One of the sessions which stimulated much discussion among Members
from my region and from other small Parliaments focused on “Measuring Progress and Well-being beyond GDP in Small States”. Delegates felt that even if the GDP shows economic growth this does not reflect the social progress of countries. Other factors to be taken into account were said to be peace, happiness and personal satisfaction. Delegates also shared experiences in trying to meet the challenge of
increasing GDP within their respective countries due to factors such as limited capacity, lack of resources, the practices of international markets and global influences such as global economic recessions. The final plenary focused on “The Role of Social Media in Modern-day Politics”. The discussion involved strategies to effectively use social media such
as Facebook, Twitter and electronic mail to stay connected with the electorate, particularly for Members representing large constituencies or districts. Delegates were also cautioned on the down-side of over-reliance on these forms of communication especially where internet, cell phones and other electronic devices are not readily available to all. The conference provided an opportunity for networking so Members from
the more experienced Parliaments and from the developing countries can learn from best practices in all matters relating to Parliament and parliamentary procedure. I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the Parliament of Sri Lanka for hosting us, and especially to all the Parliamentarians from throughout the Commonwealth who so willingly shared their experiences to make us all better representatives of the people.
Hon. Alix Boyd Knights, MHA, speaking at the CWP session in Sri Lanka.