Samdech Rathsaphea Thipadei Khuon Sudary, President of the National Assembly of Cambodia, led key Members of Parliament and senior officials of the Secretariat-General in an online participation at the 4th Eurasian Women’s Forum, from the National Assembly palace.

The Eurasian Women’s Forum is a major international platform that enables women leaders from all continents to engage in dialogue and adopt joint decisions on key issues. The event is organized by the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States (IPA CIS), and operated by the Roscongress Foundation.

In the video speech, Samdech Khuon Sudary expressed her appreciation to the organizers and highlighted the forum’s theme, “Women for Building Trust and Global Cooperation,” as timely and relevant. She emphasized that trust and cooperation are fundamental to peace and development, especially in a world facing multiple challenges such as strategic trust deficits and a decline in global governance.

Samdech Khuon Sudary emphasized the need for transformative, ethical, and empathetic leadership to drive positive changes and make the international system more inclusive and people-centered. She stressed the importance of leaders who care about humanity and the planet, dedicated to peace and prosperity for all.

Promoting trust, she noted, requires understanding others’ needs, intentions, and interests, with information sharing and transparency being critical. She highlighted the roles of parliamentary diplomacy, state diplomacy, and people diplomacy in building trust through cultural exchanges and open dialogue.

Recognizing the significant contributions of women leaders to peace, development, and social progress, Samdech urged the removal of political, economic, cultural, and social barriers to realize women’s full potential. She detailed Cambodia’s efforts in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, including policies and programs to enhance women’s participation in various sectors and improve their socio-economic status.

Significantly, Samdech provided three key recommendations to further strengthen women’s leadership in promoting trust and cooperation. Firstly, encourage greater female participation in politics by implementing gender quotas, providing leadership development programs, and establishing mentoring networks. Secondly, prioritize the inclusion of women in peace negotiations and conflict resolution processes by offering specialized training and empowering community-level women’s peacebuilding initiatives. Thirdly, strengthen inter-parliamentary networks and foster cross-border partnerships among women leaders to facilitate the exchange of best practices and collaboration on joint social initiatives.

Samdech Khuon Sudary affirmed that “Cambodia is willing to work with friends and partners from near and far to promote mutual trust and practical cooperation.” She also emphasized that women leadership plays a crucial role in building a fair and inclusive global governance, promoting effective and open multilateralism, and respecting a rules-based international order to maintain world peace and development.