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Last Modified: 12/06/2008 12:17:35

Increasing the involvement of Parliaments in resolving three of today’s most serious global challenges – preventing environmental degradation, promoting sustainable development and reducing threats to security – will be debated by Commonwealth Parliamentarians in August in Malaysia.

This agenda for the 2008 meeting of the more than 350 Members of the Commonwealth's parliamentary leadership, the 54^th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, was set at a mid-April meeting in St Helier, Jersey, of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Executive Committee. The meeting was hosted by the States of Jersey, the Parliament of the English Channel island. The Committee agreed that the Conference will discuss issues under the theme: “Expanding the Role of Parliament in Global Society: Environment, Development and Security”. The full agenda is attached.

The conference, to be in Kuala Lumpur from 1 to 10 August, will also include:

• The 28^th Small Branches Conference for MPs from the Commonwealth’s microstates, the agenda for which was also set by the Committee in Jersey;

• · A Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians meeting including discussions on gender issues and CPA programmes for women Parliamentarians, and

• · Discussions on parliamentary practice and administration for Assembly officials organized by the Society of Clerks-at-the-Table.

 

Among the issues to be discussed in Malaysia are workshops for all delegates on gender budgeting and on collaboration on climate change issues between large nations and the Commonwealth’s small states, which include many of the world’s smallest countries. The Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference will also hear addresses by the new Commonwealth Secretary General, H.E. Shri Kamlesh Sharma, and CPA Secretary-General Dr William F. Shija. The conference will be opened by the Prime Minister of Malaysia and presided over by the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, Malaysia’s lower House.

The Small Branches Conference will be attended by approximately 70 Parliamentarians from more than 30 nations, states, provinces and territories with populations of up to 500,000 people. They will discuss water and waste management issues from environmental and developmental perspectives and three other issues over two days prior to the plenary conference.

 

54^th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference

Malaysia

1 – 10 August 2008

Theme:

Expanding the Role of Parliament in Global Society: Environment, Development and Security

Opening Plenary:

Addresses by the CPA Secretary-General and the Commonwealth Secretary-General

Workshops:

A. Democracy and Global Peace – An International Order

B. Sustainable Development in the Context of Rapid Urbanization and Rural Decline

C. Credible Elections for a more Representative Parliament, Free and Fair Participation, Greater Diversity and Access to a Free Media

D. Mechanisms to Ensure Adequate Recognition of Women’s Issues in Budgetary Processes

E. Collaboration among Large and Small States through International Organizations to Respond to Climate Change

F. Parliament and Civil Society Engagement for Better Policy-Making

G. The Role of Parliament in Conflict Prevention and Resolution

H. Reforming the Budget Process: Parliamentary Budget Offices and Effective Parliamentary Oversight

Plenary:

The Global Food Crisis

Final Plenary:

The Communications Challenge for Parliament: Meeting the Information Needs of Members and the Public

 

28^th Small Branches Conference

Malaysia

3 – 4 August 2008

1^st Plenary

Protecting the Environment: Water and Waste Management in Sustainable Development

2^nd Plenary

Dealing with Conflicts of Interest and Corruption in Small States

3^rd Plenary

Meeting the Challenges to the Holding of Democratic Elections

4^th Plenary

Promoting the Interests of Small States in International Institutions

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