Inter-parliamentary support a cause for gratitude

PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO—In my twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, a vote of thanks often concludes high-level meetings. The vote of thanks is a formal expression of appreciation recognizing the contributions of the group assembled: the host, organizers, participants, audience. The “mover” spends a few minutes recapping the day’s agenda, offering reflections on the main takeaways and memorable moments shared, and saluting all those who made the meeting possible. And I will confess, when delivered by us Parliamentarians, these bouts of gratitude—while sincere—err on the side of flamboyant rhetoric. As ParlAmericas marks its 20th anniversary this month, I wish to invoke this tradition and express my appreciation for this inter-parliamentary institution, born from a resolution of the Organization of American States. Comprising the national parliaments of the countries of the Americas and Caribbean, ParlAmericas offers an unmatched hemispheric forum, for legislators to come together and exchange good practices as peers and equals. From the moment we take our oaths of office, we Parliamentarians swear to fulfill our roles as representatives of our constituents, overseers of the executives, and lawmakers who fight for the regulatory frameworks that will tangibly improve the lives of our populations. We must also accomplish this within the context of a healthy planet, our sustainable economies, and the complex globalized realities. This is no inconsequential mandate. At any given time, the discharge of our parliamentary responsibilities requires us to be specialists in countless disciplines. We must be able to consider the emerging evidence base and the perspectives of marginalized voices whose experiences are too often sidelined in decision-making. Despite a certain amount of ceremony that accompanies parliamentary procedure and debate, these decisions are taken quite swiftly, especially during times of crises, and there is much at stake. In 2001, the Parliament of Canada hosted the inaugural meeting of ParlAmericas (at the time, the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas—FIPA), with representatives from more than 25 countries. The Canadian government, through Global Affairs Canada and its predecessors, has provided critical support that has allowed for our inter-parliamentary work to flourish over the years. It may surprise you to hear that it is relatively rare to access information that is specially tailored for our legislative functions. In some of our smaller member parliaments, specialized research services are not always embedded in the legislature’s infrastructure; legislators’ jobs are designated as part-time and they must seek out the types of supports that are taken for granted in other contexts. ParlAmericas’ resources help to fill knowledge gaps that exist in all of our legislatures, whether governing for 200 million inhabitants as in the case of Brazil, or 50,000 as in Saint Lucia. Importantly, the information that we exchange with our counterparts includes firsthand accounts of the unique processes and strategies that have led to positive change through legislative action. ParlAmericas is a constructive space where we can dialogue and exchange ideas on the issues that are on, or should be on, our Parliament’s agenda. As the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the past six years I have a privileged viewpoint of the impact of ParlAmericas’ work, much of which has been adopted by my own Parliament. Committed to taking steps towards the adoption of gender budgeting in my country, I could rely on ParlAmericas to facilitate trainings and connect us with specialist resources. The Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago also proudly hosted the annual ParlAmericas gender equality conference in 2018, which centred on gender-responsive actions to mitigate climate change and disasters. Shortly before the pandemic impacted our in-person convenings, my Parliament joined ParlAmericas and CIWiL, Caribbean Women in Leadership, in offering a program that empowered young women from a diversity of backgrounds and gave them skills and confidence to be transformational leaders in their communities. These young women filled the seats of our Parliament—like the Daughters of the Vote initiative run by Equal Voice in Canada, held virtually just last week. Having observed the acuity and drive of the young woman who took my own Speaker’s seat, as well as those who filled my colleagues’ seats, allow me to assure you that our future is in exceptional hands. The Red House is home to Trinidad and Tobago’s Parliament in Port-of-Spain. Wikimedia Commons photograph by Anthony Mendenhall Gender equality and women’s political leadership has been the most longstanding focus for ParlAmericas over the years, cutting across all other priority issues we address. Sharpening our gender lenses as Parliamentarians is just one of the areas for which I am grateful to the organization. It is now trite to remark that we find ourselves in unprecedented times. COVID-19 has tugged violently at the social fabric of every member nation, revealing not only fissures in our systems but deep chasms. A year ago, we found ourselves hastening to contain an invisible deadly enemy, and our challenges only seem to grow by the day. Ever nimble and responsive to our needs, ParlAmericas has provided ongoing guidance as we grappled with adjusting the operations of our legislatures to the reality of a pandemic. Through this forum, the language and other barriers that would have prevented us from learning from the lessons of our neighbours in Central and South America are broken down. The interconnections among our countries are far greater than through incidence of hemispheric geography. Only through ongoing regional dialogue and co-operation can we hope to ensure the best outcomes, not only in rebuilding from COVID-19 but also in grappling with climate change, poverty alleviation, inclusive economic transitions, migration policy, food security, and the safeguarding of democracy, to name just a few. I applaud Canada for having had the vision and ambition to spearhead ParlAmericas those 20 years ago. The tradition of the vote of thanks can be traced to Great Britain, a heritage my country shares with Canada when it comes to the functioning of our Westminster legislatures. To my Canadian colleagues, the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago appreciates your friendship through ParlAmericas and your faith in the power of learning from one another’s triumphs and missteps. As we find ourselves physically isolated and mentally exhausted, we see reminders circulating about the scientifically proven benefits of a gratitude practice. I dare postulate that expressing gratitude collectively could raise our spirits even higher. So, go ahead and put forth a vote of thanks at the conclusion of a Zoom call this week. Make it a little profuse, even. These are not days to take anything for granted or to leave anything left unsaid. Thank you. The Honourable Bridgid Annisette-George is speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and vice-president of ParlAmericas. The International Secretariat of ParlAmericas is headquartered in Ottawa. The Hill Times