As history unfolds once again, I salute the heroic people of Egypt as they celebrate their newfound freedom. Through their extraordinary courage and determination they have given a clear and unequivocal demonstration of the essence of democracy. Human dignity, fundamental freedoms, and social justice and development lie at the heart of democracy. These ideals can only be achieved through public participation and accountability.
The Egyptian youth and all those, young and old, in Egypt and elsewhere, who are taking to the streets these days, remind us that the essential role of government is to serve the people. It is the duty of government to provide citizens with an environment in which they can live in freedom, have access to education, health and gainful employment and take an equal part in the development of the country. Leaders everywhere ignore these calls for action at their peril.
These recent events confirm the importance of self-determination. It is rightfully the people of Egypt who have decided. They now face the arduous task of instituting change throughout Egyptian society and of building democratic institutions for men and women alike at all levels. I call upon the interim authorities in Egypt to do all they can to allow for a peaceful and orderly transition. I offer the wholehearted support and assistance of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in building a strong and fully representative parliament.
Parliaments in all countries have an absolutely central role in ensuring greater involvement of the people in public life, legislating on their behalf and holding government to account. That is the core mandate and very essence of any parliament in the world. I look forward to taking this discussion forward with all the world's parliaments when we convene at the forthcoming IPU Assembly, to debate "Parliamentary accountability: Living up to people's expectations."
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