Speaker of Parliament, the Rtd. Hon. Alban S.K. Bagbin, has charged the new Parliamentary Friendship Associations Management Connmittee to work to inject a new lease of life into the Association.
He expressed hope the multiple committees to be established under the Association will become very useful tools in the quest to derive maximum benefits from efforts in parliamentary diplomacy.
The Association, he said, offers a good platform for acquiring best practices to boost the practices and procedures of the member Parliaments.
Speaking at the inauguration of an 11-Member Management Committee on Wednesday 23rd June 2021 in Parliament, Speaker Alban Bagbin averred that the interactive role of Parliamentary Friendship Associations offers members opportunity to become exposed to practices from each other’s legislature, which eventually influence their contribution to debate on the floor of their respective legislatures.
He said, “Indeed, personal contacts between Members of Parliament of different countries enhance mutual understanding and establish alternative channels beneficial for bilateral relations between countries.”
“Such contacts can be useful to place national problems in context, as well as to initiate activities including those aimed at peace, security, and strengthening democracy and human rights, economic development, improving education and social conditions of their respective countries.”
“I will, therefore, urge Members of Parliament to avail yourselves of this opportunity to join various Parliamentary Friendship Associations when they are advertised by the Management Committee.”
“I also appeal to Hon. members of the Friendship Associations to show genuine interest in the affairs of their partner countries in order to have real interaction with them,” he added.
Speaker Bagbin disclosed that by the end of Ghana’s 7th Parliament, Friendship Associations have been established with 38 countries with the relations being characterized by several exchanges.
He noted that the presence of members of the Diplomatic Corps at the inauguration reaffirms the unwavering bond of friendship and excellent relations between Parliament and their respective countries.
The Speaker cautioned that the Parliamentary Friendship Associations is governed by law and directed that all members be given copies of the rules and regulations and also copies of the code of conduct for members of Ghana’s Parliament.
Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Colombian Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Claudia Turbay Quintero, congratulated Ghana’s Parliament for inaugarating the Management Committee.
This important step, she said, offers an enabling platform for creating integration and alliances with countries from different continents as well as other African countries.
She expressed the Corps desire to promote institutional relationships and at the same time person to person relationship.
The Parliamentary Friendship Association is a cross-party association of legislators established to promote continued dialogue with Members of other Legislatures.
These Associations enter into bilateral or multilateral relations with their counterparts in other Legislatures.
Five or more Members of Parliament may initiate the establishment of a Parliamentary Friendship Association provided the country with which they intend to relate is a member of the United Nations, has a Legislature and has diplomatic relations with Ghana.
Source: MyPublisher24.com