Report

1. Introduction   

The Canadian Section of the IPU was established August 2, 1960.

IPU is the international organization of Parliaments of sovereign States. The IPU works for peace and cooperation among peoples and for the firm establishment of representative institutions. To that end, it:

• Fosters contacts, coordination, and the exchange of experience among parliaments and parliamentarians of all countries;
• Considers questions of international interest and concern and expresses its views on such issues in order to bring about action by parliaments and parliamentarians;
• Contributes to the defence and promotion of human rights – an essential factor of parliamentary democracy and development;
• Contributes to better knowledge of the working of representative institutions and to the strengthening and development of their means of action.

The IPU supports the efforts of the United Nations, whose objectives it shares, and with which it works in close cooperation. It also cooperates with regional interparliamentary organizations, as well as with international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations that are motivated by the same ideals.

Headquartered in Geneva, the IPU membership is composed of over 140 national parliaments having different ideological, economic and social systems. Five regional parliamentary assemblies are Associate members.

The Executive Committee oversees the administration and makes recommendations to the Governing Council on various matters, including applications by national parliaments or regional parliamentary assemblies wishing to join.

It also assesses candidates for the post of Secretary General, and submits a recommendation to the Governing Council. The Committee sets the date and venue of the Governing Council sessions and a provisional agenda. It also proposes the IPU’s annual work programme and budget. It meets at least twice a year before the Assemblies, and can also hold extraordinary sessions if needed.

The Executive Committee makes sure that decisions taken by the Assembly and Governing Council are put into practice.

It is made up of the President, 15 elected members from the different geopolitical groups, the President of the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians and the President of the Board of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians. No fewer than 12 members of the Executive Committee are elected from among members of the Governing Council. Each gender is represented by no less than one-third of the elected members.

The Gender Partnership Group and Sub-Committee on Finance, composed of members drawn from the Executive Committee, are also part of this Committee’s work.

The Gender Partnership Group aims to ensure that the interests and visions of men and women are taken into account equally in all IPU’s activities and decisions while the Sub-Finance Committee reviews and makes recommendations on financial matters to the Executive Committee.

2. 277th (extraordinary) session of the Executive Committee   

The Canadian parliamentarian in attendance was the Honourable David McGuinty, P.C., from the House of Commons of Canada.

The agenda for the meeting included the following items:

1. Adoption of the agenda

2. Approval of the summary records of the 276th session held in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, on 12, 13 and 17 October 2017 (EX/276/SR)

3. Introduction for new members and roadmap for the way ahead

4. Secretary General’s report on the current status of the Organization

5. External perspective of the Organization

6 President’s vision for the Organization

7. Implementation of the 2017-2021 Strategy

8. Challenges and opportunities for 2018 in the context of the Strategy

9. Expectations of Members in their efforts to support the Organization

10. Mobilization of resources, including voluntary funding

11. Achieving universal membership

12. Other business

3. The Meeting of the High-Level Advisory Group on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism   

The Canadian parliamentarian in attendance was the Honourable David McGuinty, P.C., from the House of Commons of Canada.

The agenda for the meeting included the following items:

 1. Welcome and launch of the High-Level Advisory Group on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism

2. Introduction of Advisory Group members

3. Adoption of the Advisory Group’s Terms of Reference

4. Election of the Chairperson of the Advisory Group

5. The status of terrorism around the world

6. The UN counter-terrorism strategies, resolutions and plans of action

7. The role of parliamentarians in implementing IPU and UN resolutions on countering terrorism and violent extremism

8. The rule of law and the human rights aspect in counter-terrorism measures

9. Review of the IPU-UNODC Joint-Programme, including the comments expressed in the 276th session of the Executive Committee and the name of the Advisory Group

10. Adoption of the IPU-UNODC Joint-Programme, budget and work plan

11. Next Steps

Respectfully submitted,

The Honourable David McGuinty, P.C., M.P.

President,
Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)