Interparliamentary Activities and Reports

On January 21, 2021, the Canada-United Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Association (RUUK) met virtually with Her Excellency Susan Jane Le Jeune D’Allegeershecque, High Commissioner of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Canada. The High Commissioner and RUUK members spoke about a wide-range of issues of national and international importance to both countries. Among other issues, association members raised questions about the Canada-U.K. free trade agreement, the U.K.’s Presidency of the G7 group of nations, and the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26), scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021. Association members also highlighted areas such as vaccine collaboration and scientific research where further cooperation between Canada and the U.K. could be explored.

On 20 January 2021, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) organized a webinar entitled, “Reforming the Security Council: When?”, the third in a series of briefings for parliamentarians on United Nations processes. The event brought together approximately 120 participants from over 40 countries, including eight members of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (UIPU) : Senator Rob Black, Senator Patti LaBoucane-Benson, Senator Marilou McPhedran, Senator Kate Pate, Senator Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia, Senator Raymonde Saint-Germain, Ms. Iqra Khalid, MP, and Mr. Sameer Zuberi, MP. The briefing began with summaries of three proposals for UN Security Council reform as presented by a representative of each proposing group: Italy on behalf of the Uniting for Consensus group (to which Canada belongs); India of the G4 group comprising as well Brazil, Japan and Germany; and the Ezulwini Consensus on behalf of the African group. The session highlighted points of convergence, such as general agreement that the membership of the Security Council should be increased in order to improve representation of underrepresented regions. Participants also heard diverging views about expanding the categories of membership (e.g., longer-term seats), increasing the number of permanent members, as well as extending veto authority and limiting its application.

The Honourable David McGuinty, P.C., M.P., President of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (UIPU) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Executive Committee Vice-President for the Twelve Plus geopolitical group, participated in a session of the International Executive Committee by videoconference on 18 January 2021. The meeting was the first one chaired by the new IPU President, Duarte Pacheco (Portugal), who was elected at the 206th Extraordinary Virtual Session of the IPU’s Governing Council in November 2020. Members discussed several items related to the IPU’s calendar of events, including the 142nd Assembly. They also considered the future direction of the IPU, specifically the modalities for developing the organization’s Strategy 2022–2026 and for achieving universal membership. The International Executive Committee expects to hold additional meetings to continue the discussion on these and other matters.

The Honourable Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, Senator, and Brenda Shanahan, MP, attended this webinar, intended to train parliamentarians who recently joined the association and its Executive Committee. It also served as a refresher for those who have been in office for some time already. The session was divided into two components. The first was an overview of the NATO PA’s structure to understand how it works and to determine who the permanent officers are and what their role and tasks are. The second was a review of the political agenda, current peace and security issues, future challenges and the partners that help the NATO PA carry out its mandate.

On 10 December 2020, the Canada–Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group (CAJP) and the Japan-Canada Diet Friendship League held a virtual meeting. The meeting was led by the CAJP’s Co-Chairs, Senator Jim Munson and Mr. Terry Sheehan, M.P., who – respectively – delivered opening and closing statements. Senator Victor Oh, Senator Yuen Pau Woo, Ms. Monique Pauzé, M.P., Ms. Yasmin Ratansi, M.P. and Mr. Ramesh Sangha, M.P. made introductory remarks on specific topics or exchanged views with their Japanese counterparts. Participants discussed a range of topics, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges posed by relations with China, expected relations with the United States under the incoming Biden administration, and parliamentarians’ role in their country’s domestic and foreign policy priorities. In particular, they highlighted that Canada and Japan are like-minded countries that can collaborate on several issues, including through such multilateral institutions as the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, the G7 and the G20. As well, they noted the pandemic’s impacts on mental health, including on suicide rates, and identified some of the challenges associated with holding the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo during a global pandemic. Concerning trade in the Asia-Pacific region, they spoke about the potential for extending the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership to additional members. Finally, their discussions also focused on the importance of encouraging global efforts to meet the Paris Agreement’s targets.

Members of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (UIPU) were invited to participate in the Third Expert Roundtable on the Common Principles for Support to Parliaments co-organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Parliament of Uganda. The roundtable took place virtually on December 9, 2020 and featured presentations by several experts and parliamentarians from around the world who engage in parliamentary monitoring and evaluation. Participants raised several aspects of parliamentary monitoring and evaluation, notably its relationship with accountability, public trust, and the importance of buy-in on the part of all stakeholders.