VIEW FROM THE CHAIR
STRENGTHENING THE WORK OF THE COMMONWEALTH WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS CAUCUSES
I hope that this issue of The Parliamentarian finds you fresh from your Commonwealth Day celebrations, and filled with enthusiasm for this year’s theme, “Team Commonwealth”. At the time of writing, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat is embracing this idea of unity, working closely with the U.K. Branch to host a joint programme for young people representing Commonwealth diaspora here in the Houses of Parliament at Westminster. This will be the first time we hold such a programme in collaboration with a branch, but it builds on the success of several collaborations in previous years on the Commonwealth Youth Parliament, and I greatly look forward to expanding on its highlights in future issues. “Team Commonwealth” seems already to have been
a theme of my activities over the past months, during which I have had the opportunity to engage with a number of other Commonwealth organizations. This began in November at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka, which I have already touched upon in a previous issue. It was rewarding to work with my Executive Committee colleagues Hon. Ronald Kiandee, MP, and Hon. Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, MP. As part of the delegation, I also managed to meet with Foreign Affairs Ministers from a number of Commonwealth countries. This was also the second consecutive CHOGM at which the CPA has been represented, and establishes a strong precedent for continued – and perhaps more formal – involvement of the CPA and the Commonwealth’s other Associated Organisations (AOs) at future meetings. I have represented the CPA in discussions with AOs which I hope will result in a more formal mechanism for AOs to engage with the CHOGM event. 2014 for me began with an opportunity to engage with another group of Commonwealth colleagues at the Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers’ Conference in New Zealand in January, which I attended as an observer in order to inform Branch Presidents directly of the work of the CPA, and some of the challenges we face in achieving a universally-acceptable – and legally viable – status as an organization. My meetings were amicable and productive, and the conference was extremely well organized; I should like to extend my congratulations and thanks to the New Zealand Parliament for hosting it and welcoming me. Whilst in the region, I was delighted to be able to meet Pacific Island
Members – my first opportunity to engage with Parliamentarians from across the region in my capacity as Chairperson. I am highly impressed by the work
6 | The Parliamentarian | 2014: Issue One
of the CPA’s Pacific Region, and in particular encouraged by its programmes targeting young people. I was able to experience one first-hand, when I visited Commonwealth Youth New Zealand, whom I encouraged to establish links with the My Commonwealth group in Canada and to network more widely with other organizations for young people across the Commonwealth. Finally, I have recently returned from a visit to the Parliament of Gibraltar,
where I was warmly received by both parliamentary colleagues and its Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. I am grateful to my hosts there, and in particular for the opportunity to discuss in greater detail my plans to create a formal role for a Chairperson of the CPA’s Small Branches caucus. Looking ahead, I realise with some sadness that I have
Rt Hon. Sir Alan Haselhurst, MP
Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee
now entered my last six months as Chairperson of the Executive Committee. It is some consolation for leaving behind a position that holds so many rewarding opportunities to work with colleagues across the Commonwealth that my final six months will allow me to attend meetings and regional seminars in so many countries – Malta, Cameroon and Canada to name but three – and I greatly look forward to welcoming the Executive Committee to London at the end of April for its mid-year meeting. I am also greatly heartened to see an area of the CPA’s
activity that I see as most central to its overarching aim of strengthening parliamentary democracy. This is the sterling work of the various regional Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians’ caucuses, reaching new heights this
year. The Canadian regional meeting took place in January, the British Isles and Mediterranean Region’s will be held in March (both linking into the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women) and the CWP’s preeminent Africa Region will hold its annual conference in July. All regions have a number of innovative new programmes in the pipeline, for instance CWP Australia’s Forum for young women seeking to enter politics. I am delighted to see the increase to the CWP’s budget having so much impact already. Finally, I should like to take the opportunity to encourage all Small Branches
to submit their thoughts on my proposal to create a position for an elected representative on the Executive Committee. I believe it would ensure that small Legislatures’ concerns are foremost in the CPA’s strategy and decision- making, and urge you to take this opportunity to drive the initiative. I very much look forward to my final six months in my role, which I believe will contain many highlights for me, and would like to thank you all for your support to date and to come.
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