Interparliamentary Activities and Reports

From 10 to 11 May 2022, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association hosted a Seminar for Parliamentarians of the 12th Parliament of Guyana. Ms. Brenda Shanahan, Member of Parliament, was invited to provide remarks during a session on “Codes of Conduct, Transparency and Integrity” held on 10 May 2022. This session examined the importance of members maintaining high ethical standards; committing to transparency and integrity; and adhering to rules of conduct. In her presentation, Ms. Shanahan discussed the importance of codes of conduct for Parliamentarians and how they can contribute to building and maintaining public trust. She provided examples of policies governing the behaviour of parliamentarians in Canada, including sexual harassment policies and rules in place in the House of Commons. Ms. Shanahan noted that parliamentarians and their staff can lead by example by modelling respectful workplace behaviour and implementing initiatives to foster a healthy, safe, and respectful work culture in their individual offices.

On 5 May 2022, the Executive Committee of the Canada-United Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Association (RUUK) hosted a luncheon for Her Excellency Ms. Susannah Goshko, British High Commissioner to Canada. Members of the Executive Committee had previously met with Ms. Goshko at the British High Commission in December 2021 and were pleased to resume the fruitful dialogue they had commenced on that occasion. The Chair of the Association, Mr. James Maloney, M.P., opened the event with welcome remarks and, following a reply from Ms. Goshko, the floor was opened to all participants. Topics addressed included Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, energy security and the importance of reaching a comprehensive Canada-U.K. Free Trade Agreement.

Mr. Francesco Sorbara, MP, President, Canada–Europe Parliamentary Association (CAEU), participated in a videoconference call with Ms. Stéphanie Yon-Courtin, MEP, Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Canada (D-CA), on 27 April 2022. The D-CA Vice-Chairs, Mr. Javier Moreno Sánchez, MEP; and Mr. Mircea-Gheorghe Hava, MEP; as well as Mr. Ondrej Kovarík, MEP; Ms. Edina Tóth, MEP; and Ms. Dorien Rookmaker, MEP, also attended the meeting.

The main topic of discussion was future plans for parliamentary cooperation between the two associations. Ms. Yon-Courtin and other D-CA members congratulated Mr. Sorbara on his election as CAEU President and invited him to introduce himself and outline CAEU’s plans for 2022–2023.

D-CA members reiterated their plans to travel to Canada in September 2022 for the annual interparliamentary meeting (IPM). All participants suggested potential topics for the IPM’s agenda, including a recognition of the five-year implementation anniversary of the Canada–European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.

Other topics of discussion included recent developments related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Canadian politics. Finally, plans were made to establish future bilateral meetings between CAEU and D-CA members to address other current issues and to finalize the details for the upcoming IPM.

The Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Ms. Teresa Ribeiro, co-hosted a webinar on the safety of women journalists online. The meeting included opening remarks by Ms. Teresa Ribeiro and Mr. Johan Büser, Rapporteur of the OSCE PA General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions. Presentations were then made by the following panellists: Ms. Barbara Trionfi, Executive Director of the International Press Institute, Ms. Paulina Gutierrez, Legal Officer at ARTICLE 19 and the Rt. Hon. John Whittingdale, head of the U.K. delegation to the OSCE PA.

The Honourable Dr. Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P., head of the Canadian delegation to the OSCE PA and the OSCE PA Special Representative on Gender Issues, delivered closing remarks. Among other points, she spoke about the consequences of violence against women journalists, including the ways by which it reduces diversity among journalists, undermines journalism and reduces trust in facts. She also highlighted some of the challenges associated with regulating online violence and identified the need for parliamentarians to work together to prevent gender-based violence online. Mr. Earl Dreeshen, M.P., also attended the event.