Visit of the Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate, and a Parliamentary Delegation, to the United Nations, New York, New York, United States of America
From November 13 to 15, 2013, the Speaker of the Senate, the Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, led a parliamentary delegation on a visit to the United Nations in New York, United States. The delegation was composed of Mrs. Ann Kinsella, the Honourable Senators Dennis Dawson and Salma Ataullahjan. Accompanying the delegation were Ms. Janelle Feldstein, Chief of Staff of the Speaker of the Senate, and Mr. Gérald Lafrenière, Secretary to the Delegation and Deputy Principal Clerk, Parliamentary Exchanges.
At the United Nations, the delegation attended and participated in the two day parliamentary sessions organized jointly by the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). The goal of these deliberations was to provide a parliamentary contribution to the on-going debate at the United Nations on the new Sustainable Development Goals beyond 2015 when the current Millennium Development Goals are set to expire. The meeting comprised of four main sessions as follows:
- A new economic model for sustainable development: The path toward well-being;
- Gender as a linchpin of development: How to frame a new goal?;
- "Democratic governance" for sustainable development: What place among the new goals?; and
- Parliaments and the new post-2015 agenda: Getting ready for implementation.
While in New York, the delegation met with:
- His Excellency Ali’ioaiga Feturi Elisaia, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations;
- His Excellency Narcís Casal de Fonsdeviela, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Andorra to the United Nations;
- His Excellency Damiano Beleffi, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of San Marino to the United Nations;
- His Excellency Daniele Bodini, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of San Marino to the United Nations;
- His Excellency Anatolio Ndong Mba, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Equatorial Guinea to the United Nations;
- His Excellency João Soares Da Gama, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Guinea-Bissau to the United Nations;
- Mr. Jeffrey Salim Waheed, Minister and Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations and Deputy Commissioner to Canada;
- Her Excellency Kunzang Choden Namgyel, Chargé d’affaires a.i., Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Bhutan to the United Nations; and
- Mr. Jiddou Jiddou, Chargé d’affaires a.i., First Counsellor of Mauritania to the United Nations.
The delegation also held meetings with the following individuals:
- Mr. Robert del Picchia, Senator, Senate of France, President of the Twelve Plus Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union;
- Ms. Michèle André, Senator, Senate of France;
- Mrs. Gabriela Cuevas Barron, Senator, Senate of Mexico, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee;
- The Honourable Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari, Senator, Chairman of the Senate of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan;
- His Excellency Robert L. Shafer, Ambassador and Permanent Observer for the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta to the United Nations; and
- His Excellency Oscar de Rojas, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Observer for the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta to the United Nations.
The objectives of the visit were to attend the parliamentary hearings aimed at providing a parliamentary contribution to new sustainable development goals and to enhance relations between Canada and the United Nations, as well as with countries attending the parliamentary hearings. In addition, the visit aimed to enhance bilateral relations with a number of countries including Samoa, Andorra, San Marino, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Maldives, Bhutan, and Mauritania whose permanent representatives to Canada are located in New York. This included highlighting the range of Canada’s interests with these countries, promoting educational exchanges; encouraging ongoing parliamentary dialogue by further promoting parliamentary exchanges; discussing foreign policies with respect to issues of international and mutual interest; and pursuing good relations in all fields of contact.