Indonesia Highlights Women, Humanity, and Governance Issues in Islamic State Parliamentary Forum
Jakarta — The 19th session of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC) was officially held at the Indonesian Parliament Building, Jakarta, with the participation of more than 500 delegates from member countries and observers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). This forum is an important milestone for Indonesian parliamentary diplomacy in building solidarity in the Islamic world.
The Speaker of the Indonesian Parliament, Dr. (H.C.) Puan Maharani emphasized the importance of parliamentary diplomacy that produces real solutions.
“The Indonesian Parliament fully understands that today’s parliamentary diplomacy demands real action. This forum must be a space to produce concrete steps, not just ceremonial,” she said.
Puan also highlighted women’s participation as a crucial issue. She said that Indonesia is ready to share experiences on how women can play an important role in national politics.
“PUIC 2025 is a collective stage to fight for humanitarian values, as in the spirit of the Asia Africa Conference,” she added.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Agency (BKSAP) of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Mardani Ali Sera, emphasized the importance of solidarity between parliaments of OIC member countries in facing global challenges for Muslims, ranging from socio-economic disparities, low quality of human resources, to increasing Islamophobia.
“PUIC must be a moral and political force to realize a peaceful, just, and prosperous world, in line with Islamic values as a blessing for all nature,” said Mardani.
Mardani also emphasized the importance of fair governance and strong institutions as pillars of resilience for Muslims. He said that the principles of justice, trustworthiness, and accountability in Islam must be the foundation for strengthening democracy and inter-parliamentary cooperation.
According to him, institutional reform is crucial for OIC countries, the majority of which are developing countries, to transform into developed countries that are able to act collectively.
“The 25th anniversary of PUIC is not just a ceremony, but a strategic momentum to strengthen a shared commitment in fighting for the aspirations of Muslims and strengthening unity for a peaceful and civilized future,” concluded Mardani.
International Relations observer Anton Aliabbas appreciates the DPR’s move to promote the issue of gender equality in this forum. For him, this step reflects Indonesia’s progress in providing space for women in politics.
Anton added that the DPR’s move to raise the issue of women at the OIC Parliamentary Conference also refutes the view that often assesses that Muslim countries provide less space for women.
“The spirit of the DPR who wants to utilize PUIC to pay attention to women’s participation in Muslim countries also deserves appreciation,” said the Head of the Center for Intermestic and Diplomatic Engagement (CIDE).
Anton said that Indonesia, which has shared experiences regarding the role of women in politics, can share experiences with other OIC countries. Especially considering that Puan is the first woman to serve as speaker of parliament in Indonesia.
