The Commonwealth, international parliamentary diplomacy and building peace

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma asked parliamentarians to reflect on their “sacred role” in tackling state fragility to achieve global security and development, at an international conference on 5 February 2010.

Speaking at the International Parliamentary Conference on ‘Peace-building: Tackling State Fragility’ in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Mr Sharma said the Commonwealth Secretariat looked to parliamentarians as “jealous guardians of democratic principles and values” to aid peace-building and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

“If ownership and implementation of peace-building belongs anywhere, it belongs with you, and with the thousands of other Commonwealth parliamentarians,” he said.

“There is the argument that fragile states will provide the key to our success as a global community.

“None can afford to turn their backs on them.”

The five-day conference, held at the Houses of Parliament in London and at the Northern Ireland Assembly in Belfast, was jointly organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) UK Branch and the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The event brought together parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth and outside the association to develop global and local strategies for achieving sustainable peace, security and development, and to strengthen the contribution of parliamentarians to processes such as the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding.

During his speech the Secretary-General reflected on how the Commonwealth has itself built peace and tackled state fragility through its technical assistance programmes, the Secretary-General’s Good Offices, which works behind the scenes to avert conflict, and the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, which deals with serious or persistent violations of the Commonwealth's fundamental political values.

He added that the greatest secret to long-term stability was building the local ownership and culture of democracy, and the institutions which support it.

“Tackling fragility is more absolute – it is an exercise built on values, on institutions, and on the home-grown will of nations and peoples to pull themselves out of the mire, and to walk free.”

Mr Sharma applauded the work of the UK Branch of the CPA for their contribution in the convening and strengthening of Commonwealth parliamentarians.

He also saluted the people and parliamentarians of Northern Ireland for their sheer force of will in coming so far to secure a commitment to pluralism and to peace.

“Northern Ireland, like the 54-nation Commonwealth, journeys, sometimes haltingly, towards its own destination and its own destiny,” he said.

“It is so obvious that we can almost forget to say it: there can be no better example to this CPA conference than this very Assembly, to demonstrate how important Parliament is to the transformation of conflict.”

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Related Websites:

• Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
• Northern Ireland Assembly