PLENARY SESSION - COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY CO-OPERATION
raised, too many are still being left behind. The global context within which the Commonwealth strives for the advancement of all remains one in which the gap between rich and poor is enormous and, in too many instances, continues to grow. ‘Democracy’ and ‘development’
were often referred to as the twin pillars of our work at the Commonwealth Secretariat, with each inseparably combining with the other as we seek to deliver the benefits of both for the common good. To these, we now add ‘diversity’, also a hallmark feature and Commonwealth value – equality for all in our populations. This symmetry is important: for
stable and sustainable progress to be achieved, it is necessary for democracy and development and respect for diversity to be advanced together, never pressing ahead with one to the detriment of the others. They reinforce each other, sustain each other, and each person needs them all. All our Commonwealth Parliaments, and all members of our family of Commonwealth organizations, must continue to strive in particular to build positively on the richness and potential of our diversity, and avoid our differences becoming a source of sterility let alone division. That is the Commonwealth way, and it is a way of working that can be challenging but must be nurtured at all times. Our responsibility as leaders and representatives is to model strength and harmony in diversity to our own members and to the wider world.
We have now worked with the
CPA for many years on a series of ‘Government and Opposition’ workshops. These aim to foster a more constructive relationship between governing and opposition parties, one which is conducive to working together within a democratic framework, that places harmony, the communal good and inclusive development above partisan considerations – vital though party loyalties and policy are if there is to be
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, H.E. Mr Kamalesh Sharma, in Sri Lanka.
a genuine democratic choice for the electorate and a robust public debate. Our most recent workshop
in this series brought together representatives of governing and opposition parties in East Africa. This builds upon similar events in Asia, West Africa, the Pacific, Southern Africa and the Caribbean. Parliament should be the primary
forum where the voice of the people, especially the poor and marginalized, is heard with absolute clarity. Confidence amongst the people that Parliament truly understands, and is able to address the needs and interests of the people, is a paramount guarantee of social peace and stability. Such confidence can only really
be secured if Parliamentarians – of both the majority and minority parties – can show their effectiveness in leading free and unfettered public debate; in representing the interests and concerns of their constituents; in holding the government to account; and in scrutinizing, improving, and enacting legislation. This is the supreme Commonwealth value – the Parliament is where the heart of democracy beats. These CPA conferences
246 | The Parliamentarian | 2012: Issue Four
therefore remain as important as ever – particularly as we see a growing sense of impatience and heightened ambition among young people for the opportunity of making a contribution to shaping the world in which they will live, learn, work and care for their families. In a Commonwealth that now encompasses 54 countries, two billion people and a multitude of faiths, races, cultures and traditions it is remarkable, and a tribute to our methods of working together on a basis of trust and consensus, that we have found common ground on core values and principles and continue to cooperate on collective practical action across such a broad range of issues.
Your conference theme is
“Ensuring a Relevant Commonwealth for the Future”. This is a topic on which we should constantly reflect, and indeed over recent months and years it has been assessed and commented on by a whole range of stakeholders, from citizens at the grass roots level to an Eminent Persons Group to Heads of Government. It is not that the Commonwealth is irrelevant. But wide consideration of
this topic, including by this conference, is right and proper because the challenges facing us in the world today are as immense as they are broad, and are attended equally by opportunities. It is by evolving, refining and strengthening the focus of our engagement that we can hope to succeed in finding solutions and serving our member states. In the 2009 Affirmation of Commonwealth Values and Principles, adopted by our Heads of Government, they reiterated their commitment to democracy as a core value. And they reaffirmed their commitment, I quote, to: “
...the inalienable right of the individual to participate by means of free and democratic political processes in shaping the society in which they live.” The promotion of democratic
values, alongside development and diversity, thus remains a principal focus of the Commonwealth. It is our ‘USP’, our brand strength, a fount of our continued relevance. The Commonwealth Ministerial
Action Group acts as the custodian of the Commonwealth’s fundamental core political values and, since its establishment in 1995, it has been addressing situations where serious
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