For the two Manx parliamentarians attending the 56th Commonwealth Parliamentary
Conference in Kenya in September the occasion served to emphasise the valuable
contribution the Isle of Man has to make to Commonwealth collaboration.
Department of Infrastructure Minister Hon Phil Gawne, MHK and Juan Watterson
MHK, both members of the Isle of Man Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary
Association (CPA), delivered presentations at the 56th Commonwealth Parliamentary
Association conference, the Commonwealth’s largest political gathering, hosted in
Nairobi by the Parliament of Kenya and chaired by Hon Kenneth Marende, EGH, MP,
Speaker of the Kenyan National Assembly.
The theme of the conference was Parliament and Development in the 21st Century: Thus Far and Beyond.
Mr Watterson said: ‘The Small Branches Conference proved especially relevant.
Attended by delegates from some 44 jurisdictions and with strong BIMR (British Islands and Mediterranean Region) representation, the meeting benefited from sharing many similar problems.’
Minister Gawne presented on sustainable development and, as the only
parliamentarian to combine a global overview with local examples and personal
experience, was ‘head and shoulders’ above all other presenters on the topic, observed Mr Watterson. Expanding, Mr Gawne said the discussion on sustainable development and energy had highlighted climate change as ‘one of the most important issues facing us in the 21st century’ despite which very few parliaments had formed environment committees.
He went on to comment that a discussion on food and water security illustrated ‘varying degrees of understanding’ of such a globally important topic and parliamentarians’ role in offering solutions and added that he had agreed to join a working party on the topic.
Drawing on his accountancy background and four years on Tynwald’s Public Accounts Committee, Mr Watterson gave a presentation on strengthening financial oversight in small parliaments, in which he employed his experience of pursuing the Budget Bill that had called for a system of scrutiny committees to ensure more robust processes. The presentation led to an invitation from the World Bank Institute (WBI) to contribute to an academic study in this area with the CPA. A WBI spokesman said: ‘I think [Mr Watterson] did a stellar job at setting out a good reform strategy, especially for small parliament PACs.’
For both delegates the conference had also provided an opportunity to talk to delegates and develop a deeper understanding of African politics, specifically in relation to overseas aid and political corruption. Mr Gawne and Mr Watterson also took time out to visit an Isle of Man-funded aid project, building sand dams in rural Kenya, and attended workshops on internet governance, sustainability, and global trade.
The conference also provided an excellent networking opportunity to meet with parliamentarians across the globe, as well as those nearer to home such as Westminster MPs and peers.
-ends-
Wednesday 13th, October 2010 01:16pm.
