Speaking at the 8th MIKTA Speakers' Consultation in Istanbul, Türkiye’s Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop on Thursday lamented the "dysfunctionality" of international institutions established as instruments of international law, arguing that they "fail to make the expected contributions to global peace and stability."

"In the rapidly globalizing world, the impacts of conflicts, crises, economic or social incidents remain within a certain border, and these events, which have global consequences, sometimes affect even the smallest settlements in our countries. For this reason, it is of great importance for all of us to ensure global peace and stability," Şentop told an assembly of parliament speakers from Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Türkiye and Australia (MIKTA).

Şentop criticized the U.N.'s "inability to contribute to global peace," saying the world body was now "now far from meeting today's needs."

"It was born with dysfunctions from the beginning due to anti-democratic procedures, such as the right of veto in the U.N. Security Council, linking the protection of global peace and stability to the political interests of some countries and transforming international law into the law of the powerful," he explained.

"The international system's need for reform is not a matter of the last few years," he added.

He further emphasized the need "to urgently establish more fair, pluralistic and more inclusive decision-making mechanisms in international institutions."

According to a joint declaration released following the meeting, MIKTA members agreed to increase cooperation in order to address global issues.

The parliament speakers exchanged views on the challenges and opportunities facing national parliaments in the 21st century and discussed the importance of promoting multilateralism and addressing global interdependence.

They reaffirmed that parliamentary diplomacy has become crucial for building worldwide dialogue and cooperation in the face of increasingly complex global challenges.

The MIKTA states too pointed out the current "rising tensions that pose risks to the stability of global economy and security" and stressed that "overcoming these challenges requires cooperation between countries, and that no country can solve these problems on its own."

As the international system and institutions are having difficulties fulfilling their responsibilities to address current challenges, prevent violence, restore peace and ensure stability, the parliament speakers emphasized the need to strengthen institutions.

"We emphasized the need to strengthen the multilateral system and its institutions, in particular the U.N., to address these challenges better and promote a more just and peaceful world order, and this will be possible through the reform of international institutions in the light of the principles of justice, pluralism and inclusiveness," the declaration said and invited the governments of the MIKTA member states to take an active role in efforts toward reforming the international system.

The parliament speakers underlined that wars, terrorism, environmental disasters, natural disasters, poverty and food access constraints, are factors that increase irregular migration.

"We noted with appreciation the humanitarian approach of Türkiye, the country hosting the largest number of refugees in the world," it said.

They also called for combating all forms of discrimination, including xenophobia, racism and Islamophobia, which have been rising worldwide in recent years.

Turning to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the parliament speakers underlined the importance of the shipment of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea in the context of food security. They commended Türkiye for its initiatives and mediation in signing the Black Sea Grain Initiative with the United Nations.

They also expressed their deepest condolences to Türkiye over last month's powerful earthquakes in the country’s southern region that claimed the lives of at least 46,104 people.

"We underlined that the strong solidarity shown by MIKTA countries by immediately deploying search and rescue teams and medical and humanitarian aid in the aftermath of the disaster is a welcome example of international cooperation in the face of disasters," according to the statement.

MIKTA was launched by the foreign ministers of Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Türkiye and Australia on Sept. 25, 2013, on the margins of the 68th U.N. General Assembly.