Interparliamentary Activities and Reports

Mr. Scott Simms, M.P., President, CAEU; the Hon. Percy E. Downe, Senator; the Hon. Larry Bagnell, P.C., M.P.; and Mr. Luc Berthold, M.P., participated in a videoconference call with the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Canada (D-CA). D-CA participants included Ms. Stéphanie Yon-Courtin (Chair, France), Mr. Javier Moreno Sánchez (Vice-Chair, Spain), Mr. Rasmus Andresen (Germany), and Mr. Ondrej Kovarík (Czechia). The main topics of discussion were the surge or “second wave” of COVID-19 cases and how governments in Europe and Canada are responding; the European Commission’s new proposed Pact on Migration and Asylum; the European Union’s proposed €1.8-trillion seven-year budget and pandemic recovery plan; the recent Speech from the Throne and the State of the European Union address; and the impact on the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement of both Brexit and the Cypriot Parliament’s vote against the Agreement’s ratification. The videoconference call concluded with preliminary discussions about the annual interparliamentary meeting, which has been postponed from November 2020 to the spring of 2021 – at the earliest – as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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 (12+), the Honourable Salma Ataullahjan, Senator and President of the IPU Committee on Middle East Questions and Sven Spengemann, M.P. and member of the Bureau of the IPU Committee on Democracy and Human Rights, participated in a hybrid Steering Committee meeting of the 12+ Group on September 28, 2020. Members discussed important matters that will be on the agendas of the upcoming virtual meeting of the 12+ Group and the extraordinary virtual session of the IPU Governing Council.

The 12+ Group is a collective of 47 IPU member states that caucus together to discuss key issues that will be presented to the Governing Council of the IPU, the union’s main administrative and policy-making body.

The ParlAmericas parliamentary Network for Gender Equality discussed the theme “Designing Inclusive Futures in Partnership with Youth” through a series of online events for parliamentarians in the Americas and the Caribbean. Through the exchange of experiences and good legislative practices, this gathering fostered a dialogue on the importance of incorporating youth voices and action in parliamentary efforts for gender equality.

The newly elected members of the Dominican House of Assembly participated in the post-election seminar, which is the oldest program run by the CPA. This was the second virtual seminar of its kind and was attended by representatives from throughout the Commonwealth. Ms. Yasmin Ratansi, M.P., Chair of the Canadian Branch, was invited to be a panelist. She presented approaches to conducting Public Outreach, Representation and Education, and discussed how to strengthen the voice of women in Parliament.

Several members of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (UIPU) attended an online event organized by the Equal Pay International Coalition to exchange ideas on achieving pay equity around the world. The discussion was led by several individuals from a wide range of sectors (government, academia, business, civil society, sports, broadcasting, labour) with direct experience in advancing equal pay for equal work. Many of the points raised emphasized the importance of systemic change in addition to reforms that reflect the unique nature of a particular sector. Participants also highlighted the aggravating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender inequalities as well as the increased risk faced by women who are disproportionately represented in vulnerable and high-risk occupations and unpaid work. The event featured prerecordings from government representatives from around the world, including Canada’s Minister of Labour, as well as the United Nations Secretary General, the Director-General of the International Labour Organization, and the Executive Director of UN Women.

Participants representing parliamentarians, civil society, and multilateral stakeholders examined the role of legislation in mitigating the challenges of climate change and its effect on the world’s oceans. Presentations from these communities (including a Canadian researcher) initiated discussion on such topics as the strengths and weaknesses of existing international mechanisms (Sustainable Development Goals) and treaties (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) in facilitating domestic legislative processes. A parliamentarian from Maldives highlighted the challenges faced by vulnerable small island developing states in terms of land loss as well as disruptions to economic activities such as tourism. Other topics raised include recent regional and national mechanisms addressing the ocean-climate nexus (the Caribbean, European Union, Australia, Seychelles, Mexico), Indigenous perspectives, and the opportunity presented by the COVID-19 pandemic to make progress on these interconnected concerns. The webinar was the second of three organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in partnership with the secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law.