From tourism and tax reform to wealth distribution and from new global trading relationships to diversifying from agriculture, the BGIPU delegation, led by the Vice Chair of the BGIPU visited the Legislative Assemblies of Costa Rica and El Salvador to learn about both countries’ broader geopolitical priorities
On 30 January in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, Hugh Bayley MP joined senior parliamentary colleagues from Liberia, Bangladesh and Uganda in a roundtable discussion to convey to the post-2015 High Level Panel the IPU’s perspectives on the importance of democratic governance, particularly the role to be played by parliaments, in determining any future international development goals.
In addition to the primary role as a member of the IPU delegation to meet the UNSG’s High Level panel on post-2015 Global Development goals, Hugh Bayley MP also had the opportunity to have a number of other meetings during my visit to Liberia which provide valuable insight into the current situation in Liberia, including UK interests in the country.
A special roundtable hosted by IPU in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, on 30th January attended by a UN-appointed high-level panel and MPs from around the world concluded that democracy and democratic governance should be at the heart of a new international development agenda.
A round table discussion was held in Monrovia on 30 January 2013 between parliamentarians and members of the High Level Panel of Eminent Persons established by the UN Secretary-General to formulate a broad vision for the post 2015 development agenda.
The two week long climate talks in Doha came to a close on 8 December with 194 countries agreeing to implement a second phase of the Kyoto Protocol, from 2013 through 2020. The Doha round of talks mark the beginning of a transition to a new global climate change regime that will come into effect from 2020 and include within its ambit all countries. The BGIPU held a lecture to discuss: Good COP / Bad COP: Parliamentary Perspectives from COP18.
The annual 2012 session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO was held in Geneva on 15-16 November 2012. An interactive debate with exceptional speakers took place on the following issues: Trade as a tool of economic growth, job creation and poverty alleviation; Analysing 21st century trade challenges; Trade in services: time for political decisions.
This was the first BGIPU delegation to Colombia since 2003, and the timing could hardly have been more opportune, with the peace process between the Government and the FARC rebels starting on 5th October. Apart from the peace process, the delegation’s primary interests were in boosting bilateral trade and investment, learning more about joint efforts to combat drugs, Colombia’s efforts to preserve its unique environment, human rights in the country and deepening our inter-parliamentary ties.
The Steering Comittee for the IPU Parliamentary Conference was held in Geneva on 25 September 2012. The meeting threw up some very interesting issues throughout the day including; Should the WTO continue? Should we continue to support Multilateralism? Was the proliferation of Institutions holding up trade liberalisation? Were the voices of the Business community too absent from the WTO? The ever changing nature of Trade. The Importance of Domestic Competition Laws. Has Global Co-operation Failed?
On 22 May the BGIPU hosted a meeting with Foreign Office Minister, Jeremy Browne MP, to discuss the Foreign Office Emerging Powers Initiative (EPI). The Initiative was established in May 2010 to co-ordinate a cross-government strategy aimed at creating much deeper relationships with the emerging powers, in pursuit of UK security and prosperity objectives.
