of the newly established Council:
• Mr. Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, First Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, was appointed President of the Asian-African Parliamentary Council.
• Mr. Saud Rashid Al-Hujailan, President of the International Federation of Asian and African Trade Unions (IFAATU), was appointed as the First Deputy President of the Council.
• Mauritania was elected to represent Africa through Mr. Sid’Ahmed Dramane Soughouna, First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, who was appointed Vice President of the Council in charge of African Affairs.
• Mr. Fayez Shawabka was appointed as Secretary-General of the Council.
It was decided that the permanent headquarters of the Council will be based in Baghdad, where the next meeting is scheduled to be held in October 2025.
The Council was established in partnership with the International Federation of Asian and African Trade Unions, which has been granted a permanent seat on the Council, represented by its President, Mr. Saud Al-Hujailan.
This initiative aims to create a permanent institutional framework for parliamentary cooperation between the two continents, with the objective of enhancing inter-parliamentary dialogue and strengthening South–South cooperation in the economic, social, cultural, and scientific fields.
