The world needs more women legislators, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday in his message for the International Day of Parliamentarism to be observed on June 30, China’s Xinhua news agency reported.

"Yet parliaments are still largely dominated by men," he said, adding the world needs more women parliamentarians.

"As we mark this new international day, I express my support for members of parliaments worldwide, as they strive to deliver for the people they serve," he said.

"The International Day of Parliamentarism, a new United Nations observance, recognises the pivotal role played by parliaments," said the UN chief.

"As a former parliamentarian, I have felt, first-hand, the responsibility of representing people and trying to advance their aspirations," he said, adding that parliaments can be pillars of democracy, important defenders of human rights and can link local and global issues.

"Through laws and spending decisions, they can contribute significantly to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, our blueprint for peaceful, resilient societies on a healthy planet," he noted.

For the first time, June 30 this year is celebrated as the International Day of Parliamentarism. It is also the date, in 1889, on which the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the global organisation of parliaments, was established.

This day celebrates parliaments and the ways in which parliamentary systems of government improve the day-to-day lives of people around the world.

- Bernama