CPA NEWS
A new report from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association British Islands and Mediterranean Region examines the impact of COVID-19 with insights from MPs in the Falkland Islands, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar and Wales. Four members of the CPA BIMR Working Group on COVID19 volunteered to lead a virtual event focusing on a key aspect of their CPA Branch’s response to the challenges of the pandemic. Topics covered included Recovery (led by Hon. Leona Roberts, MLA, Falkland Islands); Borders: Residence, travel and tourism (led by Hon. Rob Callister, MHK, Isle of Man); Health and Social Impact (led by Hon. Steven Linares, MP, Gibraltar); and Agile and Effective Parliaments (led by Hon. Rhianon Passmore, MS, Wales).
THE GAMBIA ESTABLISHES NEW INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SERVICE Image: Matthew Salik/CPA Headquarters Secretariat.
NEW REPORT EXAMINES IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE CPA BIM REGION
To download a copy of the report please visit www.uk-cpa.org.
FIRST WOMAN SECRETARY-GENERAL OF CARICOM APPOINTED Image: CARICOM Secretariat.
A former Commonwealth Woman Parliamentarian from Belize has been appointed as the first woman Secretary-General of CARICOM. Dr Carla Barnett assumed the post of 8th Secretary General of CARICOM on 15 August 2021, the first person from Belize to take the position. The new Secretary-General was welcomed by the Chair of CARICOM, Hon. Gaston Browne, MP, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, in his capacity as Chairperson of the regional body, following a virtual CARICOM Heads of Government meeting. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is an organisation of fifteen states and dependencies throughout the Caribbean, promoting economic integration and coordinating foreign policy. Dr Barnett succeeds Ambassador Irwin LaRocque who completed his second term. Dr Barnett is a former VicePresident (Deputy Speaker) of the Senate of Belize and held several Ministerial posts in Belize before becoming Deputy Secretary-General of CARICOM. She also served as Financial Secretary of Belize and Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Belize, as well as Vice-President (Operations) of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). In a statement, Dr Carla Barnett said that CARICOM should never be afraid to re-strategise, as it is now doing when the needs are great and the resources scarce. "The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing us to recalibrate and set new priorities for regional development. To do more with less has new meaning for all of us. Indeed, increased incorporation of information and communication technology into our work provides opportunities for greater productivity, and for CARICOM citizens to be much more involved in the strengthening of our regional integration well into future, beyond COVID." Dr Barnett also pointed out that as CARICOM marks its 50th anniversary, it would set out a number of achievable goals by creating space for new thinking to solve current problems and to outline future paths.
The National Assembly of The Gambia has established a new independent National Assembly Service through the passing of the National Assembly Service Act, 2021. The new Act establishes a supervisory authority to provide services and support for the National Assembly, chaired by the Speaker. The National Assembly Service Act, 2021 came into law on 27 July 2021 with the Bill being tabled by the Executive (Government) under special procedure with a certificate of urgency to allow the legislation to be passed within a very short period. The Act ensures autonomy for the Assembly in relation to the administration and financial management of the Legislature. This reform brings the National Assembly in line with international good practice, in particular the Commonwealth Latimer House Principles on the Separation of Powers. The establishment of the new National Assembly Service comes alongside a broader agenda for change within The Gambia's National Assembly since the new Parliament was re-established in 2017, in particular an updated set of Standing Orders. Mr Kalipha MM Mbye, Director of the Table Office at the National Assembly of The Gambia, said: “I am delighted to report that we were able to develop this Bill and ensure its successful passage to guarantee greater independence of the parliamentary service. The Bill was very much inspired by the CPA’s Model Law on Independent Parliaments.” In drafting the Act, the National Assembly utilised the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s Model Law on Independent Parliaments: Establishing Parliamentary Service Commissions for Commonwealth Legislatures. The CPA developed its Model Law toolkit to help empower Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures to be independent and ensure they have the administrative, operational and financial resources they need to function effectively. The legislative reform also follows the National Assembly’s assessment as part of the CPA Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures to assess parliamentary excellence and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal 16 in January 2020, part-funded through the Commonwealth Partnership for Democracy (CP4D). The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg said: “The Gambia should be commended for its continued efforts to strengthen the independence and autonomy of the National Assembly. We are proud that our resources could be utilised to such good effect in the development of the National Assembly Services Act 2021. We remain committed to aid the Assembly in its ongoing reform agenda.” The National Assembly of The Gambia rejoined the membership of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in 2019 following its readmission to the Commonwealth in 2018. Previously, The Gambia first joined the CPA in 1949. The Parliamentarian | 2021: Issue Three | 100 years of publishing | 233
