Canadian Section of ParlAmericas (CPAM)

The 62nd meeting of ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors occurred virtually on September 23, 2022. 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 on ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors and Treasurer of ParlAmericas Corporation, participated in the meeting.

Paraguayan Senator Blanca Ovelar, President of ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors, provided opening remarks and an update on ParlAmericas’ recent activities. Senator Galvez moderated a discussion about the adoption of the reports for the 60th and 61st meetings of the Board of Directors, the appointment and introduction of new Board members, and various aspects of corporate business, including financial reporting and budgetary decisions. Following the discussion, Senator Ovelar spoke about the IX Summit of the Americas hosted by the United States of America in June 2022. Finally, ParlAmericas’ International Secretariat provided an update about the upcoming 14th Gathering of ParlAmericas’ Parliamentary Network for Gender Equality (PNGE) and the 19th Plenary Assembly.

This inter-parliamentary dialogue provided a space for parliamentarians to exchange with subject matter experts and among themselves on strategies promoting parliamentary diplomacy on climate action within parliaments, aligned with existing international frameworks.

For more information, see the report: Report of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas, 6th Gathering of ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change, by Videoconference, June 23 and July 5, 2022

This inter-parliamentary dialogue provided a space for parliamentarians to exchange with subject matter experts and among themselves on strategies promoting parliamentary diplomacy on climate action within parliaments, aligned with existing international frameworks.

On June 15, 2022, the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas (CPAM) hosted a reception on Parliament Hill for Ambassadors and High Commissioners of ParlAmericas’ member countries. The following Speakers addressed the assembled diplomats:

• Marc G. Serré, M.P., Chair of CPAM;

• Randy Boissonnault, P.C., M.P., Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance;

• His Excellency Martin Alejandro Vidal Delgado, Ambassador of Uruguay and Dean of the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean; and

• Annabella Zavagno, ParlAmericas Deputy Director General.

M. Serré welcomed the guests and thanked the members of the diplomatic corps for their integral roles in maintaining the meaningful relationships between Canada and other ParlAmericas’ member countries. He also commented on the meetings that were held when the Canadian Section was at the IX Summit of the Americas, in Los Angeles, California earlier in June. Finally, a particular mention was made of the successful efforts during the Summit establish a formalized role for ParlAmericas in future summits.

On June 6 to 8, 2022, a parliamentary delegation of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas (CPAM) attended a parliamentary gathering held on the occasion of the 9th Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, United States.

A high-level dialogue was held virtually on June 1st, 2022, on the theme ''Promoting multilateralism through parliamentary diplomacy''. It provided an opportunity for parliamentarians of the Americas and the Caribbean, prior to the 9th Summit of the Americas, to discuss the importance of the role of legislative powers in the Summit processes with a view to advancing multilateralism, regional integration, and the promotion of human rights and democracy.

The 61st Meeting of ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors occurred virtually on May 17, 2022. Three Canadian parliamentarians participated:

• 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;

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

• The Honourable Mobina S. B. Jaffer, Senator, Vice-President of ParlAmericas’ Parliamentary Network on Gender Equality (PNGE) (North America); and

• Randy Hoback, M.P., Member of CPAM and Member of the ParlAmericas Corporation.

Representative Bridgid Annisette-George, Speaker of Trinidad and Tobago’s House of Representatives and Vice-President of ParlAmericas’ Board of Directors, provided opening remarks and an update on ParlAmericas’ recent and upcoming activities; particular mention was made of ParlAmericas’ participation in the upcoming 9th Summit of the Americas.

Two representatives of the Organization of American States (OAS), Francisco Guerrero Aguirre, Secretary for Strengthening Democracy, and Maria Celina Conte, Director of the Summits of the Americas Secretariat, spoke to the members of the Board about the 9th Summit of the Americas and its events. As well, they stressed the importance of democracy and of integrating social justice considerations into all pandemic-response initiatives. Finally, the members of the board discussed ParlAmericas’ participation at the upcoming Summit of the Americas.

On March 29, 2022, the Honourable Rosa Galvez, Senator, Vice-Chair of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas (CPAM), President of the 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 Executive Committee. Senator Galvez welcomed the participants and gave the floor to Costa Rican MLA Paola Vega Rodríguez, who announced the end of her term as MLA and therefore as PNCC Vice-President.

The following members of the Executive Committee attended the meeting: Senator Raúl Bolaños-Cacho Cué of Mexico, Vice-President (North America); MNA Radjendrekoemar Debie of Suriname, Second Vice-President (South America); and Senator Anthony Vieira of Trinidad and Tobago, Vice-President (The Caribbean).

In the first part of the meeting, the representative of the International Secretariat of ParlAmericas presented the work plan for fiscal year 2022–23. The goal to build a PNCC Staff Network, similar to that of the other two ParlAmericas Networks, was also announced.

In the second part, Senator Galvez encouraged Executive Committee members to share any updates on the environmental work they have been leading in their own parliaments. She concluded by talking about her own parliamentary initiatives as well as those of the Canadian government.

In the third part, Executive Committee members heard presentations on climate change issues. Senator Gladys González of Argentina and Camila Gramkow, Economic Affairs Officer at the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, gave a presentation on the Parliamentary Observatory on Climate Change and Just Transition. Nahuel Arenas, Deputy Chief of the United Nations Regional Office for Disaster Risk Reduction for the Americas and the Caribbean, spoke about tools parliamentarians can use to help their countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, including disaster risk reduction.

The 6th Gathering of the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network (OPN) included three virtual sessions that took place on March 9, 15 and 22, 2022. During the sessions, dialogues were held between parliamentarians, parliamentary staff, and civil society and youth representatives on key considerations for a robust public integrity strategy, recognizing its importance not only in preventing and fighting corruption, but as one of the fundamental pillars on which political, economic, and social systems are built.