ParlAmericas convenes legislators from Latin America and the Caribbean in Ottawa on study visit to strengthen legislative openness
On October 16 and 17, ParlAmericas, in collaboration with the Parliament of Canada, is holding a Study Visit on Legislative Openness that will convene parliamentary delegations from 7 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.
The study visit is being co-hosted by Chairs of Foreign Affairs Standing Committees in Canada and Chile, Hon. Robert D. Nault, P.C., M.P., Chair of the ParlAmericas Canadian Section and Vice-President of ParlAmericas, and Senator Hernán Larraín, President of the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network. Participating legislators will discuss current Canadian legislation, regulations and parliamentary practices to strengthen access to information, transparency and accountability, enforcement of conflict of interest standards and lobbying regulations, and inclusiveness in legislative decision-making processes.
“It is a privilege to host this activity in Ottawa to provide a first-hand glimpse into how the Canadian Government and Parliament works, as well as to discuss the initiatives being implemented across the hemisphere to promote a continued dialogue to advance legislative openness” explained Robert Nault “I was extremely pleased that my colleague from Chile, Senator Larraín, chose Canada for this study visit.”
“This is a great opportunity for legislators from Latin America and the Caribbean to learn about Canada’s robust frameworks to ensure transparency and access to public information, and the enforcement of conflict of interest, ethical behaviour and lobbying regulations, among other parliamentary practices,” added Senator Larraín, “as these are at the core of the transparency agenda.”
To learn about Canada’s progress on legislative openness, participants will be joined by Jean-Noé Landry, Executive Director of Open North, Nancy Bélanger, Deputy Commissioner, Legal Services and Public Affairs, Office of the Information Commissioner, Jean-Denis Fréchette, Parliamentary Budget Officer, Mary Dawson, Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and Karen E. Shepherd, Commissioner of Lobbying, among other experts. The study visit will conclude with presentations by visiting parliamentarians on progress achieved through National Legislative Openness Action Plans of their respective parliaments.
For further information, consult the agenda and follow @ParlAmericas on social media.
