Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (UIPU)

On 28 and 29 April 2021, a delegation from the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (UIPU) comprising Ms. Iqra Khalid, MP, Ms. Lindsay Mathyssen, MP, and Ms. Michelle Rempel Garner, MP attended the Seventh Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians. The theme of the virtual conference was Post-COVID-19 recovery: A youth-responsive approach. Over 120 parliamentarians from 84 countries in addition to representatives from governments, international organizations, civil society, youth organizations, academia and the private sector participated in discussions organized into four sessions: youth participation; education; health; and economic empowerment.

Ms. Khalid was a featured panelist during the fourth session on economic empowerment. In her remarks, Ms. Khalid highlighted Canada’s efforts at empowering youth and mitigating the pandemic’s negative impact on youth employment. For the benefit of Canada’s future prosperity and post-pandemic recovery, she emphasized the importance of investing in programs that help Canadian youth find quality economic and employment opportunities in the private, not-for-profit and public sectors, as well as develop skills and access essential training. In particular, she noted the value of supporting young people from marginalized and racialized communities who already face multiple barriers and risk long-lasting consequences from the pandemic’s economic disruption.

The conference’s outcome document provides additional information on the deliberations, best practices and recommendations for action. Finally, the conference coincided with the launch of the IPU’S 2021 report on Youth participation in national parliaments; notably, the report highlights that the proportion of parliamentarians under the age of 30 remains “extremely low,” at only 2.6 per cent globally.

Canada hosted the Fourth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in 2017.

Drafting Committee on the draft resolution on Mainstreaming digitalization and the circular economy to achieve the SDGs, particularly responsible consumption and production

On April 21, 2021, the Hon. Salma Ataullahjan, Senator, chaired a meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on gender-sensitive parliaments and gender-responsive legal reforms. The Hon. Kim Pate, Senator, Ms. Iqra Khalid, MP, Ms. Yasmin Ratansi, MP, and Ms. Lindsay Mathyssen, MP, also attended the meeting, which was moderated by Ms. Sandra Pepera of the National Democratic Institute. In her opening remarks, Senator Ataullahjan noted that the theme of the session was of the utmost importance since crises are never gender neutral and often exacerbate existing inequalities. She also emphasized the important role the world’s parliamentarians can play in ensuring that their respective countries adopt a gender-sensitive response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, she observed that any response to the pandemic that does not consider gender equality will not be sustainable.

During the meeting, Canadian delegates heard from Ms. Esther Anyakun (MP, Uganda), Ms. Beatrice Duncan (UN Women), Ms. Zeina Hilal (manager of gender partnerships and youth participation at the IPU), Ms. Nahla Haidar (UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women), and Ms. Fiona O’Loughlin (Senator, Ireland). They also heard from their Asian, African, European and South American colleagues about measures being debated and implemented in their parliaments.

This meeting was the last of a series entitled “Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue on Gender-Responsive Recovery Post COVID-19.”

The Honourable David McGuinty, P.C., M.P., President of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (UIPU) and the IPU Executive Committee Vice-President for the Twelve Plus geopolitical group, participated in the sixth online sitting of the 285th session of the International Executive Committee which took place on April 19, 2021. The meeting provided the members with an opportunity to share their views about the IPU’s strategy for 2022–2026 as well as items pertaining to the future business of the Executive Committee.

On 14 April 2021, the Hon. Salma Ataullahjan, Senator, the Hon. Kim Pate, Senator, Ms. Iqra Khalid, MP, and Ms. Yasmin Ratansi, MP, attended a meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on violence against women and girls. The session was moderated by former Canadian MP, Ms. Paddy Torsney, P.C., Permanent Observer of the IPU to the United Nations (UN). Participants described violence against women and girls as a shadow pandemic which has been intensified by the current global health crisis, in part due to the reduction in services and supports available to women. It was noted that the COVID-19 pandemic is threatening the progress made towards gender equality and that violence against women and girls is itself rooted in gender inequality

During the meeting, Canadian delegates were able to hear from parliamentarians from Bangladesh, Bahrain, the Philippines, Syria, Tanzania, Turkey, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Azerbaijan, Fiji, Nicaragua, Benin, Madagascar and Ecuador, and from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean. The UN Under-Secretary-General, Ms. Pramila Patten, addressed participants through a pre-recorded video. Dr. Dubravka Šimonovic (UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women), Dr. Giovanna Lauro (vice president of Programs and Research at Promundo) and Mr. Khamsavath Chanthavysouk (policy specialist at UN Women) also made presentations.

This meeting was the second of a series entitled “Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue on Gender-Responsive Recovery Post COVID-19.”