Visit of the Honourable Geoff Regan, P.C., M.P.,
Speaker of the House of Commons,
and a Parliamentary Delegation,
Lebanon and Jordan

From October 8 to 11, 2018, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Honourable Geoff Regan, P.C., M.P., led a parliamentary delegation on a visit to the Lebanese Republic (Lebanon) and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Jordan). The delegation consisted of Mr. David Christopherson, M.P., Mr. Ziad Aboultaif, M.P., and Mr. Fayçal El-Khoury, M.P. The delegation was accompanied by Mr. Brian Underhill, Chief of Staff, Office of the Speaker, and Ms. Caroline Massicotte, Secretary to the delegation.

In Beirut, Lebanon, the delegation met with the following people:

• His Excellency Michel Aoun, President;
• His Excellency Saad Hariri, Prime Minister designate;
• His Excellency Nabih Berri, Speaker of the National Assembly;
• His Excellency Elie Ferzli, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly; and
• Mr. Alain Aoun, Secretary of the National Assembly, M.P., and Mr. Assad Dergham, M.P.

In addition to these meetings, Speaker Regan and the delegation met with Mr. Adnan Daher, Secretary General of the National Assembly, to discuss various topics, including parliamentary procedure. They also met with the Director of the Security of the National Assembly, General Adnan El Sheik Ali, to discuss matters relating to corporate security.

Besides these meetings, delegates visited the Qob Elias Primary Care Centre in Bekaa Valley, where they met the directing staff, beneficiaries and representatives from Médecins du Monde, as well as from the Islamic Welfare Society. Supported by the Lebanese government and multilateral organizations, primary care centres aim to provide affordable health care and medication to refugees and vulnerable Lebanese groups, without discrimination. Members of the delegation then visited a nearby informal tented settlement, where they were welcomed by representatives from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF). After the visit, the delegation met with two Syrian refugee families.

During their time in Amman, Jordan, the members of the delegation met with the following people:

• His Excellency Omar Razzaz, Prime Minister;
• His Excellency Faisal Al-Fayez, President of the Senate;
• His Excellency Atef Tarawneh, Speaker of the House of Representatives; and
• His Excellency Khamees Ateyyeh, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The delegation also met with members of the Jordan-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group, a group of senators and a family of Syrian refugees who will immigrate to Canada in the coming months.

The purpose of the visit to Lebanon and Jordan was to strengthen bilateral ties with these two countries, to promote democratic values and Canadian interests, and to contribute to good public governance through the sharing of information and the exchange of best practices. During their stay, delegates also discussed matters relating to corporate security, parliamentary procedure, gender equality and civil society engagement. To better understand how parliaments in Lebanon and Jordan work and interact with parliamentarians, the delegation also met with numerous representatives from civil society groups. In addition, they had the opportunity to discuss the political and security situation in these two countries with ambassadors to better understand the current opportunities and challenges, particularly with regards to the refugee situation.

The report will be available once it has been tabled in the House of Commons.