‘The benefit, to a host country, in hosting a regional conference or any conference of the CPA is enormous, because it highlights the country and the issues in it…it also helps to promote the country and tells the Commonwealth what Guyana is doing and what our ideas are for the future, not only for Guyana, but for the rest of the region and the world’ – Ramkarran
SPEAKER of the National Assembly, Mr. Ralph Ramkarran said Guyana has, indeed, benefitted a lot from the recent successful hosting of the 24th Annual Regional Conference of the Caribbean, the Americas and Atlantic Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).

The forum was hosted here from July 12 to 15 under the theme ‘Strengthening Parliamentary Democracy: Confronting Challenges and Enhancing Cooperation within the Region.’

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Ramkarran reminded that Guyana had not been due to host the event but was asked and agreed to do so after some political difficulties caused the Turks and Caicos Islands to opt out.

He said the Government of Guyana supported the request, from the National Assembly, for the hosting and facilitated it through funds and other resources for which he expressed profound thanks.

“The benefit, to a host country, in hosting a regional conference or any conference of the CPA is enormous, because it highlights the country and the issues in it,” Ramkarran remarked.

He said it helps to promote the country and tells the Commonwealth what Guyana is doing and “what our ideas are for the future, not only for Guyana, but for the rest of the region and the world.”

Reiterating that it projected Guyana on the international scene, Ramkarran pointed out that, more importantly, Guyana’s ideas were allowed to be presented and flow out of the conference.

To this end, he said five presentations were made by Guyana, on the global economic and financial crisis, parliamentary democracy, climate change, human rights and security.

“So, Guyana had the opportunity to express its views in relation to these matters among delegates and observers at the conference and those messages, of course, will be taken back by delegates to their own countries. They will also be reports in the journals of the CPA and by the Secretary-General of CPA, which will go out to all branches and, in that way, Guyana stands to benefit enormously,” Ramkarran reported.

He said, as well, that, on an equally important but lighter note, that delegates were given an opportunity to see and experience the beauty of Guyana, with a tour along Essequibo River that helped to promote local eco-tourism.

SPIRITED CONTRIBUTIONS
Ramkarran maintained that Guyana has learnt a great deal from the conference, where there were “spirited contributions” by other members, particularly Barbados, on the world economic and financial situation and Jamaica, on crime and security.

“There were interventions by almost every delegate and we were able to have interventions from the British and Canadian observers, who shared their experiences with us,” he added.

According to him: “What really happens, is that, at the end of the conference, there is no position. The CPA regional conferences do not have a position. Delegates take back what they learn to their own countries and their parliaments.”

Ramkarran recalled that, during the climate change debate, the British delegates spoke about “harnessing the waves of the sea to produce power, which is still in its infancy but which is being looked at now.”

“It is the first time I heard of that…so that is something that was interesting,” the Speaker admitted.

He said there was an analysis on the origins of the current global financial crisis and a call, from the Barbadian delegates and arising from the discussions, for the developed countries to observe, in full, their commitments to make funds available to the financial institutions and for the terms of lending to be made in such a way that countries can accept them.

“Because the onerous conditions which exist in relation to the lending of monies prevent countries which are weak from accessing these loans,” Ramkarran posited.

LCDS SUPPORT
He also revealed that, in relation to climate change, the discussions led to general support for Guyana’s position on its much-touted Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

Ramkarran said the delegates became aware of the strategy, understood it and were supportive of it and added their own experiences with climate change in their own countries.

He said other issues, such as security entailed wide discussion and concerns over the availability of firearms and increasing penetration of drugs for trans-shipment from the region.

“The conference was extremely successful, that is what the participants have said,” Ramkarran asserted.

He disclosed that it was the first time the Parliament of Guyana, in recent years, hosted such a huge gathering with international participation.

“I am pleased to say that we pulled it off very successfully, according to the delegates and it has done the National Assembly a great deal of good. It has highlighted the work of our Parliament and put a focus on Guyana that we would not have otherwise had,” Ramkarran said.

Guyana was represented at the forum by a bipartisan team, which comprised two members of the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and one from the Opposition.

Active CPA branches now exist in 169 national, State, provincial and territorial parliaments, with a total membership of approximately 16,000 parliamentarians.

The association, which was founded in 1911 as the Empire Parliamentary Association and renamed the CPA in 1949, serves to provide easier exchange of information and facilitate closer understanding and more frequent intercourse among those engaged in the parliamentary governance of the various Commonwealth States.

Last year’s conference was held in Westminster, London, England