Annual Report 2001–02
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Group 4 > Output 4.1
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Output Group 4: Interparliamentary Relations and Community Liaison
4.1 Interparliamentary relations
| Provision of advice and support to facilitate the conduct
of the Parliaments international and regional affairs |
The output covers all aspects of advice and support relevant to the conduct
of the Parliaments international and regional affairs. It provides general
support for interparliamentary conferences and incoming and outgoing parliamentary
delegations; training support for other parliaments, particularly the smaller
parliaments in our region; and advice to the Presiding Officers and members
on international parliamentary matters.
The PRO is responsible for most of this output. Its objective is to support
external relations for the Parliament with a view to achieving productive and
amicable international and regional relationships with other parliaments and
parliamentary bodies and organisations.
Delegations and visits program
Direct bilateral relationships with other parliaments continued to be
a major focus of the output. While the federal election curtailed much
interparliamentary work in 200102, programs were coordinated for 27 bilateral
visits to other parliaments and eight visits to the Australian Parliament
from other parliaments (see Appendix 5). Support was also provided for
senators and members who participated in any of 13 parliamentary conferences
and seminars. Short one- to two-day parliamentary programs were also prepared
for unofficial visits by parliamentarians from 17 parliaments (see Appendix
6).
The outgoing program continued to provide for participation in a number
of additional activities, which included sending election observer delegations
to East Timor and Zimbabwe; participating in the signing of the Bougainville
peace treaty; and attending commemorations of the sixtieth anniversary
of the fall of Singapore (see Appendix 7).
Support for incoming and outgoing delegations ensured that all visits proceeded
in accordance with agreed programs and all briefings and associated documentation
were provided in a timely manner. A debriefing meeting with delegates and other
stakeholders was held following the return of each official outgoing delegation.
Feedback was very positive and constructive. Where delegates identified problems
of an administrative or organisational nature, action was taken to review procedures
to address those problems where possible. The debriefing process has proven
to be a very valuable tool in constantly improving the quality of bilateral
visit programs. A similar process is undertaken with foreign missions of incoming
delegations where possible.
Parliamentary associations
Secretariat support is provided for Australias participation in a number of
parliamentary associations, the primary focus being on the Commonwealth Parliamentary
Association (CPA) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
The support provided for participation in interparliamentary organisations
allowed the Australian Parliament to fulfil all of its membership obligations.
Australian parliamentary delegations were provided with appropriate support
to enable them to participate in an active and positive manner. The Australian
Parliament continued to be held in very high regard in those organisations in
which it participated and feedback from Australian delegates continued to be
positive.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference
The Forty-seventh Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
was hosted by the parliaments of the Commonwealth, states and territories in
September 2001. It was the fourth occasion on which the conference, which is
the peak annual meeting of members of the CPA, had been held in Australia. With
642 participants, representing almost every national, provincial or state parliament
in the Commonwealth, the 2001 conference was the largest in the history of the
CPA. Conference events occurred in every Australian state, plus the Australian
Capital Territory and Northern Territory, over a period of 11 days from 2 to
13 September 2001.
The department, together with state and territory parliaments, jointly funded
the conference. Mr Jim Pender, Clerk Assistant (Corporate Services), was conference
director.
The location of the conference secretariat within the department enabled us
to test a number of service delivery initiatives. They included a credit card
payment facility for delegates to pay fees, mechanisms to allow registration
and payment via the internet, and facilities allowing remote access to the conference
database via an integrated services digital network link to the Parliament House
server. The successful application of those initiatives has potential for improving
the services provided by the department in other areas.
The considerable challenge of staging the conference was compounded by the
terrorist attacks which took place in the United States on 11 September 2001
and the collapse of Ansett on 13 September 2001. With those events occurring
during the conference, staff were placed under considerable additional pressure.
Despite the difficulties, the conferences organisation received consistently
positive feedback from participants. The conference secretariat was disbanded
in October 2001.
Support for other parliaments
The department continued to develop programs for parliamentary visitors and
prepared programs for 14 such visits in 200102 (see Appendix 8). This activity
is primarily aimed at exchanging information on procedural and organisational
aspects of the operation of parliaments. It has also taken on a significant
role with regard to the promotion of good governance in parliaments, complementing
programs operated by the United Nations, World Bank and Asia Development Bank
and a number of non-government organisations. It involves the provision of training
for many parliaments in the Pacific, South East Asia and other parts of the
world.
Significant activities during 200102 included staff from the department providing
training and support to the new democratic Assembly of Kosovo, under the auspices
of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo. Parliamentary
staff also visited the Indonesian Parliament to provide training on a range
of parliamentary activities and to conduct a training needs assessment.
There was a continued focus on the Pacific region, particularly through the
CPA. In addition to promoting bilateral relations, the Parliament provides a
considerable amount of training and equipment to Pacific parliaments. The PRO
provides a regional secretariat to support both Australian and Pacific branches
of the CPA. This encompasses support for a range of conferences, seminars and
visits at both the regional and the individual branch levels. Of particular
significance during 200102 was support provided for the Conference for Pacific
Parliamentarians held in Wellington, New Zealand in March. The main objective
of that activity was to promote interparliamentary contact at a regional level,
with a particular focus on strengthening parliamentary institutions.
A formal evaluation was carried out following the inaugural interparliamentary
study program launched in March 2001. The evaluation found that all objectives
had been met and identified a number of factors that would improve the quality
of the program. Those factors were taken into account in preparing the 2002
program. The Presiding Officers have agreed that the interparliamentary study
program should be conducted annually.
Practical support was also provided to the Third Professional Development Seminar
for Parliamentary Staff, which was conducted under the auspices of the Australian
and New Zealand Association of Clerks-at-the-Table and held in Canberra on 29
and 30 January 2002.
During the reporting period advice on procedural and other topics continued
to be provided to national and state parliaments. While requests for advice
were received from many national and provincial parliaments, a special relationship
was maintained with smaller parliaments in the Pacific and African regions.
The Members Entitlements and Human Resources Office responded to 20 queries
from overseas parliaments, other Australian parliaments and other government
representatives during the year. The queries related to members entitlements;
members staff policy and practices; or human resources policy and practices
for parliamentary staff.
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