Commonwealth Secretary-General to visit India
22 September 2007
Mr McKinnon will address the 53rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference and meet with senior political leaders
Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon will visit India from 23-25 September 2007, during which time he will address the 53rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in New Delhi.
In his last address to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, before he stands down as Secretary-General at the end of March 2008, Mr McKinnon will emphasise the importance of democracy in Commonwealth societies. Despite what he calls the “ebb and flow”, “the journey” and the “work-in-progress” of democracy in the Commonwealth, he asserts that: “My faith has grown, not weakened, in democracy as the best way of giving people a say in how they are governed. Our role as parliamentarians must never, ever, lose sight of that.”
He will also underline the organic links between democracy and development, as set out in a 2003 Commonwealth report by a team of experts led by Dr Manmohan Singh, now the Indian Prime Minister. “The fact is”, he says, “you can eat the fruits of democracy, because the greatest dividend of Democracy is Development.”
He is expected to talk about the challenges of democracy in all Commonwealth countries. In particular he will discuss the situations in Fiji and Pakistan. “I mention the challenges of the few, because they are, in fact, an amplification of the challenges of the many. None of us can afford to be complacent in inculcating the true spirit of democracy.”
His address, ahead of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group meeting in New York on 29 September 2007, will outline the significance of the Commonwealth’s stated principles of democracy, as well as the “ingredients” for democracy in practice, including the roles of Parliaments, Governments and Oppositions, the significance of political parties, and rules on incumbency. He will also stress the importance, in a true
democracy, of the role of women, ethnic and religious minorities, a lively civil society, an independent and responsible media, an effective and truly impartial judiciary, and a voice for young people.
During his trip, Mr McKinnon will also hold meetings with the Presiding Officers of the two Houses of India’s Parliament, which represents the world’s largest democracy. They are the Vice President of India, H E Mr Mohammad Hamid Ansari, who chairs the Rajya Sabha, and Hon Mr Somnath Chatterjee, Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
On 25 September, he will attend a reception hosted by the President of India, H E Mrs Pratibha Patil.
For Media Enquiries, and opportunities to interview the Secretary-General, please contact Manoah Esipisu, Deputy Spokesperson on Tel +44 7894 462 021 or m.esipisu@commonwealth.int
Note for Editors:
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, which was established in 1911, is the parliamentary arm of the Commonwealth. It works in the fields of good governance, democracy, elections and human rights.
CPA branches now exist in nearly 170 national, state, provincial and territorial Parliaments and Legislatures, with a total membership approaching 15,000 Parliamentarians.
The Association's mission is to promote the advancement of parliamentary democracy by enhancing knowledge and understanding of democratic governance. It seeks to build an informed parliamentary community able to deepen the Commonwealth’s democratic commitment and to further co-operation among its Parliaments and Legislatures.
The CPA and Commonwealth Secretariat collaborate closely in areas of shared interest.
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