Interparliamentary Activities and Reports

A CAAF delegation travelled to Ethiopia and Rwanda for meetings with parliamentarians, government officials, and members of civil society organizations and regional bodies. Meetings focused on parliamentary relations, peace and security, economic cooperation, and social and political issues.

The Political Committee examines political issues and the rule of law in francophone countries, relations with francophone institutions, the Assembly’s overall priorities and any legal issues related to the organization’s by-laws and enforcement provisions.

The purpose of the bilateral visit to New Zealand and Samoa was to strengthen bonds with our Commonwealth partners and exchange ideas of mutual significance. In particular, our parliamentarians built on and develop common areas of interest, including: people-to-people ties, governance and democracy, indigenous relations and reconciliation, climate change, and trade and investment.

Meetings on Capitol Hill enable members of the IPG’s Canadian Section to speak with U.S. federal legislators – particularly those who do not attend the IPG’s annual meeting or those who have recently been elected to Congress – and inform them about, and gain their support on, critical issues affecting Canada and the United States.

The Education, Communication and Cultural Affairs Committee examines issues relating to cultural expression in French, education, training, communication, information and communication technologies and audiovisual media. In 2002, the APF set up a Network of Women Parliamentarians to promote greater participation of women in political, economic, social and cultural life in their own countries and in the Francophonie as a whole.

The IPU’s annual parliamentary hearing brought parliamentarians to the UN headquarters in New York for a discussion with high-ranking UN officials, representatives of [UN] Member States and experts drawn from think tanks and civil society organizations. The theme of the hearing was "Emerging Challenges to Multilateralism: A Parliamentary Response".

Canadian delegates who travelled to the 2019 Winter Meeting in Vienna participated in the three General Committees: “Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions” , "Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment" and “Political Affairs and Security”, as well as contributed to discussions pertaining to the planning of the Annual Session in July 2019.

The Joint Committee meetings held in Brussels in February each year which bring together the Assembly’s Defence and Security, Economics and Security and Political Committees and the officers from Science and Technology Committee and Civil Dimension of Security Committee. The meetings are for member delegations only and their main purpose is to meet senior NATO officials in an off-the record format. During the February Meetings, the Standing Committee meets with NATO’s North Atlantic Council.

The Canadian Section of ParlAmericas visited Mexico City to develop ties with the newly elected Government and Congress.

The Bureau oversees the execution of decisions of the plenary Assembly for which it has delegated authority. In particular, the Executive ensures the implementation of the plenary Assembly’s motions, resolutions, advice and recommendations and makes any decisions it deems necessary in that regard. On the basis of a report of the General Secretariat, it examines issues related to the admission of branches or changes to their status, and it adopts the Assembly’s budget.