ParlAmericas organized the high-level dialogue “Promoting Multilateralism through Parliamentary Diplomacy” ahead of the 9th Summit of the Americas
Parliamentarians from the Americas and the Caribbean participated today in a high-level dialogue titled “Promoting Multilateralism through Parliamentary Diplomacy” organized in advance of the 9th Summit of the Americas to be held from June 6 to 10, 2022 in the city of Los Angeles, United States.
Keeping in mind that the Summit is the hemispheric body for the coordination of regional actions to address ongoing and new challenges in the hemisphere, and in view of the role played by the legislative branch in implementing the resulting agreements and commitments, ParlAmericas considered it appropriate to provide its members with a high-level space, prior to the 9th Summit of the Americas, for a dialogue on the importance of multilateralism and parliamentary diplomacy in confronting some of the challenges faced by our region.
Highlighting the importance of parliamentary involvement in international affairs, Senator Blanca Ovelar (Paraguay), President of ParlAmericas, stated that “it is an issue that is becoming increasingly relevant, not only because of the necessary collaboration and coordination between government branches to ensure the achievement of the state’s goals and the performance of its duties, but also in view of today’s complex political, social, and economic context, which requires international cooperation at the highest level.”
The Honourable Bridgid Annisette-George (Trinidad and Tobago), Speaker of the House of Representatives and Vice-President of ParlAmericas, subsequently asserted that “parliaments play a critical role in the successful fulfilment of the political commitments made at the Summit of the Americas; most of the mandates adopted by governments have legislative implications.”
The meeting also included the panel “Multi-stakeholder perspectives in the Summit of the Americas Process” and a presentation by Senator Javier Macaya (Chile), President of the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network, of the document Contributions to the Implementation of the Lima Commitment. This publication reviews the work carried out through ParlAmericas to advance the implementation of the Lima Commitment: Democratic Governance against Corruption, adopted at the 8th Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru.
