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Canada's international parliamentary relations are carried out, in part, through parliamentary associations and interparliamentary groups. Though their activities and objectives may be varied, the associations of the Parliament of Canada share similar characteristics: ·they promote the country's interests abroad on a continuing basis; ·operate on multilateral and bilateral levels; ·are composed of members of the Senate and of the House of Commons; and ·association members meet at annual general meetings where they elect executive committees as well as at other meetings to coordinate and direct activities with their bilateral counterparts or with the international secretariats of the multilateral organizations to which they belong. There are also four unfunded interparliamentary groups which have been recognized by the JIC which also help promote bilateral relations with the specific country to which they are related. The Joint Interparliamentary Council (JIC) is responsible for determining all budgetary and administrative matters relating to parliamentary associations. Specifically, the Council determines the level of funding to be distributed to each association within the limits of the total allotments approved by the Senate Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration and the House of Commons Board of Internal Economy. In addition, the JIC is also responsible for setting the overall general policy direction for parliamentary associations as well as coordination of related activities and operating policies to ensure effective, efficient, consistent and coherent support for interparliamentary activities while also promoting the best interests of Parliament in the area of interparliamentary relations. At its meeting of June 10, 2009, the JIC, as part of its consideration of recommendations inspired by the Report of the International and Interparliamentary Affairs Five-Year Review Committee (by Senator Paul J. Massicotte & Mr. Rob Merrifield, M.P.), adopted the following: “That the JIC requests that International and Interparliamentary Affairs (IIA) prepare an annual report for the JIC of IIA activities in support of parliamentary associations.” Accordingly, in October 2010, International and Interparliamentary Affairs (IIA) had the honour to present their first annual report on the activities and expenditures of parliamentary associations which focused on the 2009-2010 fiscal year. This second report contains a similar summary of parliamentary association activities and related expenditures for the 2010-2011 fiscal year and includes additional comparisons between the two fiscal years. While IIA works on behalf of Parliamentarians from both Chambers in supporting parliamentary associations, it also provides support to the exchange programs of both Speakers, as well as ongoing protocol and parliamentary conference support for official international and interparliamentary activities for the Parliament of Canada. Again this year, it is important to highlight that the sole focus of this report is on those areas under the jurisdiction of the JIC, which is to say primarily, parliamentary associations and their activities. Also, as with the first annual report prepared by IIA, the intention is to provide the JIC with a high level, quantitative summary of the activities of parliamentary associations. For further information, please contact International and Interparliamentary Affairs, at 613‑943‑5959. |
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