Harare, (New Ziana) – Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda on Thursday called for global legislative reform and digital preparedness.
He made the call while addressing the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, Switzerland.
In his speech, under the theme “A World in Turmoil: Parliamentary Cooperation and Multilateralism for Peace, Justice and Prosperity for All,” Mudenda challenged outdated global power structures and urged fellow Speakers to embrace a new era of multipolar, inclusive cooperation.
“The time has come to move decisively from unipolar dominance to a multipolar world order. A just and peaceful global system must rest on the pillars of sovereign equality, international law, and equitable cooperation,” he said.
He warned that persistent global inequalities, especially between the Global North and South, threaten to derail sustainable development and peacebuilding efforts.
“Poverty, environmental collapse, and social instability are exacerbated by imbalanced power dynamics,” he said, urging lawmakers to craft legislation that responds to climate change, promotes gender equality, and unlocks investment opportunities.
Mudenda, who pointed out the need for parliamentary diplomacy in mitigating conflicts, cited crises in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and parts of Africa.
In a separate high-level panel on digital governance, Mudenda spotlighted Africa’s digital challenges while advocating for legislative agility in response to emerging technologies.
“Legislatures must demonstrate Agility, Adaptability, and an Anticipatory posture,” Mudenda said, emphasizing what he called the “three As” necessary for responsible Artificial Intelligence and tech regulation.
While applauding regulatory strides by the European Union and the United Nations, Mudenda was candid about Africa’s systemic hurdles.
“With internet penetration still below 50 percent in many African countries, and energy access remaining unreliable, we must first build the capacity of our institutions,” he said.
Mudenda also announced Zimbabwe’s plan to launch a parliamentary “Committee of the Future” to partner with universities on AI research and digital policy innovation.
He also met with Zambian Speaker Nelly Mutti to rally regional support for the long-awaited transformation of the SADC Parliamentary Forum into a full Regional Parliament.
New Ziana
