Madrid hosted the opening session of the XII Ibero-American Parliamentary Forum, presided over by His Majesty, King Felipe VI, bringing together senior parliamentary authorities from Ibero-American countries to discuss some of the main challenges facing democracies across the region.

The session was attended by the President of the Congress of Deputies, Francina Armengol, the President of the Senate, Pedro Rollán, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, and the Secretary-General of the Ibero-American Community, Andrés Allamand.

Taking place over two days, the Forum focuses on issues including artificial intelligence, polarisation and disinformation, gender equality and parliamentary diplomacy, providing a space for dialogue and reflection on the current challenges facing Ibero-American democracies.

The IPDAL – Institute for the Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean was represented by Paulo Neves, President of the Institute, reaffirming its commitment to promoting political and institutional dialogue between Portugal, Latin America and the Caribbean.

During the opening session, Secretary-General of the Ibero-American Community, Andrés Allamand, highlighted the importance of strengthening parliamentary institutions in the face of current democratic and technological challenges, while also underlining the need for joint reflection on the impact of artificial intelligence on contemporary societies.

The conclusions of the XII Ibero-American Parliamentary Forum will be presented at the XXX Ibero-American Summit in Madrid, to be held on 4 and 5 November 2026, providing another opportunity for dialogue among the countries of the Ibero-American community.