ParlAmericas launches the Parliamentary Staff Network on Climate Change (PNCC – Staff)
On December 14, the Parliamentary Staff Network on Climate Change (PNCC – Staff) was officially launched during its first virtual meeting. The objective of the Staff Network is to facilitate exchanges between parliamentary staff from different parliaments, and relevant subject matter experts to help promote the uptake of good practices from diverse legislatures and understand the technical requirements and processes to successfully implement these initiatives. It also works to build understanding on the interlinkages between gender and climate change, as well as the social and economic considerations that should be included to ensure equitable environmental action that leaves no one behind, builds prosperity, and embraces climate governance principles. As structured, the PNCC-Staff is composed of a general coordinator and regional coordinators representing each of the countries in the executive committee of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change (PNCC).
During the welcoming remarks Senator Rosa Galvez (Canada), President of the Parliamentary Network on Climate Change underscored the great value the climate change Staff Network will bring: “Recognizing the critical role of parliamentary staff in advancing legislative initiatives through their dedication and invaluable technical expertise, the PNCC-Staff network was conceived. As the driving force behind various legislative efforts and helping to ensure the sustainability of these efforts throughout election cycles, I speak on behalf of the Executive committee in welcoming this opportunity to further strengthen regional collaboration and promote parliamentary climate action.”
Similarly, the General Coordinator of PNCC – Staff, Frédéric Forge (Canada), Acting Senior Director of the Economics, Resources and International Affairs Division, highlighted the opportunity this new Staff Network will bring: “Climate change impacts our countries in similar yet different ways and I call on us to use this opportunity to maximize our efforts and foster successful collaborations. I hope knowing that these undertaking have been successful in supporting the promotion of open parliament and gender equality staff networks in the region, inspires us to take full potential of this momentum and use ParlAmericas as a platform to gain knowledge, exchange ideas, and create resources collaboratively.”
The meeting also gathered the regional coordinators of the Climate Staff Network: Regional Coordinator for North America, Jatziri Pando Medina (Mexico), Technical Secretary, Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change Committee of the Senate; Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean,Jacqueline Sampson Meiguel (Trinidad and Tobago), Clerk of the House; Regional Coordinator for Central America, Laura Prado Chacón (Costa Rica), Responsible for the Institutional Committee on Environmental Sustainability; Regional Coordinator for South America, Nuravni Sallons(Suriname), Scientific and Professional Support; and Regional Coordinator for South America, Gerónimo Casimiro Yantalema Cain (Ecuador), Level II Advisor.
