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A healthy Parliament signals a healthy democracy: Sharma

15 August 2008

Secretary-General underscores the importance of democracy in talks with Australia’s Speaker of Parliament and top officials

The health of a Parliament reflects the health of democracy, hence the Parliament plays a vital role in all Commonwealth countries, said Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma. He underlined this point in his talks with Australia’s Speaker of Parliament Harry Jenkins in Canberra on 15 August 2008.

The Secretary-General also commended the government of Australia for its initiative in developing peer linkages among Parliamentarians in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world to promote democracy and good governance.

Mr Sharma, who is on a three-day visit to Australia from 14 to 16 August, also met the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Michael L’Estrange, and senior government officials, including the Director-General of AusAid, Bruce Davis. Topics discussed included regional politics, democratic governance, security, climate change, food security, environmental governance, institutional reform, challenges faced by small states, sustainable development, public-private collaborative partnerships, and the Millennium Development Goals.

The Secretary-General briefed Mr L’Estrange and officials on Commonwealth initiatives such as the Commonwealth Commission on Respect and Understanding which produced the report, ‘Civil Paths to Peace’ that examined ways to address tensions and fractures in society.

Mr Sharma also explained his vision of the Commonwealth Secretariat as a source of fresh thinking and ideas with global impact. He cited examples of past initiative of the Commonwealth that have had such global significance such as the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative; the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Debt Management and Recording System, which assists member countries in tracking and management of their debt portfolio; the ‘Hub and Spokes’ project to assist African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of countries in their trade policy advice and trade negotiating capacity through the deployment of advisers in various regions of the Commonwealth who work together with analysts stationed in different countries within a region.

Mr Sharma informed the Australian officials of the recent appointment of a governance expert for the Pacific region to be attached to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Suva, Fiji Islands, in support of the Pacific Plan of promoting regional co-operation to enhance good governance, economic growth and integration, sustainable development and security. The Commonwealth Pacific governance expert will help to strengthen democratic institutions and processes to instill a culture of democracy, improve the capacity and effectiveness of anti-corruption institutions, assist governments in improving information dissemination and assist in developing policies for land mobilisation that will reduce conflict over land ownership.

The Secretary-General also met Commonwealth High Commissioners and heads of Commonwealth civil society organisations in Canberra during his first official visit to Australia since taking up the top post at the Commonwealth Secretariat in April this year. He updated them on the work of the Secretariat and his vision for the growth of the organisation in better servicing the needs of its 53 member countries.

The Secretary-General leaves for New Zealand on 16 August before heading off to Niue to attend the 39th Pacific Islands Forum Summit from 19 to 21 August.