VIEW FROM THE CPA CHAIRPERSON
THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENTS AND PARLIAMENTARIANS IN IMPLEMENTING HUMAN RIGHTS View from the CPA Chairperson As institutions whose purpose is to make laws, During the 31st session of the Human Rights Parliaments are the branch of government best Council in March 2016, former Commonwealth placed to ensure that laws provide the means to Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma, said: “We remedy alleged violations, to take measures to believe there is merit in considering the potential of a prevent abuses and to give effect to human rights. set of international principles or standards, such as The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association the Paris Principles, for Parliaments.” has been developing the ability of Parliamentarians Currently, approximately 28% of Parliaments in to promote and protect human rights nationally the Commonwealth have established specialised and regionally. Three seminars were organised Human Rights Committees. These Committees together with the Commonwealth Secretariat to are well placed to assess human rights treaties achieve this with the aim of exchanging information Hon. Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, and to hold government departments accountable and experiences on the role of Parliaments and MP, Chairperson of the CPA for the implementation of the states’ human rights promoting the implementation of human rights Executive Committee and commitments. Some Commonwealth Parliaments obligations and commitments. The seminars Deputy Speaker of the National have adopted the approach to mainstream looked at supporting the implementation of Assembly of Cameroon human rights, endeavouring to ensure that every the recommendations of the UN human rights Parliamentary Committee takes human rights into mechanisms through legislation; overseeing consideration as they go about their business. An government policy and practice, ensuring consistency with the alternative approach is to set up dedicated Human Rights Committees, respective states’ international human rights obligations; and ensuring dealing exclusively with human rights issues. sufficient budget allocations for human rights. Also related to human rights, the CPA has established the The seminars resulted in three regional declarations: the Mahé Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) Declaration for Africa in 2014; the Pipitea Declaration for the Pacific network. It was set up in 2017 at a CPA Conference for Disabled in 2015; and the Kotte Declaration for Asia in 2016. The declarations Parliamentarians in Nova Scotia, Canada. The network advocates for are a pioneering attempt by Parliamentarians to take a stronger role greater inclusion of people with disabilities in politics and parliaments. in ensuring that legislatures promote and protect universal human Additionally, the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians rights standards, including supporting the implementation of UN (CWP) was founded in 1989 to increase the number of female human rights recommendations, ensuring that governments implement elected representatives in Parliaments and legislatures across the those recommendations, and by overseeing government policy and Commonwealth and to ensure that women’s issues are brought to practice to ensure they comply with the international obligations of the the fore in parliamentary debate and legislation. The CWP network respective states. The declarations are important by themselves but are provides a means of building the capacity of women elected to also possible contributions to eventual draft international principles or Parliament to be more effective in their roles; improving the awareness guidelines on the role of Parliaments in the promotion and protection of and ability of all Parliamentarians, male and female, and encouraging human rights. them to include a gender perspective in all aspects of their role: Regional Commonwealth parliamentary human rights groups have legislation, oversight and representation and helping Parliaments to been established, helping turn the declarations into reality. One of become gender-sensitive institutions. these is the Commonwealth Africa Parliamentary Human Rights Group As Parliamentarians, we all have a responsibility and a role in (CAPHRG). As a national example, pursuant to the Mahé Declaration, ensuring that human rights are placed at the top of the agenda in all a Kenyan Parliamentarian took steps to establish a national crossaspects of our work. party human rights caucus – the Kenyan Parliamentary Human Rights Association (KEPHRA). 258 | The Parliamentarian | 2018: Issue Four