PRESS RELEASE BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPEAKER Speaker Anġlu Farrugia calls for global legislative action to protect the vulnerable

At the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament held in Geneva, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malta, Anġlu Farrugia, addressed a distinguished panel on “Protecting and Promoting the Rights of Persons in Vulnerable Situations – Towards Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Action”. In his intervention, he underscored the vital role of parliaments in protecting those most at risk—among them children, refugees, women, persons with disabilities, and individuals facing discrimination based on identity, belief, or origin. Stressing the moral imperative behind legislative action, he reminded fellow Speakers that, as President Barack Obama once said, “The arc of the moral universe may bend toward justice—but it doesn’t bend on its own.”

Speaker Anġlu Farrugia highlighted Malta’s legislative achievements from 2013 to today, reflecting a determined commitment to human dignity, equality, and protection under the law. He continued by informing that the Maltese Parliament adopted wide-ranging reforms, including the criminalisation of gender-based violence, the abolition of criminal libel, constitutional amendments to promote gender balance and freedom of expression, and the establishment of Malta’s Human Rights and Equality Commission. Further legislation addressed non-commercial surrogacy, the protection of minors in alternative care, and the legal recognition of non-binary individuals. In recent years, laws have also prohibited practices such as conversion therapy, virginity testing, and enforced sterilisation, while introducing specific offences for cyberstalking and forced marriage. These developments, he noted, reflect Malta’s resolve to place the protection of vulnerable persons at the heart of democratic governance.

Speaker Farrugia, as President of the IPU Committee on Promotion of International Humanitarian Law, reiterated the importance of translating humanitarian principles into enforceable legal norms. He also recalled Malta’s initiative in launching the International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace in 2017, now supported by over fifty nations. Concluding his address, he called for greater resolve among parliaments worldwide to give voice to the unheard and to legislate with both courage and compassion. Earlier in the day, Speaker Farrugia also chaired the general debate of the Conference.