Canadian Section of ParlAmericas (CPAM)

The plenary session of the 18th Plenary Assembly of ParlAmericas offered a space for member parliaments to present the various legislative initiatives that their Parliament has been undertaking with the contribution of civil society and youth, to rebuild the social contract. Likewise, the declaration was read and the results of the election for positions on the ParlAmericas Board of Directors were announced, as well as the host Parliament for the next 19th Plenary Assembly.

On December 3, 2021, two Canadian parliamentarians participated virtually in the 58th Meeting of ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors. The participants were: Marc G. Serré, M.P., Chair of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas (CPAM), Member of ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors (North America) and Chair of the ParlAmericas Corporation; and the Honourable Rosa Galvez, Senator, Vice-Chair of CPAM, President of ParlAmericas’ Parliamentary Network on Climate Change (PPCC), 2nd Vice-President of ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors and Treasurer of the ParlAmericas Corporation.

The meeting was chaired by Bridgid Annisette-George, Vice-President of ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors and Speaker of Trinidad and Tobago’s House of Representatives. Speaker Annisette-George provided updates on ParlAmericas’ recent and upcoming activities, and welcomed two new Board members: Claudel Francis, Speaker of St. Lucia’s Senate; and Veronica Camino Farjat, a member of Mexico’s Senate and President of ParlAmericas’ Parliamentary Network for Gender Equality (PNGE). During the discussion of corporate business, Mr. Serré provided the report of the Corporate Board of Directors, and, as Treasurer of the ParlAmericas Corporation, Senator Galvez explained the annual audit.

Speaker Annisette-George summarized the first two sessions of ParlAmericas’ 18th Plenary Assembly, which had been held virtually in recent weeks, and reviewed the draft declaration on the topic of “rebuilding the social contract” which the participants approved at the final plenary session the following week. ParlAmericas’ International Secretariat then provided information about the upcoming Board of Director elections on December 10, 2021.

Finally, Javiera Vega, from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, made a presentation to Board members about how parliamentarians in Latin America and the Caribbean are working to combat hunger through the Parliamentary Front Against Hunger.

In recent years the hemisphere has been witnessing growing social discontent, which has manifested in social mobilizations and protests in several countries as well as general citizen distrust of institutions. In addition, the health and socioeconomic crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the already glaring inequalities in the Americas and the Caribbean. In the face of this complex panorama, civil society and youth organizations have challenged governing institutions with demands that insist on the rebuilding of the social contract.

This session offered parliamentarians the opportunity to hold dialogue with representatives of civil society and youth about their visions, expectations, and proposals to rebuild the social contract under democratic and inclusive paradigms.

For more information, see the report: Report of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas

The health and socio-economic crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the already notorious inequalities existing in the hemisphere, has deepened citizen distrust in institutions, and has given rise to growing social discontent, which has manifested in various ways including social mobilization and widespread protests across the region.

Recognizing the complexity of these issues, the interparliamentary dialogue session offered a space for discussion, prospective analysis, and exchange of good legislative practices regarding the role of parliaments and the opportunities they face in rebuilding the social contract. This discussion aimed to highlight the need to endorse democratic principles, restore public trust in institutions, advance the public policies that are required to overcome the difficult socio-economic crisis in the hemisphere, and discuss the regional integration initiatives required to undergo the post-pandemic recovery processes.

For more information, see the report: Report of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas

On September 13, 22 and October 4, 2021, a delegation of Canadian parliamentarians participated in the 13th Gathering of the ParlAmericas Network on Gender Equality (PNGE). The three online events were conducted in ParlAmericas’ official languages: English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The 13th Gathering of the PNGE explored the ways in which strengthening social supports and services can contribute to addressing the root causes of gender inequality and other forms of social vulnerability, building on conversations spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic on enhancing social protection systems. The question of data was a crosscutting focus of the Gathering, with particular attention to the availability and use of disaggregated data to address the differentiated needs of women and vulnerable groups during the pandemic. The Gathering provided spaces for knowledge-sharing on good practices for more systematic collection of disaggregated data with a view to preventing the gaps in social protection during future crises and to ensuring an overall strengthening of the social safety net. The Honourable Mobina S. B. Jaffer, Senator, was elected as Vice-President (North America) on the Executive Committee of the PNGE.

For more information, see the report: Report of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas

On September 24, 2021, two Canadian parliamentarians participated in the 57th Meeting of ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors:

• Marc G. Serré, M.P., Chair of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas (CPAM), Member of ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors (North America) and Chair of the ParlAmericas Corporation; and

• The Honourable Rosa Galvez, Senator, Vice-Chair of CPAM, President of ParlAmericas’ Parliamentary Network on Climate Change (PPCC), 2nd Vice-President of ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors and Treasurer of the ParlAmericas Corporation.

Board members approved the minutes of their previous meeting, following which Mr. Serré reported on the business of the ParlAmericas Corporation Board of Directors and Senator Galvez presented the ParlAmericas Corporation’s financial report. Blanca Ovelar, Senator, President of the Board of Directors, then led a discussion about ParlAmericas’ annual workplan and Alisha Todd, Executive Director of ParlAmericas’ International Secretariat, provided a progress update. Board members then reviewed the draft declaration to be presented at the 13th Gathering of ParlAmericas’ Parliamentary Network on Gender Equality (PNGE). Finally, members of the Board considered ParlAmericas’ future activities, noting the upcoming 18th Plenary Assembly planned for November and December 2021.

On September 13, 22 and October 4, 2021, a delegation of Canadian parliamentarians participated in the 13th Gathering of the ParlAmericas Network on Gender Equality (PNGE). The three online events were conducted in ParlAmericas’ official languages: English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The 13th Gathering of the PNGE explored the ways in which strengthening social supports and services can contribute to addressing the root causes of gender inequality and other forms of social vulnerability, building on conversations spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic on enhancing social protection systems. The question of data was a crosscutting focus of the Gathering, with particular attention to the availability and use of disaggregated data to address the differentiated needs of women and vulnerable groups during the pandemic. The Gathering provided spaces for knowledge-sharing on good practices for more systematic collection of disaggregated data with a view to preventing the gaps in social protection during future crises and to ensuring an overall strengthening of the social safety net. The Honourable Mobina S. B. Jaffer, Senator, was elected as Vice-President (North America) on the Executive Committee of the PNGE.

On September17, 2021, the Honourable Rosa Galvez, Senator, Vice-Chair of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas (CPAM), President of ParlAmericas’ Parliamentary Network on Climate Change (PNCC), 2nd Vice-President of ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors and Treasurer of the ParlAmericas Corporation, chaired a meeting of the PNCC’s Executive Committee. Senator Galvez provided welcoming remarks and other members of the Executive Committee introduced themselves.

The following Executive Committee members attended the meeting: Costa Rican Deputy Paola Vega Rodríguez, the PNCC’s Vice-President (Central America); Ecuadoran Assembly Member Luis Bruno Segovia Mejía, the PNCC’s First Vice-President (South America); Surinamer Member of Parliament Radjendrekoemar Debie, the PNCC’s Second Vice-President (South America); and Trinidadian Senator Anthony Vieira, the PNCC’s Vice-President (The Caribbean).

ParlAmericas’ International Secretariat outlined planned and possible activities for the PNCC during the remainder of 2021–22, and, following a discussion about these activities, Executive Committee members provided updates on their legislature’s recent activities relating to the environment and climate change. Finally, they reviewed their priority themes and actions for the coming months.

On September 13, 22 and October 4, 2021, a delegation of Canadian parliamentarians participated in the 13th Gathering of the ParlAmericas Network on Gender Equality (PNGE). The three online events were conducted in ParlAmericas’ official languages: English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The 13th Gathering of the PNGE explored the ways in which strengthening social supports and services can contribute to addressing the root causes of gender inequality and other forms of social vulnerability, building on conversations spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic on enhancing social protection systems. The question of data was a crosscutting focus of the Gathering, with particular attention to the availability and use of disaggregated data to address the differentiated needs of women and vulnerable groups during the pandemic. The Gathering provided spaces for knowledge-sharing on good practices for more systematic collection of disaggregated data with a view to preventing the gaps in social protection during future crises and to ensuring an overall strengthening of the social safety net. The Honourable Mobina S. B. Jaffer, Senator, was elected as Vice-President (North America) on the Executive Committee of the PNGE.

For more information, see the report: Report of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas

On August 18, 2021, the following members of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas (CPAM) participated in a virtual meeting organized by CPAM and ParlAmericas’ International Secretariat to commemorate 60 years of diplomatic relations between Canada and Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama:

• Marc G. Serré, M.P., Chair of CPAM, Member on ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors (North America) and Chair of the ParlAmericas Corporation;

• The Honourable Rosa Galvez, Senator, Vice-Chair of CPAM, President of ParlAmericas’ Parliamentary Network on Climate Change (PPCC), 2nd Vice-President of ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors and Treasurer of the ParlAmericas Corporation;

• The Honourable Mobina S. B. Jaffer, Senator;

• The Honourable Marilou McPhedran, Senator; and

• The Honourable Marie-Françoise Mégie, Senator.

Parliamentarians and ambassadors from Canada and the Central American countries noted above met to celebrate key achievements over the past six decades of diplomatic relations and interparliamentary cooperation.

Mr. Serré and María Inés Solís Quirós, Member of Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly and representative on ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors (Central America), provided welcoming remarks.

Senator Galvez then moderated a panel comprising presentations by parliamentary delegations from Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. In highlighting common priorities for Canada and Central American countries, a number of presenters spoke about the importance of interparliamentary cooperation in such areas as trade, gender equality and climate action. Senator Jaffer noted the benefits of open and transparent parliaments, and emphasized the role of interparliamentary cooperation in achieving this transparency in all of ParlAmericas’ member countries.

Finally, Fernando Arce, Member of Panama’s National Assembly and one of Central America’s representatives on ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors, and Her Excellency Sofia Cerrato, Ambassador of Honduras to Canada and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Canada, provided closing remarks. They underscored the success of collaborations among Canada and Central American countries over the last 60 years.