Interparliamentary Activities and Reports

On December 3, 2020, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the European Parliament co-hosted a discussion on international trade policies that could help to mitigate the global economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event brought together approximately 50 participants, including parliamentarians and representatives from various international organizations. The webinar featured presentations by Mr. Duarte Pacheco, president of the IPU; Ms. Pamela Coke-Hamilton, executive director of the International Trade Centre; Ms. Kathleen Van Brempt, member of the European Parliament; and Mr. Juan Antonio Coloma, member of the Senate of Chile.

Speakers emphasized that international trade should remain a key focus of economic development policies in a post-COVID-19 global economy. In addition, they highlighted various aspects of international trade and economic policies that could be considered by countries and parliamentarians to ensure a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient global economic recovery. Participants discussed the importance of reinvigorating multilateral trade negotiations and strengthening the dispute-settlement mechanism of the World Trade Organization, as well as the need to ensure free and fair trade in health goods and access to COVID-19 vaccines. In addition, they discussed the role that trade policies can play in reducing poverty, fighting climate change, promoting labor rights, and facilitating the participation of developing countries in the global economy.

Mr. Scott Simms, M.P., President, CAEU; the Hon. Peter Boehm, Senator; the Hon. Percy Downe, Senator; the Hon. Larry Bagnell, M.P.; the Hon. Wayne Easter, M.P., Mr. Stéphane Bergeron, M.P. and Ms. Yvonne Jones, M.P., participated in a videoconference call with the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Canada (D-CA). D-CA participants included Ms. Stéphanie Yon-Courtin (Chair, France), Mr. Javier Moreno Sánchez (Vice-Chair, Spain), Mr. Rasmus Andresen (Germany), Ms. Saskia Bricmont (Belgium) and Mr. Ondrej Kovarík (Czechia). The meeting began with a summary of the recent United States (U.S.) presidential election by the Hon. Wayne Easter, M.P., Co-Chair of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group. Other topics of discussion included counter-terrorism and the regulation of online platforms, the European Union’s (EU) proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, the development of vaccines against COVID-19 and the need for transparent public procurement. Participants also discussed the impact of the U.S. election on Canada and the EU’s bilateral and multilateral relations with that country, notably with respect to trade and climate change. Finally, they also discussed the forthcoming European Digital Services Act and other initiatives to fight terrorism and violent extremism online. It was suggested that the next meeting between the CAEU and D-CA include discussions of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the “Iran nuclear deal”), Brexit and the new trade agreement between the United Kingdom and Canada.

The newly elected members of the Bermuda House of Assembly participated in the post-election seminar, which is the oldest program run by the CPA. This was a virtual seminar and was attended by representatives from throughout the Commonwealth. The newly elected Members of the House of Assembly, chosen to represent Bermuda’s approx. 64,000 citizens, join the Parliament in a year that marks 400 years after it first sat at St Peter’s Church in St George in 1620. The CPA Post-Election Seminar programme offers elected Members of Parliament the opportunity to examine the core elements of democratic governance and to explore examples of best practice from across the Commonwealth. Hon. Yuen Pau Woo, Senator, Member of the Executive Committee, was invited to be a panellist. He presented an overview of a parliamentary committee system, including examples of best practice from the Senate of Canada.

Meeting of the Permanent Delegation of the APF Bureau – November 30, 2020 The permanent delegation of the APF Bureau meets when convened by the APF’s President. It has the power to decide on exceptional administrative matters. It also monitors the implementation of interparliamentary cooperation programs in accordance with the guidelines given by the plenary assembly and presents the APF’s programs and annual budget to the Bureau. Between meetings of the Bureau, it exercises all the powers of the Bureau and reports on its activities at the next Bureau meeting. MP Francis Drouin, President of the Canadian Branch and First Vice-President of the APF, chaired the meeting on behalf of the APF’s President. The members of the permanent delegation discussed the political situations in Armenia, Lebanon and Mali. They also discussed security in the G5 Sahel region and a partnership agreement between the APF and the Interparliamentary Committee-G5 Sahel. It was also decided to send future APF missions to Armenia, Lebanon and Mali when delegates’ security can be assured. Members also discussed the election observation mission to Côte d’Ivoire and the rights of Ivorian parliamentarians. They also discussed the OIF fact-finding mission on the November 22 presidential and legislative elections in Burkina Faso. Together with APF Parliamentary Secretary General Jacques Krabal, the mission studied the pre-election phase and voting and counting. The defense of French and multilingualism within European institutions and on the APF’s digital portal was also touched on, as well as the international conference planned in partnership with the AUF. Finally, it was proposed that the APF should carry out two types of missions in the future: political missions and thematic missions.

Circular Economy – Sustainable approaches to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic

The 17th Plenary Assembly of ParlAmericas provided an opportunity to share on the different measures that parliaments have taken or can take to implement sustainable and equitable production systems, considering the forthcoming economic packages for the reconstruction of our economies post COVID-19 pandemic, and to progressively meet the 2030 sustainable development agenda. The working sessions on November 16, 2020 (English and French) and November 20 (Spanish and Portuguese) facilitated an exchange of good parliamentary practices for the implementation of this agenda in the parliaments of the hemisphere. Each country delegation presented a statement related to the event theme at the plenary session of November 27, 2020. The plenary assembly concluded with the reading of the final declaration and the Board of Directors elections.

For more information, see the report: Report of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas

On 25 November 2020, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) co-hosted with the Kofi Annan Foundation a virtual session on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The event brought together over 60 participants, including parliamentarians as well as representatives from various international organizations and civil society groups. The Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (UIPU) was represented by Senator Marilou McPhedran, Senator Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia, MP, Mr. Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, MP, Ms. Iqra Khalid, MP, Ms. Lindsay Mathyssen, MP, and Mr. Sven Spengemann, MP. The session featured presentations by Mr. Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the IPU; Ms. Anita Bhatia, UN Women; Ms. Hilary Gbedemah, Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women Committee; and Ms. Carmen Alanis, Former Chief Justice of Mexico. The session highlighted various aspects of the issue of violence against women, including its growing prevalence as a “shadow pandemic” in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, the importance of including women and men in approaches to address the problem, and the role parliamentarians play in enacting key legislation to address the many barriers that persist. Many participants and panelists also stressed the need for reliable data on violence against women specifically and gender equality generally in order to better inform more effective public policies.

CPA Webinar for Speakers and Presiding Officers: COVID-19 and Independent Parliaments The Honourable Anthony Rota, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons and President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), was a panelist at the CPA webinar for Speakers and Presiding Officers along with participants from Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom and KwaZulu-Natal. They all emphasized the importance of independent parliaments and legislatures and the adaptations that have been made, especially during the COVID-19 global pandemic, during the second webinar on this topic organized by the CPA. The CPA webinar provided a timely and unique opportunity to examine the nature of parliaments as independent institutions in the context of COVID 19. Speaker Rota discussed the Canadian Parliament’s experience with virtual proceedings during the pandemic and the importance of a healthy and functioning parliament to democracy. The Parliament of Canada has implemented hybrid proceedings as a temporary measure in consultation with both parliamentarians and parliamentary staff and required the opposition’s support to pass emergency legislation. The CPA webinar was attended by Speakers and Presiding Officers from many Commonwealth parliaments including those in Uganda, Mauritius, South Africa, Zambia, Malta, Alberta, Bermuda, Sierra Leone, Ontario, Lesotho, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Yukon, Saint Lucia, Cayman Islands, Guyana, Malawi, Seychelles, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Falkland Islands, Jersey, the Western Cape and Gauteng.