CPA NEWS Commonwealth Parliamentarians attend Virtual Global Parliamentary Forum with World Bank and IMF to discuss development priorities More than 200 Parliamentarians from 82 countries including many Commonwealth Parliamentarians attended the four-day Virtual Global Parliamentary Forum from 12 to 15 October 2020 on the occasion of the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and IMF. The World Bank Group organised forum was the first of its kind and was themed ‘Achieving a green and inclusive recovery post COVID-19’. The event gave the opportunity to exchange and learn about actions Parliamentarians could take in their own Parliaments to pave the way for a resilient and inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Forum highlighted that poverty and inequality are rising rapidly, with the first increase in poverty in over 20 years threatening to push more than 100 million people into extreme poverty by the end of this year. The World Bank President, David Malpass emphasised the importance of Parliamentarians in helping the World Bank define its development priorities, implement evidence-based policies, and translate its global mandate to country outcomes. The IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva emphasised that Parliamentarians speak for the people which is precisely what makes their voices so powerful. The Global Parliamentary Forum was timely in connecting Parliamentarians with development experts and leadership from the World Bank Group and IMF as well as their global peers during the COVID-19 pandemic to share effective policies and practices for improved outcomes at the country level. The role of Parliamentarians has grown ever more important during COVID19 as they have passed emergency legislation and stimulus packages, performed crucial checks and balances to oversee their governments’ handling of the crisis, and implemented reforms. The main global challenges discussed throughout the forum included debt transparency, jobs creation, empowering women and girls, transitioning towards a green economy, and partnering with the private sector. Hon. Marlene Mahaloo Forte, MP, Attorney-General of Jamaica said: “As Members of Parliament, we know first-hand what is happening on the ground. We see the people whom we are elected to represent, how their lives are impacted, and what has been unleashed upon them in the wake of COVID-19." During the forum, it was highlighted that the World Bank’s broad and fast response to COVID-19 had provided US$160 billion in commitments and support being delivered in 111 countries for emergency health response, as well as the IFC’s US$4 billion platform for the development of vaccines for developing
countries. The IMF has also provided US$100 billion in support for 81 countries and debt relief to the 29 poorest countries. UK Parliamentarian, Liam Byrne, MP, Chair of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF said: “These are important discussions we as Parliamentarians will steward over the next year. Zero-ing in on the purpose of finance is a good place to start in order to make ethical, green and inclusive investment decisions.” The momentum of the forum continued with a special session co-hosted by Women Political Leaders in honour of Beijing +25 entitled ‘Women Leading Politics and Development’. The session brought together a high-level panel of female parliamentary leaders, including former CPA Chairperson, Hon. Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Speaker of the Parliament of Bangladesh, to discuss how women’s increased political participation can lead to a more inclusive and resilient COVID-19 recovery and foster sustainable growth for flourishing societies. The Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP), Hon. Shandana Gulzar Khan, MP (Pakistan) spoke on the panel and said: “The one thing that the pandemic has taught us and brought us together on is, in terms of women’s issues, there’s no better time than now to stop calling them ‘women’s issues’ and to start calling them ‘national issues’.” The discussion panel demonstrated that female participation in politics will bring more inclusive policymaking and leadership styles to the table. Parliaments with greater female participation tend to pass laws to improve gender and human capital outcomes, and their inclination for collaboration, empathy, compassion, and building unity across party lines have shown to be particularly impactful in the face of COVID-19.
Commonwealth Parliamentarians recognise importance of public financial oversight at virtual CAPAC Workshop for Public Accounts Committees
Over 85 Commonwealth Parliamentarians from the CPA Asia, Africa, Pacific, Caribbean and British Islands and Mediterranean Regions attended a virtual Westminster Workshop on Public Financial Oversight from 19 to 23 October 2020. The workshop was targeted for the Chairs, Members and Clerks of Public Accounts Committees across the Commonwealth and was hosted by the Commonwealth Association of Public Accounts Committees (CAPAC), which is administered by the CPA UK Branch. Spread over four days and split into two programmes for different regions of the Commonwealth, each programme explored important functions of Public Accounts Committees, including questioning, holding governments to account, and reports and recommendations. Sessions examined what makes an effective Public Accounts Committee, with keynote addresses from Meg Hillier, MP, Chair of the UK Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, and Gareth Davies, Auditor General and Comptroller of the UK National Audit Office.
300 | The Parliamentarian | 2020: Issue Four | 100 years of publishing 1920-2020
