Inter-Parliamentary Union - British Group - PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION FROM MADAGASCAR


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Delegation Reports

PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION TO
MADAGASCAR: 11 TO 17
FEBRUARY 2007

The Delegation

11 to 17 February 2007
Report by John Heppell MP

John Heppell MP
Leader Labour

Sharon Hodgson MP
Labour

Lord Lea of Crondall OBE Labour

Andrew Rosindell MP Conservative

David Wilshire MP Conservative

The Right Hon Lord Roper Liberal Democrat

Kenneth Courtenay General Secretary, British Group IPU

On Monday 12 February, the delegation led by John Heppell MP arrived in Antananarivo after overnight flight from Paris. We were welcomed by the Charge d’Affaires at the Malagasy Embassy, London, and Senator Jeannot Raberson, Questor for Public Relations and Legislative Affairs before transferring to Hotel Colbert.
While the others rested, Mr John Heppell MP, Leader of the delegation, met the Senate President, Mr Rakotomaharo Rajemison.
In the afternoon, we paid courtesy calls on Ministry of Economy, Planning, Private Sector and Commerce (also representing MFA) and in the Senate.
This was followed by a meeting attended by the Senate president with five vice-presidents and two questors. During the first part of the meeting, the establishment of the APPCG in Westminster was explained together with the relationship with the BGIPU. The meeting then adjourned to the next room for the working session with 14 senators covering the working of the Senate and Government.
Tuesday started with a meeting at the National Assembly with the President of the Assembly who welcomed the delegation and said that he would like Malagasy MPs to visit the UK. The president was invited to send a delegation to the UK and was pleased at the invitation.
This was followed by a working meeting with Ministry of Economy, Planning, Private Sector and Commerce. The minister introduced the panel of ministry directors responsible for: Economic Affairs, International Co-operation, Environment, Small Business, Handcrafts, and Entrepreneurship.
The afternoon began with a presentation of MAP (Madagascar Action Plan) at the Senate. The presentation was given by the Chief of Staff in the president’s office. In due course it is expected that a ‘road show’ will come to London as part of a European tour.
This was followed by a meeting with the Chief of the European Commission Delegation, Jean-Claude Boidin, and senior staff and a reception where we were joined by a number of British residents.
We ended the evening with dinner hosted by the Senate of Madagascar.
On Wednesday, some morning newspapers carried distorted reporting of previous day’s comments and questions on the Madagascar Action Plan. The delegation leader started the meeting at the Ministry of the Environment with a rebuttal.
After a visit to the former royal palace, Rova we lunched with NGOs. Representatives of the following NGOs attended: Wildlife Conservation Society, Feedback Madagascar, Water Aid, Bat Conservation Madagascar, Birdlife International, WWF, Aquaterre, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Conservation Internationale, Andrew Lees Trust.
After lunch, we travelled by road to Andasibe for a visit to the Vakona Reserve on Thursday morning returning to Antananarivo in the afternoon.
Dinner hosted by QIT Madagascar Minerals SA was preceded by a presentation their Vice-President Guy Larin
Friday brought a breakfast meeting with three trade union representatives, a presentation by Brian Donaldson, (Former British Ambassador to Madagascar) on the President of Madagascar’s Small Grants Scheme and a meeting with Richard Hyde, Honorary Consul (designate) raising a number of issues including the difficulty in obtaining visas for students to UK and future arrangement for visits.
Our visit concluded with a stop at a street market on our journey to the airport to return home.