John Culatto
A GROUP from Gibraltar took part in an annual meeting of Commonwealth countries in Halifax, Canada that looked at making parliaments more accountable.
Minister for Justice, Equality, Public Standards and Regulations, Samantha Sacramento headed the visiting group, along with Leader of the Opposition Keith Azopardi.
The theme of this year’s Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) was ‘Accessible, Accountable and Strong Parliaments: the Cornerstone of Democracy and Essential for Development’.
“The workshops aimed to look at how steps could be taken to tackle important day to day economic or environmental challenges, sustainability, development, mental health, disabilities, making parliaments accessible to innovation and increasing accountability as well at looking at the particular challenges faced by small jurisdictions,” the Gibraltar Commonwealth Association (GCA) said in a statement.
GCA members also attended the Small Branches Conference, the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarian Conference (CWPC) and a meeting for Mediterranean members.
At the CWPC, delegates spoke of how to empower women in parliament, fight harrassment, promote diversity and intersectionality as well as pushing for gender sensitive budgeting.
“The CPA is an invaluable network for Gibraltar in terms of learning opportunities and importantly making connections with other Parliamentarians,” said Sacramento.
“This conference which this year took place in Halifax, Canada was originally envisaged to have taken place in 2019 but has been postponed various times because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This was therefore the first time Commonwealth Parliamentarians have been able to meet since the COVID-19 pandemic,” she added.
Sacramento will host the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarian regional conference in Gibraltar next October.
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