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| Report of the14th Executive Committee Meeting IntroductionThe 14th Executive Committee meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas (FIPA) took place on April 11 and 12, 2006, at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) headquarters in Washington, D.C., at the kind invitation of IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno. Seven of the ten Committee members were present, as indicated on the list of participants in Appendix 1. The main objectives of the meeting were to progress with plan for the Fifth Plenary Assembly, to explore possible cooperation between FIPA and the Bank on training for parliamentarians, and to continue with the review of FIPA regulations which began at the previous meeting of the Committee in Guatemala. Opening of the meeting and approval of the agendaChristian Gómez, Deputy Director of the Regional Operations Department 3, warmly welcomed the participants on behalf of the Inter-American Development Bank. He took the opportunity to reiterate the Bank’s commitment to strengthening legislative institutions and underscored the role FIPA could play in meeting this objective. Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette thanked the Bank as Chair of the Executive Committee and then reviewed the agenda, which was adopted without amendments on a motion from the representative for Grenada, seconded by the delegate from Guatemala. Activity report by the Chair and announcementsThe Chair then continued with a report of her latest activities. Meeting with the President of the Inter-American Development BankSenator Hervieux-Payette reported that she went to Washington, D.C., on March 21 st, 2006, to meet with the new president of the Inter-American Development Bank, Luis Alberto Moreno. She explained that at the meeting Mr. Moreno agreed to collaborate on FIPA’s Fifth Plenary Assembly by promising to send Bank experts who would participate in the working groups on trade and integration and on reducing poverty. The Chair was very pleased with this new support from the President of the IDB, noting that the invitation to hold FIPA’s 14 th Executive Committee meeting at the Bank’s headquarters had come from the IDB President during a meeting with Columbian representative and Executive Committee member Sergio Diaz Granados. Meeting with the Secretary General of the OASThe Chair then reported on her March 21 st meeting with José Miguel Insulza, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS). She mentioned that the meeting, which aimed to reinforce cooperation between FIPA and the OAS, had also been an opportunity to address issues of common interest such as drug trafficking and single-parent families. Further, the Senator indicated that the Secretary General was interested in taking part in FIPA’s Fifth Plenary Assembly. New address of the Secretariat and hiring of a communications officerThe Chair made two announcements concerning FIPA’s Secretariat, noting that a new, part-time communications and public relations officer was hired to implement the public relations strategy which was approved in February 2005, and that the Secretariat had moved to a new permanent office courtesy of the Parliament of Canada.
Administrative mattersMatters relating to the institutionThe report of FIPA’s annual executive meeting held in Guatemala on November 8, 2005, was approved on a motion from the delegate from Grenada and seconded by the representative for Guatemala. The Chair of the Committee then reminded members that a resolution for the approval of the institution’s financial statements (for the period from October 1, 2004 to September 30, 2005) was adopted during the virtual consultation session held from March 17 to 31, 2006. Implementation of resolution FIPA/PA/2004/RES.1The Committee then examined the implementation of resolution FIPA/PA/2004/RES.1, “For the Official Inclusion of the National Legislatures from the Americas in the Inter-Parliamentary Forum for the Americas (FIPA),” which calls upon parliaments to pay yearly dues to FIPA and to create national sections of the organization in each parliament. As indicated in the information given to members, 17.25% of the dues for the contribution period from October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2006 had been paid by April 6, 2006. Committee members said they would call upon the parliaments in their respective sub-regions to pay their annual dues in full by September 30. Participants also agreed that they would make the creation of the national sections a priority. A document explaining the structure and operation of the Canadian section of FIPA was handed out as a model for parliaments wishing to create a national section within the Forum. Further, the following proposals were made with a view to improving results with respect to funding, official inclusion and the creation of national chapters:
Implementation of FIPA’s work planGroup of Women Parliamentarians of the AmericasThe Chair briefed members on the mentoring project developed within the framework of the Group of Women Parliamentarian’s work plan. The Chair reminded members that when she met women candidates during Haiti’s legislative elections in September 2005, the Group of Women were interested in launching a pilot project in collaboration with the newly elected women parliamentarians in Haiti. She suggested that the initiative could also be extended to every parliament in the region. Committee members expressed support for the project and agreed to help the Secretariat create a group of women parliamentarians from the region who might be interested in becoming mentors for less experienced colleagues. The Chair said that she would inform members of progress on the project at the next Committee meeting.
Implementation of the public relations strategyThe Chair noted that progress had been made in implementing FIPA’s public relations strategy, particularly in working more closely with inter-American institutions such as the IDB and the OAS. The Chair then gave the floor to the Secretariat’s communications officer, who showed members a prototype of a newsletter that the organization intends to make available over the coming months. Delegates were pleased with the four-page format. They recommended that the content strike a balance between the two objectives, namely, to raise awareness about FIPA and to reflect the interests of member parliaments. They added that it was important for each sub-region to become better known and they agreed to contribute to the publication by submitting articles on legislative progress and achievements in their respective sub-regions. The Committee also asked the Secretariat to evaluate how much money was available for the publication of the newsletter, as this will determine how the newsletter will be distributed (either electronically or on paper). A distribution list will be drawn up and, at the suggestion of the delegates present at the meeting, will include the names of members of foreign relations commissions and boards of directors, as well as those of parliamentarians having shown a particular interest in FIPA, and those of the organization’s strategic partners. The Committee recommended that the Secretariat contact the public relations departments of member parliaments to facilitate the distribution of the newsletter, and suggested that the newsletter be included in the promotional kit the Secretariat will put together to encourage the creation of national sections.
Discussion on training for parliamentariansA small group of IDB experts joined the meeting to present measures taken by the Bank to support legislative institutions as well as ideas on possible cooperation between the Bank and FIPA in the area of training for parliamentarians. Presentation of IDB projects to support legislative institutionsCarlos Córdovez, an expert in government modernization from the Regional Development Department, opened the discussion with a presentation on the Bank’s experience in strengthening regional parliaments. He stated that the measures taken to support parliamentarians were part of a broader strategy to modernize government and that they were based on two principles, namely, the real separation of powers and the strengthening of democratic representation, in particular for marginalized groups. Mr. Cordóvez then mentioned a few areas of activity, including the establishment of professional parliamentary administrations and the development of political and technical training programs for parliamentary and political leaders. He concluded by providing information on the management of national and regional projects and available sources of funding (bilateral loans or technical cooperation resources).
Discussion of training network for FIPA parliamentarians and of possible cooperationFollowing Mr. Cordóvez’s presentation, Ernesto Castagnino, an expert on government modernization from the Sustainable Development Department, Jorge Sapoznikow, the head of the Regional Operations Department 2, Paolo Valenti, an expert on government modernization from the Regional Operations Department 1, and Raimundo Arroio, an expert on government modernization from the Regional Operations Department 3, were invited to join Committee members to share their views on the subject and to consider possible avenues for cooperation between FIPA and the IDB. The Chair of the Committee then reminded participants that FIPA intended to create a training network for the region’s parliamentarians in order to address the training needs of parliamentarians and to restore voter confidence. In addition to a mentoring component (discussed in point 5.1), the program would include a training component as part of the Bank’s strategy. For their part, the Bank’s experts discussed some of the obstacles they encountered in implementing projects supporting parliaments, such as the proliferation of political parties, problems in getting funding reimbursed and the legislatures’ lack of ownership of projects. When questioned on the tendering process, Bank officials noted that most projects were financed through loans applied for by the executive branch. This process prompted questions by Committee members, who mentioned some of the benefits the Bank might experience by working with an organization such as FIPA, including the possibility of developing projects meeting needs stated by parliamentarians themselves (regardless of the wishes of the executive) and the organization’s ability to work in a non-partisan manner. IDB officials noted that, although increasingly limited, technical cooperation resources were still available to finance regional projects. In December 2005, the Bank approved a project submitted by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). The participants found this discussion useful and agreed to continue exploring potential opportunities (including at the Plenary Assembly to be attended by Bank experts) and, when the time is right, to look more thoroughly for available funding sources. The Chair suggested identifying one or two regional priorities in the meantime that could be the subject of workshops.
Preparations for the Fifth Plenary Assembly MeetingUpdate on preparationsAt the request of the delegate from Colombia, the Executive Committee agreed to move the event up to June 8, 9 and 10, 2006, and to hold an Executive Committee meeting on June 7, 2006. Representative Gutiérrez of Colombia also indicated that an organizing committee had been formed, including members and staff from the Colombian Senate and House of Representatives.
Presentation and approval of preliminary programThe Committee then considered the preliminary program for the event. The Colombian delegate requested that the cooperative sector of the Colombian Congress be allotted speaking time in the program. In order to not interfere with the main program and to avoid creating a precedent, the Committee agreed that speaking time would be allotted at the first breakfast hosted by the Congress rather than during a plenary session.
Presentation and approval of the working groups’ agendaExperts from the IDB’s Integration and Regional Programs Department and Sustainable Development Department were invited to provide input on the working groups’ agenda, as agreed at the meeting with the Bank’s president. The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission of the OAS agreed to prepare the agenda for the working group on drug trafficking. Working Group on Drug TraffickingJames Mack, CICAD Executive Secretary, and Michael Sullivan, coordinator of CICAD’s legal unit, joined the group to present the Commission’s plans to combat drugs. Mr. Mack began by providing an overview of CICAD’s activities, noting that the organization had been working on nearly every aspect of the problem for twenty or so years. CICAD assists OAS countries by helping to develop national plans and legislative measures, to create a methodology to measure consumption, to improve prevention and treatment programs, to establish projects to develop alternative culture and to train legal personnel. Mr. Sullivan continued with a presentation outlining the main international treaties for combating drug trafficking and organized crime, and the CIDAD support programs helping OAS member states to promote the implementation of more effective legislation in such areas as money laundering and control of firearms and chemical products. The Chair thanked the CIDAD representatives for the information they provided and reiterated FIPA’s interest in seeing the Commission take part in the working group in Bogotá as an expert body. The Committee indicated that it considered it important for a Columbian expert to be invited to take part in this working group in order to provide a complementary perspective to that of CIDAD and asked the Columbian delegate to identify a suitable person. Finally, the Committee approved the appointment of Senator Sandra Husbands (chair of the Barbados national council on drug abuse) as chair of this working group. Working Group on Trade and IntegrationPaolo Giordano, an economist with the IDB’s Integration and Regional Programs Department, attended the session and provided input on the agenda for the working group on trade and integration. Mr. Giordano suggested four topics for the working group’s agenda: the role of trade and integration in development strategies, the role of parliamentarians in developing public policy to foster the transition to free trade, the role of technical and financial assistance (especially in relation to cooperation on negotiation at the World Trade Organization) and the link between trade and inequality. The delegates responded favourably to Mr. Giordano’s suggestions, noting that parliamentarians have an important role to play not only with respect to legislation but also in fostering dialogue with the public. The Chair suggested that the working group be chaired by one of the North American representatives on the Executive Committee and indicated, with the Committee’s agreement, that she would consult the delegate from Mexico in this regard. Working Group on Poverty ReductionWanda Engel Aduan, a social development specialist with the Sustainable Development Department of the IDB, gave a presentation on poverty and inequality. She began by presenting statistics on the gap among the various ethnic and social groups and then addressed public policy on fighting poverty and inequality. The Committee responded favourably to the presentation and agreed to focus on groups at greater risk, such as Aboriginal peoples, people of African descent and single-parent families. The Committee also noted that it was important that the information presented in Bogotá reflect the overall situation on the continent, including variations from one country to another. Chilean representative Iván Moreira Barros was appointed chair of the working group. Group of Women Parliamentarians of the Americasthe Executive Committee considered the agenda for the Group of Women Parliamentarians of the Americas. This fourth meeting will provide an opportunity to elect a new chair for the Group to replace the former representative from Argentina, Margarita Stolbizer, and to plan activities relating to the work plan adopted in November 2005. Gabriela Vega, head of the gender equality unit of the IDB’s Sustainable Development Department, agreed to join the discussion. She spoke in favour of the women’s group work plan and stressed the importance of including both men and women in the dialogue on gender equality. She then presented the program of ProLead, which helps strengthen women’s leadership in Latin American and Caribbean countries. Ms. Vega indicated her interest in helping the FIPA’s women’s group meet its objectives.
RecapFurther to this discussion, the Chair asked that each working group chair prepare a synopsis of the objectives and perspective chosen in consultation with the participating experts. The working groups are expected to foster the sharing of experiences, legislation, best practices and models and not simply to provide an analysis of the issue at hand. For their part, the experts were asked to prepare a working paper as a basis for discussion. Once completed, the synopses and working papers will be posted on the FIPA Web site (www.e-fipa.org) and will be accessible to all parliamentarians.
Strategy to encourage participationThe Executive Committee members agreed to promote the event to the parliaments in their respective sub-regions. Further to the official invitation by the Colombian Congress, the Chair will issue a reminder, as suggested by the members, to encourage parliaments to designate delegates of both genders from the commissions responsible for the topics discussed. It was also recommended that opinions be sent to past participants.
Review of FIPA regulationsThe Chair invited the Executive Members to consider the draft regulations. Among the numerous proposed amendments to the form and substance of the regulations, two suggestions were debated, namely, including the chair of the Group of Women Parliamentarians in the Executive Committee and providing clarification to ensure that parliaments do not appoint parliamentarians with a position on their country’s executive to FIPA’s Executive Committee. The Senator indicated that the first proposal was based on a recommendation in the work plan of the women’s group and that it was intended to ensure that women parliamentarians (who are in a minority in their respective parliaments and under-represented in the organization’s annual assemblies) have a voice on the Executive Committee. This amendment would also make it easier to include a gender equality perspective in all FIPA activities. Some members had reservations about the proposal, due to concern that it might encourage the segregation of parliamentarians on the basis of such criteria as sex or ethnic origin and create a precedent in the organization’s operations. Since there was no formal opposition, however, the Committee approved the amendment. The purpose of the second proposed amendment was to clarify the rules concerning the selection of representatives on the Executive Committee by stipulating that they could not be parliamentarians with a position in their country’s executive. The Senator noted that even if the rule is part of the nature of the organization and its role as the “legislative branch” of the OAS, it is not spelled out in the current regulations. The amendment, which applies primarily to British-type parliaments where Cabinet members are serving parliamentarians, was approved following debate. The Secretariat noted other minor amendments proposed by the Committee and undertook to finalize the document, which will be submitted to the Plenary Assembly at the plenary meeting in Bogotá.
Update on the COPA proposalThe Chair informed the members of a letter from the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas (COPA) which, according to a resolution adopted by the COPA executive, requests a joint meeting in order to initiate a dialogue with a view to creating a single organization responsible for inter-parliamentary dialogue in the region. Without opposing the idea of a joint meeting, the members expressed some reservations about the idea of merging the two groups, arguing that it was essential to preserve equality among the parliaments of the 35 countries in the region in order to foster meaningful and productive debate in the hemisphere. The Chair stated that she will bear this in mind in responding to COPA and will keep the Committee apprised of developments. ConclusionAs no further matters were raised, the Chair once again thanked and congratulated the IDB for its warm welcome and the quality of the services provided. She then adjourned the meeting. AppendixAppendix 1: List of participantsMEMBERS OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FIPA Chair Central America North America South America Caribbean Host country of plenary meeting
INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES FIPA TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT The Secretariat’s new address is: Phone: 1-613-594-5222 This meeting also doubled as a special meeting of the executive members of FIPA as an institution incorporated under Canadian law.
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