2003 Annual Report
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annualreport2003 TABLE OF CONTENTS Programme Activities 2003 3 Message from the President 5 PGAʼs 25th Annual Parliamentary Forum: PGAʼs 25th Anniversary Tribute 7 Peace and Democracy Programme Report 12 International Law and Human Rights Programme Report 16 PGA Members and Activities Worldwide 21 Sustainable Development and Population Programme Report 23 PGA 2003 Executive Committee and International Council 25 PGA 2003 United Nations Committee 27 Financial Report 28 Donors 30 Staff 32 About PGA 33 1 2 PROGRAMME ACTIVITIES 2003 September 16, 2003 PGAʼs 25th Anniversary Tribute (Washington, D.C.) Peace and Democracy Programme February 2003 Consultative Mission (Freetown, Sierra Leone) May 2003 Consultative Mission (Abidjan, Côte dʼIvoire) May 2003 Consultative Mission (Harare, Zimbabwe) September 2003 Greek-Turkish Consultations (New York, N.Y.) September 2003 Briefing to PGAʼs International Council and Mediation Sessions with Côte dʼIvoire, Zimbabwe, and Venezuela delegations (Washington, D.C) September 2003 Peer-to-Peer Dialogue among African and United States Legislators: Role of Parliamentarians in Peacemaking and Peacebuilding: the cases of Côte dʼIvoire, Liberia, Zimbabwe and ECOWAS (Washington, D.C.) November 2003 Follow-up Assessment Mission to the Parliament of Zimbabwe (Harare, Zimbabwe) 3 International Law and Human Rights Programmee January 2003 Briefing on the Implementing Legislation to Incorporate the Rome Statute into Nigerian Law (Abuja, Nigeria) February 2003 Regional Parliamentary Conference for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS): The International Criminal Court and the Promotion of the Rule of Law (Moscow, Russia) February 2003 PGA representation on the panel on ICC and the Rule of Law at the Annual Forum of the Inter Parliamentary Forum of the Americas (FIPA) (Asamblea Legislativa de Panamá, Panama City) April 2003 Strategy Meeting on the International Criminal Court: Protecting the Integrity of the Rome Statute (United Nations, New York) September 2003 A Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians for the ICC and the Rule of Law – II session (United Nations, New York) Sustainable Development and Population Programme June 2003 Parliamentary Meeting on HIV/AIDS, in collaboration with the Policy Project (Bamako, Mali) October 2003 PGA delegation at ICPD Steering Committee Meeting (Brussels, Belgium) December 2003 Parliamentary Seminar on Budgeting (Bamako, Mali) 4 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE HON. KENNETH DZIRASAH, MP (GHANA) SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER Over the past 25 years, Parliamentarians for Governance in Sierra Leone which was conjunction with PGAʼs 25th Anniversary Global Action (PGA) established itself as a organized by International IDEA and the Tribute. The briefing was hosted by PGA unique organization driven by individual local NGO Campaign for Good Governance member Rep. Donald Payne (United legislators addressing pressing global issues (CGG). PGAʼs mission in Côte dʼIvoire States) in the United State Congress, such as peace, democracy, international was sent in May to address the need for Washington, D.C. Legislators from West law, human rights, nuclear disarmament, consensus building among the political Africa, Uganda, South Africa, Zimbabwe, sustainable development and population. parties in the National Assembly in support Denmark, Canada and the Parliament of To commemorate the international of implementing the Linas-Marcoussis the Economic Community of West African achievements made throughout the years, Peace Accords. PGA successfully brought States (ECOWAS) engaged in a discussion PGA celebrated its 25th Anniversary on together leaders from different political with members of the United States House September 16, 2003 at the United States parties inside and outside the National of Representatives on the peacemaking Congress in Washington, D.C., where it was Assembly to discuss the peace process in issues affecting Côte dʼIvoire, Liberia and originally founded in 1978. PGA members Côte dʼIvoire and the obstacles that must Zimbabwe. reunited to discuss accomplishments of be overcome. the past - such as the Six-Nation Peace The International Law and Human Rights Initiative, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty After a successful multi-party consultation Programme successfully mobilized and the International Criminal Court - as by a nine-member delegation of legislators to take political action to well as issues that still need to be addressed Zimbabwean parliamentarians, PGA reinforce the rule of law through the around the world. deployed a Consultative Mission to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Parliament of Zimbabwe in Harare in May The second session of the Consultative PGAʼs three programmes, Peace and 2003. Discussions with government and Assembly of Parliamentarians for the ICC Democracy, International Law and Human opposition MPs focused on the rule of and the Rule of Law took place September Rights and Sustainable Development law, greater cooperation with international 12-13, 2003 at United Nations Headquarters and Population, continue to galvanize institutions and Zimbabweʼs ratification of in New York and included participants parliamentary leadership at the national the Rome Statute. In November, Executive from 68 countries. This annual event and international levels to address political Committee member Ms. Thandi Modise, brings together parliamentarians, experts concerns around the world. MP (South Africa), who participated in the and ICC officials such as the Mr. Luis May 2003 Consultative Mission, met with Moreno Ocampo, prosecutor for the Court, In 2003, the Peace and Democracy Zimbabwean MPs and H.E. Ms. Kristina to enhance understanding of the Court with Programme continued its work in Africa. Svensson, Ambassador of Sweden to discussions and debates on ratification, Through the Task Force, PGA sent Zimbabwe, in Harare to discuss how PGA implementation and protecting the integrity consultative missions to Sierra Leone, Côte can assist in reopening dialogue between of the Rome Statute. Participants adopted dʼIvoire and Zimbabwe. The mission to the governing and opposition parties. the New York Declaration on Parliamentary Sierra Leone, which took place in February, Action in Support of the ICC. focused on such issues as strengthening PGAʼs briefing on Peer-to-Peer Dialogue the role of parliamentary committees, among African and United States To further the ICC campaign, PGA government-opposition relations and Legislators: Parliamentary Peacemaking identified several underrepresented regions decentralization. PGA also participated in in the cases of Côte dʼIvoire, Liberia, in the Courtʼs system and decided to raise the Symposium on Local Democracy and Zimbabwe and ECOWAS took place in the awareness of parliamentarians in these 5 Dip. Minou Tavarez Mirabal (Dominican Republic); Rep. Dennis Kucinich (United States) 8th Annual Defender of Democracy Awards Hon. Kenneth Dzirasah, MP (Ghana), President of PGA; Ms. Shazia Z. Rafi, PGA Secretary-General regions to facilitate the ratification and Convenor of the SDP Programme, presented implementation of the Rome Statute. On PGAʼs work on the implementation of the February 11-12, 2003, PGA convened a ICPD Programme of Action and discussed regional parliamentary conference for the the plans for the Second IPCI meeting Commonwealth of Independent States which will take place October 2004 in (CIS) that took place in the Russian Duma Strasbourg, France. in Moscow. The conference provided an excellent opportunity to involve The SDP Programme successfully legislators from the region in PGAʼs ICC- continued its Junior Project Officer related work. Participants adopted the (JPO) Programme in Nigeria and Mali. Moscow Declaration which expressed A Memorandum of Understanding was the commitment of parliamentarians to signed between ECOWAS and PGA which promote the adoption of the Rome Statute in detailed collaboration between the two their countries by keeping their parliaments parties on sustainable development issues and civil society informed and urging their in the region. Mr. Moses Mzila-Ndlovu, MP (Zimbabwe); Sen. Anthony Johnson (Jamaica) governments to join the States Parties. In its 25th year, PGA continues to be guided PGA held its first strategy meeting titled by its original vision of promoting inter- Protecting the Integrity of the ICC at UN parliamentary collaboration to mobilize Headquarters on April 22, 2003. Participants global political action for an equitable, safe discussed implementation of the Ottawa and democratic world. PGAʼs members are Plan of Action on the ICC which was dedicated to bringing about progress and signed during PGAʼs 24th Annual Forum in positive change.* Ottawa, Canada. The meeting also addressed the legal and political implications of UN Security Council Resolution 1422 and the Bilateral Non-Surrender Agreements. This was the first in a series of strategy meetings that will continue in 2004. In preparation for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) + 10, PGAʼs Sustainable Development and Population (SDP) Programme, participated in the Steering Committee for the Parliamentary Conference on ICPD (IPCI) meeting held in October 2003 in Brussels, Belgium. Mr. Tony Worthington, MP (United Kingdom), 6 25TH ANNUAL FORUM PGA’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE On the occasion of its 25th Anniversary, Hon. Kenneth Dzirasah, MP (Ghana), beginnings, the organizationʼs work led to members of Parliamentarians for Global Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and the creation of the Six-Nation Initiative, Action