Report

Introduction

FIPA held its 24th Executive Committee meeting in the city of Curitiba, Brazil, on February 19-20, 2011. The meeting was hosted by the State of Paraná, represented by Luiz Carlos Hauly, former Member of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, who also chaired the meeting as FIPA President.

Other participants included: Senator Adriana González Carrillo (Mexico, representative of North America); Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette (Canada, former President of FIPA); Randy Hoback, M.P. (Canada, representative of North America); Deputy Víctor Juliao III (Panama, representative of Central America); Linda Machuca Moscoso, Member of the National Assembly of Ecuador (President of the Group of Women Parliamentarians of the Americas); Edmonde Supplice Beauzile, (Haiti, representative of the Caribbean); Rosemary Husbands-Mathurin, Speaker of the House of Assembly (Saint Lucia, representative of the Caribbean); Germán Alcides Blanco Alvarez (Colombia, representative of South America); and Alberto Grillón Conigliaro (Paraguay, representative of South America, and host country of 8th Plenary Assembly). (See Appendix A for a complete list of participants.)

The main objectives of the meeting were to start preparations for the 8th FIPA Plenary Meeting and the next meeting of the Group of Women Parliamentarians of the Americas; to review the work plan for the coming cycle; to receive the audited financial statement; and to select an interim-president to serve until the next Plenary Assembly.

Opening of the Meeting

President Hauly opened the meeting by welcoming everyone to Curitiba, the capital city of his state of Paraná. He explained that he was pleased to be receiving the Executive Committee in Curitiba, since he had been invited to be Minister of Finance for the State of Paraná, after serving in the Brazilian parliament for 20 years.

President Hauly introduced all the members of the Executive Committee, as well as members of the FIPA Technical Secretariat present. He also welcomed distinguished guests who were present as observers, including Rosane Ferreira, member of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, and Jorge Luiz de Souza Martins from the Municipality of Curitiba.

Adoption of the Agenda

President Hauly, Chair of the meeting, invited members to consider the draft meeting agenda. The agenda was adopted without change.

Approval of the Report of the 23rd Executive Committee Meeting

The meeting proceeded with the consideration of the report of the 23rd FIPA Executive Committee meeting, held in Mexico City, Mexico on November 16 and 19, 2010. The report was approved without any change.

Director General’s Report

Changes at Technical Secretariat

The FIPA Director General, Gina Hill, updated the Executive Committee on recent changes at the Secretariat. In consultation with the Parliamentary Centre, the previous position of Program Assistant was changed to Program Manager, and continues to be held by Viviane Rossini. In addition, and with agreement of President Hauly, the Executive Secretary’s title was changed to Director General.

Outreach and Networking

The Director General gave an update on representational work in which she took part. In December, she attended a meeting with the Ambassador of Peru to Canada, who was interested in the work of FIPA and requested that he be kept apprised of FIPA activities and events.

In February, the Director General attended CIDEC, a conference on diversity and cultural expression hosted by the National Assembly of Quebec and the parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie, on behalf of President Hauly.

The Technical Secretariat was looking forward to a reception on March 8th to mark the Tenth Anniversary of FIPA, being organized by the Canadian Section of FIPA, in Ottawa. All diplomatic missions from the hemisphere would be invited, and it would be a good opportunity to make contacts.

The Director General also raised the possibility of attending the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank which was to take place in Calgary, Canada in late March, and sought input from Executive Committee members.

Members of the Executive Committee had a lengthy discussion regarding the relationship between FIPA and Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas (COPA), with President Hauly and Senator Hervieux-Payette recounting a history of the relationship between the two organizations.

Communications Strategy

The Director General updated the Executive Committee on a number of communications-related issues.

ParlAmericas Newsletter

With regards to the newsletter, ParlAmericas, she gave a brief history of the newsletter and past issues, before speaking about the issue currently in production, due to be published at the end of March. This issue contains two contributions: one from Randy Hoback on hemispheric security and transnational crime, and the other on the role of Haitian parliamentarians after the earthquake, and their relations with NGOs, by Dr. Matthew Bolton of the London School of Economics. The Director General also updated the Executive Committee on plans to move ParlAmericas to an on-line newsletter with a more limited print run, once the new website has been launched.

New Website

The Director General provided an update on the development of the new website, including  a history of the FIPA website, information about the selection process for the development company, and an explanation of the various phases that make up the process before launching the new site, including design, interface development and content management system implementation, quality assurance testing, and training. The launch is expected to take place in June, 2011.

New Logo

The Director General discussed the central role played by the new logo in the website initiative, and the steps taken to date in developing a new logo. The Executive Committee then considered some possible logos, and provided their feedback to give to the designer. It was agreed that a small logo-decision committee would be made up of Representative Linda Machuca, Senator Adriana González, and Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette, who, along with the FIPA Technical Secretariat, would decide on the final logo.

Citizen Security

The Director General introduced the topic of Citizen Security. She remarked that this was one of the Working Group themes at the 7th Plenary Assembly, and explained that the Parliamentary Centre of Canada was embarking on an initiative related to Citizen Security in Central America. She suggested that there might be a role to play for FIPA in connecting parliamentarians of the sub-region to the initiative, and eventually possibly the whole hemisphere. She pointed out that the Organization of American States (OAS) has declared the topic of Citizen Security its focus for the 2011 General Assembly.

Jean-Paul Ruszkowski, President and CEO of the Parliamentary Centre, joined the meeting by telephone, and explained the background of the initiative, as well as the steps taken to date. He invited FIPA to be involved, and made himself available for discussion and questions.

The Executive Committee then discussed the topic, including a number of facets of security such as drugs/weapons/tobacco trade, urban versus rural security, security in the wake of disasters, and the judicial treatment of security issues. It was recognized that security can no longer be seen as a national or even regional issue, but must be treated as one that transcends borders and impacts the whole hemisphere. 

It was recognized that the topic of Citizen Security would be a good entry point to FIPA participation at the OAS General Assembly in 2011.

2011 FIPA Work Plan

Overview and Highlights

The Director General gave an overview of the work plan of FIPA for the second year of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funded project, Strengthening the Role of Parliaments in Democratic Governance and Sustainable Development in the Americas. She then provided some highlights and updates, including plans for a trade-related workshop to be held in collaboration with the World Trade Organization, and on capacity-building workshops in the area of parliamentary oversight, specifically budgetary oversight, as decided by the Executive Committee at a previous meeting.

The Director General also presented a calendar view of the major activities and events of FIPA for the current year, and highlighted the major areas of work and significant events. There was some discussion regarding the need to gather more data for the needs assessment and development of a baseline with regard to the capacity building program. The work plan was approved by the Executive Committee without changes.

Strategic Planning

The Director General spoke about the need for a strategic plan for FIPA, and the related need for a financial sustainability strategy. She proposed hiring a consultant to work with FIPA to develop a strategic plan with a robust financial sustainability component.

There was discussion among Executive Committee members and comments included support for the professionalization of FIPA’s objectives and finances, the recognition that FIPA needs to secure a more stable and long-term source of resources, the suggestion that members contributions be raised, and the need to pursue external sources of funding.

It was agreed that a consultant should be hired to help prepare a Strategic Plan for FIPA, and that it should be ready to bring to the 8th Plenary Assembly for approval. Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette and Representative Víctor Juliao agreed to form a Strategic Plan Steering Committee along with the Director General in order to guide this work.

Group of Women Parliamentarians of the Americas

The President of the Women’s Group, Representative Linda Machuca, updated the Executive Committee on a number of issues, including the open call for a consultant to work with the Group of Women Parliamentarians that resulted in a number of highly qualified applicants, and that they were currently being shortlisted for interviews. She also posed the question of whether the next meeting of Women Parliamentarians should take the form of an annual meeting or of a capacity building event, and her desire to focus on women parliamentarians of the Caribbean. Representative Machuca said that the Dominican Republic had expressed an interest in hosting the meeting, and that her goal was to hold the meeting in June.

The Executive Committee had a discussion and a number of issues were raised including the high cost of travel within the Caribbean, the merits of hosting the meeting in specific Caribbean countries, and the possibility of having the embassies of FIPA member countries host or sponsor meals during the event to reduce costs. Executive Committee members agreed to make inquiries regarding the possibility of their government or embassy sponsoring meals during this activity.

Recommendations from the 7th Plenary Assembly

Executive Committee members were invited to review the recommendations of the 7th Plenary Assembly, held in November 2010, that have a direct implication on FIPA. The question was raised as to how the recommendations are communicated to governments, as opposed to parliaments. It was noted that the most effective route would be for this communication to happen through parliamentarians themselves. It was agreed that the recommendations resulting from the meeting should be circulated to all Parliamentarians who were present at the Assembly. In addition, they should be forwarded to the presidents of those countries not present at the Assembly.

Preparations for the 8th Plenary Assembly

Location and Dates

Senator Alberto Grillón, of Paraguay, presented the official letter from the National Congress of Paraguay, agreeing to host the 8th Plenary Assembly of FIPA, on 7-10 September 2011. The letter also notes that 2011 is the bicentenary of national independence of Paraguay. Senator Grillón indicated that as representative of the host country he will make every effort to ensure that all member parliaments of FIPA are represented at the Plenary Assembly.

Theme and Working Group Topics

There was some discussion as to possible working group topics. Suggestions included parliamentarian responsibility for the protection of citizens, regional initiatives, climate change and resource extraction, the globalization of transnational crime, and the effectiveness of public policies.

It was agreed that Citizen Security will be the overarching theme for the 8th Plenary Assembly, and that each of the working groups will deal with an aspect of Citizen Security. Representative Germán Blanco Alvarez and MP Randy Hoback agreed to take this work forward and develop the topics of the working groups.

Administrative and Financial Matters

Selecting an Interim-President

President Luiz Carlos Hauly explained to the members of the Executive Committee that he had been involved in FIPA since its creation in 2001, and was elected as the third president in 2006. He highlighted some of the initiatives he was a part of, including placing a strong emphasis on women’s rights and gender equality, pursuing closer relations with the Organization of American States, and numerous representational visits he made with various government leaders and relevant organizations.

Members of the Executive Committee spoke about their high regard for President Hauly, and shared some personal recollections of working with him over the years. They thanked him for his many years of voluntary service to FIPA, and recognized the need to select an Interim-President from among the Executive Committee to serve until the next Plenary Assembly meeting. Two Members of the Executive Committee put themselves forward, Senator Adriana González of Mexico, and Senator Alberto Grillón of Paraguay. There was an election by secret ballot which resulted in a tie vote. After some discussion it was agreed that Randy Hoback of Canada would serve as Interim-President.

Annual Meeting of the FIPA Corporation Board of Directors

The President of the FIPA Corporation, Céline Hervieux-Payette, chaired the Annual  Meeting of the FIPA Corporation of the Board of Directors. The items discussed included approving the minutes of the previous meeting, admitting electoral members, approving the audited financial statement of FIPA for the year ending September 30, 2010, and designating the auditors for the subsequent period.

Annual Meeting of Executive Members of the FIPA Corporation

Corporation President Céline Hervieux-Payette chaired the meeting. Executive Committee members approved the minutes of their previous meeting, and received the audited financial statement of FIPA for the year ending September 30, 2010. They also re-elected currently serving Directors of the Board of Directors of FIPA Corporation, and elected two new Board members, namely, Representative Germán Alcides Blanco Alvarez of Colombia, and Senator Edmonde Supplice Beauzile of Haiti. Members also elected Randy Hoback, Member of the Canadian Parliament, as President of the FIPA Corporation.

Meeting of the Board of Directors of the FIPA Corporation

The Chair then called a meeting of the new Board of Directors of the Corporation. Several officers of the FIPA Corporation were appointed, namely Representative Víctor Juliao of Panama as Vice President, Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette of Canada as Treasurer, and Gina Hill of Canada as Secretary. Contract signing authorizations were established, and Director Randy Hoback was appointed to represent FIPA on the steering committee of the CIDA-financed project.

A budget  for the period October 1, 2010 – September 30, 2011 was presented and adopted.

Other Business

The Situation of Haitian Parliamentarians

Senator Beauzile spoke to the situation of Haitian parliamentarians and the reality of the foreign aid in her country. She presented a letter sent by the Senate of Haiti to the Secretary General of the Organization of American States. There were some questions and discussion as to the role played by all countries of the hemisphere in Haiti. Members considered possible actions they and their countries could take to improve the situation.

Location and Dates of the 25th Executive Committee Meeting

Members discussed the best dates for the next Executive Committee Meeting, and all agreed to July 9-10, 2011. Randy Hoback of Canada said that it might be possible to hold the meeting in Canada, and Senator Adriana Gonzalez agreed that Mexico could be a back-up in case Canada was unable to host.

Closing

Since no other issue was raised, the Chair declared the 23rd FIPA Executive Committee Meeting closed. Both Luiz Carlos Hauly and the State of Paraná were warmly thanked for their hospitality.

Meeting with the Governor of the State of Parana

Following the conclusion of the 23^rd FIPA Executive Committee Meeting, Senator Hervieux-Payette, Mr. Randy Hoback and other members of the FIPA Executive Committee attended a meeting with the Honourable Beto Richa, Governor of the State of Parana.  At the invitation of Governor Richa, the Executive Committee members visited the headquarters of the State Administration.  The FIPA members took the opportunity to express to Governor Richa their profound appreciation for the work and dedication of Mr. Luis Carlos Hauly, who had stepped down as President of FIPA to accept the appointment of Minister of Finance of the State of Parana.

Respectfully submitted,