SMALL BRANCHES CONFERENCE: 1 - SCRUTINY OF FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Sen. Gorst opening the debate at the first session.
important thing is for an amendment to Caribbean Commonwealth constitutions to entrench the principle of parliamentary participation in foreign affairs and treaty making.
The effect of globalization Hon. David Agius, MP, of Malta, emphasized the importance of international affairs in any system of governance and stated that decisions taken at international bodies influence the lives of many. He explained how parliamentary scrutiny has become even more important in the present context. Mr Agius stated that globalization
has increased the role and importance of international politics in that policy-making has shifted from the national to the international level, making parliamentary involvement all the more relevant and necessary. He emphasized the importance
of international organizations such as the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association which enable Parliamentarians to exchange ideas and which have the ability to influence national policies. He made a number of recommendations and these included the following:
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• Regular debates on activities of international institutions, particularly those activities directly relevant to national affairs, and reports submitted by the government; • Setting up committees/sub- committees in national Parliaments responsible for the follow-up of the government’s international activities and for making recommendations; • Ensuring that international affairs and activities related thereto are kept high on the national agenda with a view to helping citizens to understand the relevance of such undertakings; • Including Parliamentarians from across the political spectrum in the
House in national delegations par- ticipating in meetings of international institutions. • Reserving seats for Parliamentar- ians of both ruling and opposition parties in Commonwealth assemblies as well as conferences and meetings organized in its framework. • A greater involvement of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in the activities of the Commonwealth, particularly where input is required for the organization of agendas and the formulation of conclusions at important meetings such as the Commonwealth Heads of government Meeting;