Interparliamentary Activities and Reports

CPA Webinar for Speakers and Presiding Officers: COVID-19 and Independent Parliaments The Honourable Anthony Rota, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons and President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), was a panelist at the CPA webinar for Speakers and Presiding Officers along with participants from Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom and KwaZulu-Natal. They all emphasized the importance of independent parliaments and legislatures and the adaptations that have been made, especially during the COVID-19 global pandemic, during the second webinar on this topic organized by the CPA. The CPA webinar provided a timely and unique opportunity to examine the nature of parliaments as independent institutions in the context of COVID 19. Speaker Rota discussed the Canadian Parliament’s experience with virtual proceedings during the pandemic and the importance of a healthy and functioning parliament to democracy. The Parliament of Canada has implemented hybrid proceedings as a temporary measure in consultation with both parliamentarians and parliamentary staff and required the opposition’s support to pass emergency legislation. The CPA webinar was attended by Speakers and Presiding Officers from many Commonwealth parliaments including those in Uganda, Mauritius, South Africa, Zambia, Malta, Alberta, Bermuda, Sierra Leone, Ontario, Lesotho, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Yukon, Saint Lucia, Cayman Islands, Guyana, Malawi, Seychelles, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Falkland Islands, Jersey, the Western Cape and Gauteng.

Meeting of the Ministerial Conference of the Francophonie – November 24, 2020 MP Francis Drouin, President of the Canadian Branch and First Vice-President of the APF, participated in the 37th Ministerial Conference of the Francophonie on behalf of the APF’s President. The Ministerial Conference of the Francophonie (MCF) is one of three bodies enshrined in the Francophonie Charter, along with the Summit and the Permanent Council of the Francophonie (PCF). The MCF ensures the political continuity of the Summit. Members listened to the report of the Francophonie Secretary General, Louise Mushikiwabo, who is also the PCF President, on political and economic issues as well as cooperation, administrative and financial issues dealt with during the PCF’s meetings in 2020. The Secretary General also addressed the challenges of the Covid 19 pandemic for the Francophonie and “La Francophonie avec Elles” fund. She also raised the issue of respect for multilingualism within international organizations in the particular context of the pandemic. Members also heard from several ministers of Francophonie member countries on the impact of Covid 19 in their respective countries. Mr. Drouin, replacing the APF’s President, spoke at the conference on the impact of the health crisis on the APF’s work and called on the Francophonie to rally around its values of solidarity and humanism and embrace a new post-pandemic multilateralism.

ParlAmericas is run by parliamentarians for parliamentarians, with a Board of Directors composed of 21 legislators, representing 17 countries from North, South, Central America and the Caribbean. The Board, elected by the Plenary Assembly, provides governance direction for the organization and sets out the organization’s strategy. The Board of Directors is headed by the Chair, who is elected every two years and supported by a technical secretariat, located in Ottawa. Canadian MP Marc G. Serré is Canada's representative on the Board of Directors.

The 52nd meeting of the ParlAmericas Board of Directors provided an opportunity for Board members to receive an update on upcoming activities in 2020-2021 and the financial situation of the organization. In addition, Board Members considered the draft declaration on the circular economy that was submitted to representatives of ParlAmericas member countries registered at the closing session of the 17th Plenary Assembly on November 27, 2020. The Board also considered nominations received to fill the vacancies on the Board.

The 2020 Westminster Seminar, which was the 69th edition organized by the United Kingdom Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, gathered parliamentarians and clerks from every region of the Commonwealth to exchange ideas and build knowledge around topics relevant to Westminster-style democracies. The theme of the 2020 Westminster Seminar, held virtually for the first time, was: “Preparing parliamentarians for a changing world.” The seminar ran a course of three half-day sessions. The following parliamentarians attended the seminar: Hon. Rob Black, Senator; Ms. Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, M.P., and Mr. Sameer Zuberi, M.P.

Parliamentary Network on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (CECAC): November 23–24, 2020 The Parliamentary Network on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF) is a forum to share and debate ideas and strategies to fight the three diseases. The network is also a place to raise awareness and promote actions and activities in this fight, as well as a tool for French-speaking parliaments to share information and exert influence. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, MP and Vice-Chair of the Canadian Branch of the APF, participated in the work of the network. During a round table discussion, he reported on the COVID 19 pandemic’s impact on Canada’s health care systems and presented the most recent developments regarding HIV/AIDS in Canada. The network also heard from several French-speaking experts on the fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria, the role of international governance in public health and the pandemic response, the deteriorating situation of the rights of sex workers in French-speaking African countries during the COVID-19 pandemic and the expansion of health care and vaccination efforts. Lastly, the network adopted a declaration to emphasize the importance of a universal and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. The network is calling on APF member parliamentarians to speak up in their legislative assemblies and interparliamentary associations and advocate for universal access to vaccines and products to prevent, detect and treat COVID-19. The network is also urging heads of state and governments to define COVID-19 vaccines as “universal public goods.” The attendees also discussed the planning of the next meeting.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly co-hosted a commemorative event with the French Delegation to the OSCE PA to mark the 30th anniversary of the Charter of Paris for a New Europe. Canadian participants included Senators Pierre Dalphond, Josée Forest-Niesing and Lucie Moncion, as well as Mr. Luc Berthold, M.P. and Ms. Andréanne Larouche, M.P.

On November 18, 2020 the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth (OSGEY) co-organized a virtual meeting on Young Women’s Political Participation and Leadership.

The main objectives of the event were to increase the interest in participation of young women in politics, to recognize and understand the challenges faced by young women who are engaging in political leadership, to allow participants to share experiences and build capacity, to identify strategic solutions, and to develop a call to action. Following the opening session, the meeting was divided into three working sessions: i. Building Capacity and Mobilizing Support, ii. Campaigning and Elections, and iii. Occupying Office and Creating Change from Within.

Senator Ataullahjan of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (UIPU), in her capacity as President of the Committee on Middle East Questions and Member of the IPU Bureau of Women Parliamentarians, was invited to share her insights and recommendations as a panellist for the third session, Occupying Office and Creating Change from Within. The Senator spoke of the need to create safe spaces for women, the importance of mentoring young women, and the role the press and political parties can play. She emphasized that the best thing women can do is to be champions for each other. During the Q&A Senator Ataullahjan also shared her experience in running for the presidency of the IPU.