Interparliamentary Activities and Reports

Mr. Marc Serré, M.P., Chair of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas and the Honourable Rosa Galvez, Senator, participated in the 50th Board of Director’s Meeting of ParlAmericas by videoconference on June 16, 2020. During this meeting, Members discussed financial matters and were updated on the status of future ParlAmericas’ meetings in the context of COVID-19. Mr. Marc Serré is Canada’s representative on the Board. ParlAmericas is run by parliamentarians for parliamentarians, with a Board of Directors composed of 21 seats which currently represent 17 countries from North, South, Central America and the Caribbean.

On June 15, 2020, Dr. Hedy Fry, M.P., hosted a web dialogue in her capacity as Special Representative on Gender Issues to the OSCE PA entitled: "Gendered Impacts of COVID-19". Dr. Fry opened the discussion by highlighting the exacerbation of gender-related vulnerabilities as a result of the pandemic, and called for upscaling efforts in advancing the gender agenda. Following her remarks, the PA’s President Mr. George Tsereteli and SG Roberto Montella emphasized on the importance the OSCE PA attaches to mainstreaming gender-related policies and highlighted the Secretariat’s efforts in advancing equal representation among staff and members’ activities. Many Canadian delegates also participated in this event including Senators Patricia Bovey, René Cormier, Josée Forest-Niesing and Rosa Galvez.

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 June 11, 2020. During this meeting, vacancies were filled and members discussed many issues including cooperation with the UN and future IPU meetings. Further meetings will be required to complete the agenda. The Executive Committee oversees the administration of the IPU and makes recommendations to the IPU Governing Council on various matters, including applications by national parliaments or regional parliamentary assemblies wishing to join the Union.

On June 11th 2020, seven Canadian parliamentarians participated in a virtual meeting entitled “Sustainable Responses for a Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery” where four panellists spoke on how public policy and legislation could promote sustainable and inclusive post-pandemic economic recovery, particularly in the Caribbean region:

• Irwin LaRocque, Secretary General of the Caribbean Community, said that the response to the pandemic must take into account the effects of hurricane season in Caribbean countries.

• Diane Quarless, Director of the Economic Commission for the Latin American and Caribbean (ECLAC) Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean, highlighted the economic impact of the pandemic in the Caribbean, particularly on the tourism industry, which is an important source of income for many countries in the region. She also explained that the heavy indebtedness of Caribbean states, as well as their difficulty in obtaining official development assistance, foreign direct investment or concessional lending, limits the financial resources available to these countries to respond to the crisis caused by the pandemic.

• Monika Queisser, Head of the Social Policy Division of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, gave a global overview of the economic impact of COVID-19. She also shared data showing that more women than men have lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

• Therese Turner-Jones, General Manager of the Country Department Caribbean Group of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), explained that the pandemic has had a significant impact on the lives of women in the Caribbean and that women must be part of the discussions and decisions involving the response to the pandemic.

During the question period, the Honourable Rosa Galvez, Senator, Vice-Chair of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas, stressed that the way to measure economic recovery should not be based solely on GDP.

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 Twelve Plus geopolitical group (12+), participated in a virtual Steering Committee meeting of the 12+ on June 9, 2020. Members discussed important matters that will be on the agenda of the upcoming virtual meeting of the International Executive Committee of the IPU. The 12+ Group is a collective of 47 IPU member states that caucus together to discuss key issues that will be presented to the Governing Council of the IPU, the union’s main administrative and policy-making body.

Meeting of the APF’s Cooperation and Development Committee (COOP) Bureau – June 9, 2020 The APF’s Cooperation and Development Committee Bureau sets the agenda and decides on other administrative matters for the main committee. At the meeting, held by videoconference, the honourable Éric Forest, Senator and rapporteur of the Canadian Branch, was among the members present to discussed about the ongoing and upcoming studies of the main Commission. Senator Forest discussed the status of his draft report on the areas of international cooperation for climate change. The members also considered certain resolutions. Participants also discussed about the status of WTO international trade negotiations; rural populations; the status of resolutions adopted at the Luxembourg (2017) and Quebec City (2018) assemblies; and the status of children without identity papers in the Francophonie. Finally, the members adopted the agenda for the committee’s next meeting.

Ms. Yasmin Ratansi, M.P., Chair of the Canadian Branch, participated as a panelist in this webinar organized by the CPA UK Branch, sharing her thoughts on how MPs can continue to engage their constituents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On June 5th 2020, the Honourable Rosa Galvez, Senator, Vice-Chair of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas, moderated a virtual dialogue entitled “Legislating for Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery: Cooperative Dialogue between Presiding Officers of Parliaments of the Americas.” Presiding officers of 15 legislatures from across the Americas participated in the dialogue in Spanish.

Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), gave the keynote address, highlighting how the pandemic has affected the economic situation in the Americas and Caribbean region and outlining proposals that could help mitigate its effects. She explained that ECLAC expects that, in 2020, the gross domestic product of the Americas and Caribbean region will fall by 5%, 12 million people will become unemployed, and the number of people living in poverty will increase by over 28 million in the region. She highlighted that certain population groups in the region are more likely to suffer as a result of the pandemic. For example, women make up the majority of workers in the informal labour force, they often have little in the way of savings, and they have to go outside the home to earn an income. In addition, many children and adolescents may not have access to online learning; it is estimated that only 20% have this option. Ms. Bárcena proposed the following options to respond to the economic crisis sparked by COVID-19 in the Americas and the Caribbean: establish an emergency basic income over a period of six months for people living in poverty; provide subsidies to companies based on the number of employees and the employer’s commitment to its employees; promote measures leading to a more egalitarian and environmentally sustainable economic structure; and implement universal healthcare. Ms. Bárcena highlighted the important role of parliaments in implementing these measures.

Following the keynote presentation, the presiding officers each presented the measures implemented in their countries to respond to the pandemic.