Two meetings organized by the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala and ParlAmericas were held today with the participation of Members of Congress, staff of the Congress and experts from international organizations.

The first meeting, entitled Inclusive Citizen Participation: Exploring the Opportunities of Digital Transformation, convened staff of the Congress. The dialogues highlighted the importance of involving different stakeholders, especially historically marginalized population groups, in legislative processes to ensure full representation of the voices of all members of the public.

Member of Congress Nery Rodas (Guatemala), Third Vice-President of the Congress of the Republic and member of the ParlAmericas Board of Directors, welcomed the participants and shared the progress towards digital transformation in Guatemala. Anabella Zavagno, Deputy Director General of ParlAmericas, and Jaroslav Alburez García, Director of Protocol of the Congress, introduced and moderated the meeting, respectively.

In addition, given the National Assembly of Ecuador’s experience in citizen participation, Marjorie Chávez, Secretary of International and Interinstitutional Relations of the National Assembly and former parliamentarian, presented the Assembly’s different programs, projects and regulatory frameworks for inclusive citizen participation. The event also featured the participation of Marcela Ríos, Regional Director of International IDEA; Eduardo Núñez, Resident Director of the National Democratic Institute in Guatemala; Jorge Ceballos, Regional Program Director for Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras of the International Republican Institute; and Anneliza Tobar, Acting Director of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy in Guatemala.

The second meeting, Towards the Full Political Participation of Women in Guatemala, brought together Guatemalan women parliamentarians and experts to explore the challenges and opportunities for strengthening women’s leadership and political participation.

Following welcoming remarks by Member of Congress Rodas (Guatemala) and Ms. Zavagno, Member of the Legislative Assembly Carolina Delgado (Costa Rica), President of the Special Permanent Committee on Women and member of the ParlAmericas Board of Directors, gave an address on parity and multi-party agreements in favour of gender equality in Costa Rica. Later, Ana Isabel Garita V., political advisor of the Representation in Governance and Participation of the UN Women Office in Guatemala, spoke about the role of women as transformational agents in politics. Alejandra Mora Mora, Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) of the Organization of American States, participated virtually in the event. This part of the meeting was moderated by Member of Congress Karina Paz (Guatemala), First Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Congress of the Republic.

The meeting included a space for dialogue between the participants, moderated by Member of Congress Carolina Orellana (Guatemala), President of the Committee on Women’s Affairs of the Congress of the Republic.

The meeting was closed by His Excellency Olivier Jacques, Ambassador of Canada to Guatemala.

Today, ParlAmericas, in collaboration with the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina and the National Democratic Institute organized a “Gathering on Artificial Intelligence, Parliamentary Agenda, and Transparency.” 

The gathering was organized in the framework of commitments under the second Open Parliament Action Plan of Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies, and brought together Argentine parliamentarians, parliamentary staff, and representatives from civil society organizations. During the working sessions, participants analyzed the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legislative sphere and shared international good practices on the subject.

ParlAmericas was represented by Member of the Chamber of Deputies Margarita Stolbizer (Argentina), First Vice-President for South America of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change and Sustainability, and Luis Rojas (Chile), Deputy Secretary General of the Chamber of Deputies and General Coordinator of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Staff Network on Open Parliament. 

In her remarks, Member of the Chamber of Deputies Stolbizer emphasized the importance of ensuring that AI tools implemented in parliament take gender biases into account to prevent the perpetuation of historical inequalities and discrimination that could distort decision-making in legislative work. Meanwhile, Luis Rojas highlighted the crucial role of AI in enhancing citizen participation mechanisms and fostering a more inclusive, representative, and informed dialogue with the public.

The gathering concluded with a consensus on the need to further strengthen the regulatory frameworks and technical capacities of the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina to fully harness the transformative potential of AI, ensuring more efficient and transparent parliamentary work.

ParlAmericas, in conjunction with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean, UN Women Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean, and the World Food Programme (WFP) Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean, hosted the virtual meeting “Parliamentary Action for Disaster Risk Reduction and Preparedness in the Caribbean.”

The event brought together Caribbean parliamentarians and subject-matter experts to explore parliamentary interventions and receive focused guidance on how to enhance disaster prevention and response to address the increasing intensity and frequency of natural hazards spurred by the impacts of climate change. It commenced with opening remarks from the Honourable Bridgid Annisette-George (Trinidad and Tobago), Speaker of the House of Representatives and Vice-President of ParlAmericas.

The panel session was moderated by Senator The Honourable Dr. Erecia Hepburn Forbes (The Bahamas), and featured insightful presentations from several key speakers: Jair Torres from UNDRR discussed the importance of multi-hazard early warning systems; Tonni Brodber, Representative of UN Women Caribbean, highlighted strategies for gender-responsive disaster risk reduction; Nicholas Gainger from WFP explored the connections between shock-responsive social protection and disaster risk financing to enhance preparedness; and Cristobal Lopez Maciel from UNDRR focused on resilient infrastructure.

The meeting concluded with closing remarks by Member of the National Assembly Radjendrekoemar Debie (Suriname), Vice-President for South America of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change and Sustainability (PNCCS).

Today, ParlAmericas and the U.S. Congress House Democracy Partnership (HDP) concluded a two-day parliamentary exchange in Miami, United States, organized with the support of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), International Republican Institute (IRI), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and Florida International University (FIU). The meeting focused on strategies to enhance digital transformations in the Caribbean through sharing of global good practices. It brought together parliamentarians from the Caribbean and the United States, as well as technical experts from various private sector companies, civil society and international organizations.

Over the course of the two days, participants discussed the evolving challenges and opportunities related to digital economies in the region, recognizing the need to continually update legislative and policy frameworks.

Opening remarks were provided by Derek Luyten, Executive Director, House Democracy Partnership; Alisha Todd, Director General, ParlAmericas; and Shlomi Dinar, Dean at FIU’s Green School of International and Public Affairs. Subsequent panel discussions highlighted the role of parliamentarians in advancing digital economies, bridging the digital divide, and supporting digital transformation of government services, as well as strategies to harness the digital economy to build climate resilience and leave no one behind. A welcome reception hosted by FIU concluded the day’s activities at which remarks were delivered by Dean Shlomi Dinar, Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (United States), and Representative Barbara Lee (United States).

The second day of the meetings allowed for continued exchange among parliamentarians focusing on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, leveraging the private sector and financial technology for digital economic growth, opportunities and challenges for employment in the digital economy, as well as interactive learning to troubleshoot regulatory challenges, implementation and coordination between government ministries and the legislative branch.

The meeting was made possible with the support of USAID, FIU and the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada.

The Digital Caucus of the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network convened parliamentarians, parliamentary staff and specialists from the Americas and the Caribbean for a meeting entitled “Legislative Strategies to Strengthen Digital Identity Governance,” which was the third session in a series of dialogues.

The virtual meeting included the panel “Key approaches to safeguarding digital identity” in which Professor Gustavo Giorgetti from the University of San Andres in Argentina; and Michele Marius, director of ICT Pulse, participated as experts. The session was moderated by Senator Kenneth Pugh (Chile), co-chair of the ParlAmericas Digital Caucus, and included comments from Cecilia Danesi, researcher at the Institute of European Studies and Human Rights and special advisor to the ParlAmericas Digital Caucus.

In addition, parliamentarians from the region shared good legislative practices and regulatory progress in digital identity governance that promotes trustworthy digital identity systems and creates secure, transparent and inclusive digital spaces. This exchange concluded with a contribution from Member of the Chamber of Representatives Rodrigo Goñi (Uruguay), who highlighted some of the opportunities and challenges of the digital world, as well as the importance of involving parliaments and generating consensus around the protection of human rights in the digital sphere. Closing remarks were given by the Honourable Leo Cato (Grenada), Speaker of the House of Representatives and Vice President for the Caribbean of the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network.

ParlAmericas joins the call of actors in the international community in expressing its strong condemnation of the grave violations of the human rights of Venezuelans that have occurred since the presidential elections held on July 28.

Since then, according to reports cited by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, more than 2,000 people have been subject to arbitrary detentions, including demonstrators, human rights advocates, adolescents, persons with disabilities, members of the opposition or those considered to be connected to them, as well as electoral observers accredited by opposition parties.

ParlAmericas urges Venezuelan authorities to guarantee the legal rights of all Venezuelans, including fair trials in compliance with the right to due process for those who have been deprived of their liberty, and to protect the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association for all Venezuelans in accordance with international standards.

Given the above, and in respect of the Venezuelan people’s will, peacefully expressed through high voter turnout, ParlAmericas insists on the urgent need for the National Electoral Council of Venezuela to expeditiously publish the official tally sheets from all polling stations and to permit a transparent verification process involving observers and candidates’ delegates, ensuring full respect for national sovereignty and self-determination.

ParlAmericas reiterates its commitment to the promotion of peace, democracy and hemispheric dialogue.

(LIMA, PERU), August 14, 2024 — Member of the Chamber of Representatives Rodrigo Goñi (Uruguay), chair of the Committee for the Future and member of the ParlAmericas Digital Caucus, represented ParlAmericas at the international summit “Artificial Intelligence: Technological Challenges to Development” held in Lima, Peru, on August 13 and 14, 2024.

The event was organized by the Universidad de San Martín de Porres, the Embassy of the United States of America in Peru and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), and it brought together specialists, government representatives, international organizations and civil society to discuss different dimensions of artificial intelligence and its connection with democracy, economic development and health.

Member of the Chamber of Representatives Goñi shared his thoughts and experiences on regulating artificial intelligence in the panel “Generative AI & Democracy.”

ParlAmericas, UN Women Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean, and Caribbean Women in Leadership (CIWiL) partnered to host a virtual meeting, Tying the Threads Together: Parliamentary Actions to Advance International Agreements on the SIDS and Gender Equality, that brought together parliamentarians and other stakeholders from the Caribbean to discuss the critical role of parliaments in advancing the SIDS agenda and international frameworks on gender equality and sustainable development – namely the Bridgetown Initiative 3.0 and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

The meeting, which served as a follow-up to the SIDS Gender Equality Forum and the 4th International Conference on SIDS held in Antigua and Barbuda in May 2024, was opened by Alisha Todd, Director General of ParlAmericas, and began with remarks by the Honourable Senator Dr. Joyelle Clarke (Saint Kitts and Nevis), Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment.  

The Honourable Alincia Williams Grant (Antigua and Barbuda), President of the Senate, and Tonni Brodber, Representative of the UN Women Caribbean, conversed on the core principles of the SIDS agenda, the Bridgetown Initiative 3.0, and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, with emphasis on their relevance to the region’s unique development challenges as SIDS. This was complemented with a presentation by Hazel Brandy-Williams, Vice-President of CIWiL, on the value of multi-stakeholder collaboration, followed by an open dialogue among participants on actionable steps that parliamentarians can take to support the implementation of these international agreements.

The meeting also featured a presentation by former Senator, Dieudonne Luma Etienne (Haiti), who focused on the current context and challenges for women and girls in Haiti and underscored the importance of parliamentary diplomacy and advocacy as a means to support peace and sustainability across the region. The session then closed with remarks from Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women.

ParlAmericas has followed with concern occurrences surrounding the presidential elections in Venezuela held last Sunday, July 28.

ParlAmericas joins the international community in urging the National Electoral Council of Venezuela to publish the official tally sheets of all polling stations and to allow for a verification process with the participation of observers and candidates’ delegates in line with international standards and norms for elections. This is crucial to ensure that the will of the Venezuelan people, expressed peacefully and through widespread turnout at the ballot box, is reflected transparently.

In the meantime, it is imperative that the Government of Venezuela guarantee the rights of citizens to peaceful assembly and protests. ParlAmericas remains dedicated to promoting peace, democracy, and hemispheric dialogue.

Young women from across Grenada took part in two historic mock, all-women parliamentary debates in the Houses of Parliament of Grenada. The simulated parliamentary sittings marked the culmination of the Young Women in Leadership (YWiL) – Grenada program, organized by ParlAmericas, Caribbean Women in Leadership (CIWiL), the CIWiL Grenada National Chapter, and the Houses of Parliament of Grenada. 

The YWiL parliamentary sittings were the first-ever all-women sittings in the Parliament of Grenada, in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, albeit pretend. Each program participant served as a parliamentarian and debated a fictional motion to develop a national action plan on gender equality and women’s economic empowerment, with crosscutting attention to infrastructure and emerging industries, the care work sector, and climate resilience. During the sittings, participants responded to the motion in line with their assigned parliamentary role by drawing on their skills, knowledge and research.

The YWiL program is designed to support young women in preparing for leadership roles by providing training and education on political leadership and service, encouraging personal development from a transformational perspective, and creating spaces for networking and building supportive communities of women and allies for gender equality.

YWiL Grenada began in May and consisted of a series of virtual and in-person training sessions focused on the program’s core components of transformational leadership, gender equality and parliamentary procedure in preparation for the day’s parliamentary sittings. All the program’s sessions drew on the expertise of women leaders in various fields, including government and international organization representatives, parliamentarians and former parliamentarians, and civil society and private sector leaders from Grenada and across the region. 

With the program’s conclusion, the young women participants were encouraged to share the learnings and skills gained within their communities.

YWiL Grenada is supported by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada. Previous editions of YWiL have been hosted in Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago.  

For further details and to watch the YWiL Grenada parliamentary sittings, visit the @ParlAmericas, @_CIWiL and @CIWiLgnd social media pages.

Parliamentarians from 13 Latin American countries will be attending the interparliamentary meeting Beyond Borders: Regional Security Strategies organized by ParlAmericas and the Congress of the Republic of Peru on July 10 and 11, 2024.

The meeting, which will also bring together specialists and representatives of international and civil society organizations, will address the complex security situation the region faces from multidimensional, holistic, and human rights-centered perspectives.

The event will open with welcoming remarks by Member of Congress Yessica Rosselli Amuruz (Peru), Third Vice-President of the Congress of the Republic, ParlAmericas Board Member, and host of the event; and by the Honourable Senator Germán Blanco (Colombia), ParlAmericas Board Member.

The program includes sessions aimed at fostering the exchange of ideas and best legislative practices, and promoting comprehensive security governance models that recognize the need to strengthen the rule of law, reduce inequalities, and promote inclusion and sustainable development.

Dialogues will address topics such as citizen security, transnational organized crime, cybersecurity, and cyberviolence and its disproportionate impacts on girls, youth, and women.

Quote

Member of Congress Yessica Rosselli Amuruz (Peru), Third Vice-President of the Congress of the Republic, ParlAmericas Board Member, and host of the event

“It is an honour for me to be part of the ParlAmericas Board of Directors. I am certain that this event in Peru will advance dialogue and exchange on the region’s security situation, and more importantly, help to strengthen democratic governance, institutions, human rights, and social inclusion.”

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Open Government Academic Network International (RAGA, by its Spanish initials), and the National University of Costa Rica (UNA, by its Spanish initials) organized the “First International Congress on Open State and Governance” to discuss open state and new governance. This event brought together representatives from civil society, academia, the private sector, multilateral and cooperation agencies, and government staff from various countries in the region.

Key topics like open justice, digital transformation, anti-corruption, integrity, and open parliament were addressed during the three days of the Congress. In relation to open parliament, discussion focused on issues such as legislative transparency, citizen participation in parliamentary processes, and the accountability of public representatives. Panellists shared successful experiences and strategies for implementing open parliament practices, emphasizing their importance for strengthening democracy and fostering greater citizen trust in legislative institutions. The significance of mainstreaming a gender and inclusion perspective in public administration was further highlighted to ensure no one is left behind.

ParlAmericas was represented by Member of the Legislative Assembly Carolina Delgado (Costa Rica), ParlAmericas Board Member, who highlighted how transparency can help address social issues such as femicide during the “Open Parliament Roundtable.” In addition, Juan Carlos Chavarría, Manager of the Citizen Participation Department of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica and Regional Coordinator for Central America of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Staff Network on Open Parliament, spoke about Costa Rica’s experience in the process of open state governance as a necessary exercise to strengthen and protect democracy in the panel “From Government to Open State.” Finally, Natalí Casanova-Burkholder, Open Parliament Project Manager at ParlAmericas, together with Rocío Noriega, Advisor to the Bicameral Transparency Group of the National Congress of Chile, and María Liz Sosa, Director General of the Institutional Development and External Cooperation Department of the Senate of Paraguay, underscored regional experiences in legislative openness and the importance of intersectionality and its application in commitments during the panel “Open Parliament in Latin America: Progress and Lessons Learned.”

ParlAmericas and the Parliamentary Front Against Hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean strongly condemn the ongoing violence being perpetrated by criminal gangs against the people of Haiti. They draw urgent attention to reports of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN World Food Program (WFP) highlighting that Haiti is at risk of famine with nearly half the population experiencing acute food insecurity.

Gang violence and control of supply chains has exacerbated an economic crisis in Haiti marked by food price inflation. Populations exposed to risks of gang violence in neighborhoods of Port au Prince and surrounding food producing areas are struggling to earn livelihoods and access food products. Aid groups warn that hunger is also being used as a coercive weapon. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the number of displaced persons in Haiti has surged from 362,000 to more than 578,000 in the past three months.

The gang violence adds to agricultural challenges including recent years of droughts and floods worsened by climate change and deforestation. The UN signals that the hurricane season is also forecast to be more severe due to the La Niña weather phenomenon, posing a further potential threat to food security.

ParlAmericas and the Parliamentary Front Against Hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean acknowledge recent political developments, including the publishing of decrees on the appointment of a new interim Prime Minister on May 29, 2024 and an interim Cabinet on June 11, 2024 by the Transitional Presidential Council that was formed in April 2024.

ParlAmericas and the Parliamentary Front Against Hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean underscore the importance of ensuring that international assistance to Haiti is rooted in human rights principles and appeals for humanitarian aid efforts that also support the long-term stability and resilience of the country’s food economy.

The Chamber of Deputies of Chile and Bússola Tech organized the second edition of LegisTech, titled “Artificial Intelligence in Parliaments,” which brought together parliamentary staff and experts in technology and innovation to analyze the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the legislative process.

The three-day conference featured sessions in which participants discussed key topics such as the implementation of AI tools in parliamentary services, legislative drafting, and records management. The discussions also addressed the ethical considerations of AI, the importance of recognizing and mitigating biases and stereotypes – particularly in relation to gender – in the development of AI models, and the inherent privacy risks. Sessions further explored the integration of AI into administrative tasks, voice recognition technologies, and predictive analytics.

ParlAmericas was represented by Anabella Zavagno, Deputy Director General; Luis Rojas, Deputy Secretary General of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile and General Coordinator of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Staff Network on Open Parliament; and Christopher Henry, Director General of Digital Training and Innovation of the House of Commons of Canada and Regional Coordinator for North America of the Parliamentary Staff Network on Open Parliament.

Today marked the conclusion of a five-day visit to Antigua and Barbuda, where a ParlAmericas delegation of 14 parliamentarians representing ten countries from the Caribbean participated in the Small Island Developing States Gender Equality Forum from May 25-26  and the 4th International Conference on SIDS, from May 27-30, 2024

The events provided participants a space to engage in multi-stakeholder discussions on the path towards resilient prosperity and served as a platform for debate on the distinctive challenges that hinder gender equality and women’s empowerment in Small Island Developing States. 

In the framework of the SIDS Gender Equality Forum, the delegation took part in high-level panels and open-dialogue discussions. Their participation served to highlight women’s leadership in action and the role of institutions; how gender equality and SIDS issues can be integrated into other international agreements; the manner in which the implementation of the commitments made at the GEF and SIDS can be inclusive of youth, and other stakeholders; and ways to effectively track and communicate progress on SIDS commitments.

As part of the GEF, a final Communique was issued to inform and contribute to the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States. The Communique notes the importance of not viewing SIDS issues in isolation and taking into account the needs, perspectives, and agency of women and girls in its drive to achieve sustainable development, including through protection of human rights, provision of economic opportunities, and transformative leadership. 

In the framework of the 4th International Conference on SIDS, ParlAmericas, jointly with  Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), hosted the side event “Empowering Action on the Escazú Agreement: A Parliamentarians &-Civil Society Dialogue,” which brought together parliamentarians and civil society representatives from the Caribbean SIDS for a dialogue on the Escazú Agreement as a critical framework for effective and inclusive environmental governance that contributes to the region’s sustainable growth.

Members of the ParlAmericas delegation:

• Her Honour Cynthia Forde (Barbados), Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly
• The Honourable Valerie Woods (Belize), Speaker of the House of Representatives
• The Honourable Representative Lakeyia Joseph (Dominica), Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Blue and Green Economy
• The Honourable Senator Dr. Dessima Williams (Grenada), President of the Senate and Member of the ParlAmericas Board of Directors 
• The Honourable Senator Dr. Joyelle Clarke (Saint Kitts and Nevis), Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment
• The Honourable Senator Lisa Jawahir (Saint Lucia), Vice-President for the Caribbean of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network for Gender Equality
• Member of the National Assembly Grachelle Sluisdom (Suriname)
• Member of the National Assembly Karto Evert (Suriname)
• Member of the National Assembly Remie Tarnadi (Suriname)
• Senator The Honourable Dr. Erecia Hepburn Forbes (The Bahamas)
• The Honourable Senator Anthony Vieira (Trinidad and Tobago), First Vice-President for the Caribbean of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change and Sustainability
• The Honourable Senator Alincia Williams-Grant (Antigua and Barbuda), President of the Senate
• The Honourable Senator Shawn Nicholas (Antigua and Barbuda)
• The Honourable Senator Kiz Johnson (Antigua and Barbuda)
• Dr. Jacqueline Wiltshire (Barbados)

More than 50 parliamentarians from 20 countries in the Americas and the Caribbean adopted a declaration in defense of democracy and human rights during the 20th Plenary Assembly of ParlAmericas and the 8th Gathering of the Open Parliament Network. The joint meeting, organized by ParlAmericas and the Senate of the Congress of the Republic of Paraguay, took place from May 8-10, 2024, in Asunción, under the theme Building Partnerships to Strengthen Democracy and Promote Human Rights.

The declaration reflects the outcomes from the dialogues and working sessions held during the meeting. It highlights the commitment of parliamentarians from the Americas and the Caribbean to democracy, human rights, gender equality, and the rule of law. Additionally, the declaration includes a series of commitments for parliamentary action in response to the growing challenges faced by democracy and human rights and underscores the role of parliaments in safeguarding democratic principles, promoting cooperative political dialogue, consensus-building, peaceful resolution of differences, and the maintenance of peace and security.

During the Plenary Assembly, elections were held for vacant subregional seats on the ParlAmericas Board of Directors. Chile and Peru were elected as representatives for South America; Panama, Guatemala and Belize as representatives for Central America; and Saint Lucia and Dominica as representatives for the Caribbean. In addition, for the Executive Committee of the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network, Member of the National Assembly Luzmila Abad (Ecuador) was elected Second Vice-President for South America, and the Honorable Leo Cato (Grenada), Speaker of the House of Representatives, was elected Vice-President for the Caribbean.

Senator Blanca Ovelar (Paraguay), President of ParlAmericas and Host of the Gathering:

“As our dialogues over the past few days have demonstrated, substantive participation by legislators in hemispheric decision-making spaces is essential for strengthening our democracies, defending and promoting human rights, contributing to peacekeeping efforts, and building consensus—central principles of the Inter-American System.”

This morning, the storybook Yerutí and the Superheroes of the Planet was launched as part of the 20th ParlAmericas Plenary Assembly and the 8th Gathering of the Open Parliament Network. The children’s book was produced by ParlAmericas and the Senate of Paraguay, with the support of Paraguayan civil society organizations, to promote values such as respect, teamwork, responsibility, and listening to others, while reinforcing the importance of caring for the environment.

Yerutí and the Superheroes of the Planet introduces children to concepts about climate change in an accessible format, not only promoting learning, but also inspiring readers to take action while fostering key values such as respect, collaboration, social leadership, and environmental awareness. It is also a story of growth and empowerment in which the protagonists discover that leadership can take many forms that are all valuable and needed, and that teamwork and family and multigenerational support are key to turning their ideas into action.

The book launch, held in the National Congress of the Republic of Paraguay, included remarks by Senator Blanca Ovelar, President of ParlAmericas, and Norma Marecos, Advisor to Senator Blanca Ovelar and expert on education.

Yerutí and the Superheroes of the Planet was illustrated by Paraguayan artist Sofi Amarilla Heyn, with design by Eynar Becerra. This is the fourth children’s book produced by ParlAmericas in partnership with member parliaments and allied civil society organizations and was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada.

As with the previous storybooks, it includes a learning guide with reflections and questions to complement its reading. 

More than 50 parliamentarians from 21 countries of the Americas and the Caribbean will convene for the 20th ParlAmericas Plenary Assembly and 8th Gathering of the Open Parliament Network. The joint meeting, organized by ParlAmericas and the Chamber of Senators of the Congress of the Republic of Paraguay, will be held on May 8, 9, and 10, 2024, in Asunción, and will be focused on the theme Building Partnerships to Strengthen Democracy and Promote Human Rights.

During the gathering, parliamentarians will discuss the state of democracy along with representatives of international organizations, civil society, academia, and youth leaders. Participants will also have the opportunity to discuss the critical role parliaments play in fostering active democracies, promoting human rights, maintaining peace, building consensus, promoting inclusive policies, and pursuing social justice.

The meeting will open with welcoming remarks from Senator Silvio Ovelar (Paraguay), President of the National Congress; Senator Javier Macaya Danús (Chile), ParlAmericas Second Vice-President and President of the Open Parliament Network; Member of the Chamber of Deputies Raúl Luis Latorre (Paraguay), President of the Chamber of Deputies; and Senator Blanca Ovelar (Paraguay), President of ParlAmericas.

The main session will focus on “Human Rights and Democracy: Challenges for the Future” and feature the participation of Marta Lagos, Director and Founder of the Latinobarometer Corporation, and Dr. Rosina Wiltshire, international development and human rights specialist. This session will cover approaches to the main challenges related to democracy and human rights, considering the role of parliaments and their opportunities for action that facilitates democratic consolidation. It will set the context for the rest of the sessions that will take place over the course of the gathering.

Quotes

Senator Blanca Ovelar (Paraguay), President of ParlAmericas

“ParlAmericas has convened parliamentarians from the Americas and the Caribbean to respond to the call of history that requires us, in the midst of a particularly complex and sensitive juncture, to assert the critical role that parliaments play in the unceasing construction of active democracies, in the defence of human rights, in the maintenance of peace, in consensus building, in the promotion of inclusive policies, and in the pursuit of social justice.”

Senator Javier Macaya Danús (Chile), President of the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network

“It is crucial to strengthen the role of the democratic system, especially in its respect for human rights. This not only contributes to public legitimacy but also strengthens the foundations on which individual and collective freedoms are built. In this respect, parliaments have a fundamental role to play as defenders of democratic principles and fundamental rights.”

 This week ParlAmericas took part in the Ibero-American Political-Academic Dialogue organized by the Parliamentary Front Against Hunger of Latin America and the Caribbean and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, held in Antigua, Guatemala from April 24 to 26, 2024. The event gathered parliamentarians, parliamentary staff, and academia to exchange good practices for the sustainable transformation of food systems and connections with the gender equality and climate agendas. 

As part of the ParlAmericas delegation, Member of the Chamber of Deputies Shoraya Suarez (Dominican Republic), 2nd Vice-President for the Caribbean for the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change and Sustainability, moderated a session on the implementation of the Parliamentary Pact Against Hunger and Malnutrition, which emphasized the link between food waste, food insecurity, and methane emissions contributing to climate change. 

Senator Blanca Ovelar (Paraguay), President of ParlAmericas, participated virtually and presented the Primer on Gender-Responsive Parliamentary Work on Food Security, which outlines how parliamentarians can respond to the differentiated needs and realities of diverse members of the population. Member of Congress Andrea Villagrán (Guatemala), Second Vice-President for Central America of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network for Gender Equality, contributed to a panel discussion on parliamentary alliances and strategic partnerships, sharing the work ParlAmericas has conducted to advance and uphold the right to food while promoting sustainability and resiliency through multisectoral cooperation. Notably, she referenced the parliamentary declaration adopted last year during the 7th Gathering of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change and 15th Gathering of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network for Gender Equality.

This week Alisha Todd, Director General of ParlAmericas, participated in the Global Innovations in Democracy (GID): Parliamentary Exchange series of events which took place on April 15-17, 2024, in Washington, D.C. She served as moderator for one of the parliamentary exchange sessions held at the U.S. Congress.

Established in 2022, GID is led by the Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability (IDEA) at The Ohio State University, the Center for Democracy Innovation at the National Civic League, and the Centre for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University. The event was organized to serve as a global platform for legislators to explore innovative methods and tools for gathering input, overcoming divisions, building trust, and gaining public support for public policy.

Accompanied by discussant Sanna Lepola, Director-General for Parliamentary Democracy Partnerships, European Parliament, Ms. Todd led the session titled “Why Do We Need to Innovate and Expand Our Definitions of Constituent Engagement?” This session examined the need to modernize how legislators around the world engage with citizens and the benefits of doing so, identified some of the shared challenges and limitations of traditional constituent outreach and participation, and explored global trends that could lead to more effective and inclusive engagement strategies.

This year’s GID featured an array of interactive sessions and panel discussions designed to foster direct interaction between parliamentarians from around the world. It facilitated the sharing of best practices for engaging constituents and connected parliamentarians with innovative practitioners and scholars in the democracy-strengthening community.

Parliamentarians from across the Americas and the Caribbean met virtually today for a dialogue focused on The Future of Work and Labour Rights: Challenges and Opportunities of Artificial Intelligence. Today’s session marked the second meeting in a series of dialogue sessions related to artificial intelligence organized by the ParlAmericas Digital Caucus, a working group connected to the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network. 

Senator Kenneth Pugh (Chile), Co-Chair of the Digital Caucus of the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network, chaired the meeting and moderated a panel with subject-matter experts from the International Labour Union (ILO) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). Their presentations addressed the impacts of A.I. on job quantity and quality and the importance of analysing these effects from an intersectional perspective during this time of accelerated digital transformation. This was followed by an open exchange among parliamentarians with interventions that highlighted the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence for the labour market across various national contexts. 

Participants were welcomed to today’s meeting by Senator Javier Macaya (Chile), President of the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network and Senator Lisa Jawahir (Saint Lucia), Vice-President for the Caribbean of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network for Gender Equality. Both speakers stressed the role of parliamentary work in artificial intelligence governance and the value of collaborative spaces, such as those organized by the ParlAmericas Digital Caucus, to advance good practices in the region. 

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Senator Kenneth Pugh (Chile), Co-Chair of the Digital Caucus of the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network
“As we witness more national parliaments placing the issue of artificial intelligence onto their legislative agendas, the work of the ParlAmericas Digital Caucus will continue to facilitate the exchange of good parliamentary practices so that we can learn from one another and coordinate regional action that responds to the needs and priorities of our citizens.”

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Senator Javier Macaya Danús (Chile), President of the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network
“The implementation of artificial intelligence has many advantages, but it also raises important ethical and legal issues. As parliamentarians, it is essential that we work to ensure that the adoption of artificial intelligence is carried out in a fair and transparent manner, protecting the rights of workers and promoting equal opportunities for all people.”

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Senator Lisa Jawahir (Saint Lucia), Vice-President for the Caribbean of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network for Gender Equality
“If we are not consciously considering diverse realities as we navigate the complexities of artificial intelligence – particularly as these advances relate to gender – we risk further entrenching inequality. However, if we focus on inclusion and equality within our decision-making, we can harness the positive, transformative benefits of these technologies for all.”

Today, at the headquarters of the Organization of American States, a ParlAmericas parliamentary delegation participated in the Joint Special Meeting with the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs and the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities (CISC) on the topic of Legislative Cooperation. During the Joint Special Meeting, ParlAmericas put forth a proposal to serve as a roadmap for continued enhanced parliamentary engagement with the OAS that was embraced by all Member States.

Twenty-two parliamentarians representing 17 national legislatures from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada participated in the three-day delegation to Washington, D.C., which concluded with the Special Joint Meeting. It included speakers of parliaments from the region and various members of the ParlAmericas Board of Directors and Network Executive Committees. The delegation was led by Senator Blanca Ovelar (Paraguay), President of ParlAmericas.

In advance of the Special Joint Meeting, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, submitted a letter welcoming ParlAmericas’ proposal as a foundation for advancing parliamentary participation in the OAS in the immediate future, recognizing the ideas outlined in the proposal as starting points for realizing their vision articulated in the OAS Legislative Engagement Act.

Earlier in the week, the ParlAmericas delegation had a productive meeting with the senators about ways to build upon ParlAmericas’ institutional integration with the OAS.

The program for the delegation also included an exchange with OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro on the state of democracy in the region. The Secretary General reaffirmed ParlAmericas’ role as the permanent inter-parliamentary organization in the Inter-American System.

During their time in Washington, D.C., the delegation also held dialogues with officials from different OAS Executive Secretariats, bilateral meetings with representatives from the United States Congress, and a panel with Washington-based partners: the United States Congress House Democracy Partnership (HDP), the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and the International Republican Institute (IRI).

The program provided parliamentarians with an opportunity to learn more about the work of the OAS and discuss issues of shared interest being prioritized by regional stakeholders, namely security and transnational crime, democracy and the rule of law, gender equality and human rights, migration, climate change, and economic development. The delegation was further an opportunity to optimize parliamentary participation at the OAS through ParlAmericas, and to action ParlAmericas’ reaffirmed mandate to foster the participation of parliamentarians as an integral part of the Summits of the Americas process. A resounding conclusion of the delegation was the affirmation that parliamentary diplomacy serves as an important safeguard for democracy in the hemisphere.

Members of the delegation

Senator Blanca Ovelar (Paraguay), President of ParlAmericas
The Honourable Bridgid Annisette-George (Trinidad and Tobago), Speaker of the House of Representatives and Vice-President of ParlAmericas
Senator Verónica Noemí Camino Farjat (Mexico), Second Vice-President of ParlAmericas
Senator Javier Macaya Danús (Chile), Second Vice-President of ParlAmericas
Member of the Chamber of Deputies Margarita Stolbizer (Argentina)
His Honour Arthur E. Holder (Barbados), Speaker of the House of Assembly
The Honourable Carolyn Trench Sandiford (Belize), President of the Senate
Senator Peter Boehm (Canada)
Member of Parliament Anthony Rota (Canada)
Senator Germán Blanco Álvarez (Colombia)
Member of the Legislative Assembly Carolina Delgado Ramírez (Costa Rica)
The Honourable Joseph T. Isaac (Dominica), Speaker of the House of Assembly
Ricardo de los Santos Polancos (Dominican Republic), President of the Senate
Member of the Chamber of Deputies Nelsa Shoraya Suárez Ariza (Dominican Republic)
Senator Carlos Manuel Gómez Ureña (Dominican Republic)
Senator José del Castillo Saviñon (Dominican Republic)
Henry Kronfle (Ecuador), Speaker of the National Assembly
Member of Congress Andrea Villagrán Antón (Guatemala)
Member of Congress Yessica Rosselli Amuruz Dulanto (Peru)
The Honourable Alvina Reynolds (Saint Lucia), President of the Senate
The Honourable Marinus Bee (Suriname), Speaker of the National Assembly

Parliamentary staff from across the Americas and the Caribbean met virtually for a working meeting of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Staff Network on Climate Change and Sustainability (PNCCS-Staff). The meeting, which had additional participation from international climate experts, facilitated peer-to-peer exchange on how to effectively integrate complex environmental information within legislative spaces. 

Opening remarks were provided by Frédéric Forge (Canada), Senior Director of the International Affairs and Integrated Reference Services Division of the Library of Parliament and General Coordinator of the PNCC-Staff. This was followed by an expert-led panel discussing the key findings from the Sixth Assessment Cycle of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and recommendations for how to use scientific data in the creation of climate policies and laws, including how to incorporate a gender and human rights lens. Moderated by Brian B. Caesar (Trinidad and Tobago), Clerk of the House of Representatives and Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean of the PNCCS-Staff, the panel included presentations from the following individuals:

• Dr. Paulina Aldunce, Lead author of the IPCC AR6 reports and Associate Researcher at the Centre for Climate and Resilience Research (CR2) 
• Dr. Carolina Santa Cruz, Science Officer, Regional Focal Point for the Latin American and Caribbean Region of the International Science Council 
• Kate Higham, Coordinator of the Climate Change Laws of the World project of the Grantham Research Institute

Following this, participants engaged in an open dialogue moderated by Jatziri Pando Medina (Mexico), Technical Secretary of the Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change Committee, Senate of the Republic and Regional Coordinator for North America of the PNCCS-Staff. This dialogue allowed parliamentary staffers to exchange on their own experiences accessing, analyzing, and sharing comparative data related to environmental topics, as well as gain exposure to new practices and tools used in other parliaments. 

The meeting also marked the official launch of the updated ParlAmericas publication, “Navigating Online Information: Tips & Tricks for Parliamentary Research.”This resource, along with ParlAmericas’ recently updated environmental repository, “Mapping Environmental Strategies and Sustainability Initiatives,” were shared as additional reference tools to ensure gender disaggregated data and other social variables are considered in research to support parliamentary work on climate and sustainability.  

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Frédéric Forge (Canada), Senior Director of the International Affairs and Integrated Reference Services Division of the Library of Parliament and General Coordinator of the PNCC-Staff 

“The ParlAmericas Parliamentary Staff Network on Climate Change and Sustainability is committed to supporting parliamentary staff in their efforts to remain up-to-date on the various complex environmental issues afflicting the region, as well as exploring the innovative solutions to address them through evidence-based legislative initiatives.”

ParlAmericas expresses grave concern with the ongoing deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation in Haiti.

ParlAmericas strongly condemns the ongoing violence that is being perpetrated by criminal gangs against the Haitian people. These include killings, abductions and sexual violence that have been continuously documented by the United Nations and by the Haitian press and civil society. The breakout of two prisons in Port-au-Prince earlier this week by criminal gangs, and their attempts to seize the capital’s airport, add to a list of attacks on other state institutions and infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, police stations and court buildings. These affronts to human dignity and the country’s rule of law subvert conditions for the country to respond to the population’s basic needs and restore constitutional order.

Haiti has been without an elected parliament since January 9, 2023 following the expiration of the mandates of its ten remaining senators at that time.

In the face of this humanitarian crisis, ParlAmericas continues to encourage efforts by the international community to work alongside the Haitian people for the pursuit of peace, stability and democratic solutions.

Within the framework of activities to commemorate International Women’s Day and as a follow-up to the First Regional Gathering of Forums of Women in Political Parties held in August 2023 in San José, Costa Rica, more than 80 representatives from six Forums of Women in Political Parties from five countries in the region gathered today for a virtual dialogue on the challenges and opportunities related to women’s political participation and leadership.

The session began with opening remarks by Senator Verónica Noemí Camino Farjat (Mexico), President of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network for Gender Equality. This was followed by a panel discussion, moderated by Member of Congress Andrea Villagrán (Guatemala), Second Vice-President for Central America of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network for Gender Equality. The panel featured Luz Patricia Mejía, Technical Secretary of the Follow-up Mechanism to the Belém do Pará Convention (MESECVI) of the Inter-American Commission of Women of the Organization of American States, and Marcela Durrieu, former parliamentarian and founder of the collective Ojo Paritario, who discussed challenges and opportunities related to implementing regional standards to address gender-based political violence and promoting the principle of parity.

Afterwards, participants representing the Forums of Women in Political Parties were invited to share strategies and best practices on eliminating gender-based political violence and promoting women’s political participation in electoral and decision-making processes through an open dialogue moderated by Member of the Legislative Assembly Carolina Delgado (Costa Rica), President of the Special Standing Committee on Women, President of the Front of Women in Political Parties of Costa Rica, and Member of the ParlAmericas Board of Directors. The meeting concluded with closing remarks by Members of the National Assembly Karla Núñez (Nicaragua) and Shaira Downs (Nicaragua), as well as Member of the National Assembly Arling Alonso (Nicaragua), Member of the ParlAmericas Board of Directors.

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Senator Verónica Noemí Camino Farjat (Mexico), President of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network for Gender Equality
“These initiatives are founded on the value of sisterhood among women politicians as a necessary quality to build on what has already been built in order to make progress on the road to equality based on the achievements of the many activists who, with great effort, have carved a path towards gender equality and the recognition of women’s political rights.”

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Member of the Legislative Assembly Carolina Delgado (Costa Rica), President of the Front of Women in Political Parties of Costa Rica and Member of the ParlAmericas Board of Directors
“Forums and Fronts of Women in Political Parties should be seen as safe spaces for sharing experiences and good practices at the party level, institutionalizing mechanisms to promote equality and respect for women’s political rights in order to achieve significant changes within parties.”

Today marked the close of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK Branch (CPA UK)’s 2024 Caribbean Clerks Programme, a virtual two-day programme for clerks and parliamentary staff in the Caribbean region to share experiences and exchange good practices.

The first day of the programme focused on the role parliamentary officials play in the effective operation of committees, as well as the importance of fostering opportunities for their professional development. ParlAmericas representatives Beverly Gibbons (Barbados), Deputy Clerk, Parliament of Barbados and Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Staff Network on Open Parliament, as well as Chrisette Benjamin, ParlAmericas Program Officer – Gender Equality, provided closing remarks and reiterated the foundational work of parliamentary staff and the value of intra-regional cooperation. Ms. Gibbons also spoke to the work of the ParlAmericas Staff Networks on Open Parliament, Gender Equality, and Climate Change and Sustainability in facilitating additional peer-to-peer exchanges on these specific themes.

On the second day of the programme, Eilish Elliott, ParlAmericas Project Manager – Gender Equality, participated as a panellist during a discussion on public outreach and youth engagement practices in parliament. Ms. Elliott provided an overview of ParlAmericas’ programming with parliaments to engage young people in parliamentary processes and the importance of incorporating equality and inclusion considerations within these outreach initiatives. Other panellists in this session included the Honourable Alincia Williams Grant (Antigua and Barbuda), President of the Senate, and Billy Helm (United Kingdom), Senior Engagement Officer, UK House of Commons.