Interparliamentary Activities and Reports

On 8 September 2020, Mr. Han Dong, M.P., Co-Chair of the Canada-China Legislative Association, participated in the 41st General Assembly of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) on behalf of both the Canada–China Legislative Association and the Canada–Japan Interparliamentary Group. This virtual meeting was hosted by Viet Nam, the Chair of both ASEAN and AIPA for 2020. Canada has participated in this assembly as an observer delegation several times, most recently in Thailand in August 2019. This year, the theme of the assembly was “Parliamentary Diplomacy for a Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN.” The discussions also focused on the regional response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Dong delivered an address to the delegates, which included representatives of the 10 ASEAN countries and other observer and guest delegations from various parliaments around the world. In these remarks, Mr. Dong recognized the importance that Canadian parliamentarians place on strengthening relationships with Southeast Asia. He further shared Canada’s contribution to international efforts to fight the pandemic, and he discussed the progress made in recent years towards a possible free trade agreement between Canada and ASEAN. He concluded by saying that he looked forward to continuing the meaningful discussion at next year’s AIPA General Assembly.

The Honourable David McGuinty, P.C., M.P., President of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (UIPU) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Executive Committee Vice-President for the 12+ geopolitical group, participated in an Extraordinary Session of the International Executive Committee by videoconference on August 31, 2020. During this meeting, the members reviewed proposed special rules of procedure that could be adopted at the next session of the Governing Council and discussed a few other administrative matters. After a discussion, amendments were proposed. A new draft will be circulated to members for review and approval. The Executive Committee oversees the administration of the IPU and makes recommendations to the IPU Governing Council on various matters.

This webinar was the first in a series organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat and the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law. The goal was to build the capacity of parliamentarians and other key stakeholders in their response to climate change, and to promote knowledge-sharing on key topics in legislation and governance that arise in the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The presenters explored topics like the meaning of compliance in international law as well as compliance within domestic climate change legislation. The role of the Paris Agreement Implementation and Compliance Committee, of the UNFCCC Secretariat in aiding implementation and supporting coordination, and the essential role of parliaments and parliamentarians were also discussed. The presentations were followed by a lively virtual Q amp; A session with participants.

The CPA’s international executive committee (EXCO) meets twice a year, in the spring and just before the annual meeting. This year, however, the meeting was held in August and was held virtually for the first time. The CPA’s constitution authorizes it to control and manage the activities and business of the association. The international executive committee has about 35 members and is led by the chairperson of the CPA. The committee is made up of the officers of the CPA and three representatives from each region (except Africa, which has six representatives given its size). The Canadian Branch was represented by Ms. Yasmin Ratansi, M.P., Chair of the Canadian Branch. This was the first meeting for the new secretary general, Stephen Twigg. The international executive committee also agreed to postpone the next Commonwealth parliamentary conference, which will be held in Canada, until August 2021.