C'wealth Parliaments meets in Canada next month

Accra, Aug. 27, GNA- More than 500 members from Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures would question inter-governmental agencies about the effects of global programmes on their societies when they meet at the 50th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Canada, early next month.

The Conference would enable Parliaments from the Commonwealth to debate the theme: "responsibilities and rights of people and Parliaments in a global community" and in attendance would be senior representatives from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund among other orgsanisations.

"International decisions today directly affect most areas of domestic governance, from trade and development issues to responses to global health and security threats. As the democratic representatives of a quarter of the world's populations, Commonwealth Members of Parliament have the right and duty to be heard by the organisations, which make these decisions," Mr Denis Marshall, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Secretary-General said in the statement.

The statement from the CPA Secretariat in the United Kingdom, signed by Mr Marshal and released in Accra on Friday said Mr Peter Milliken, Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons, would chair the conference.

Mr Marshall said members needed to be aware of international policy and to have the opportunity to contribute to decision-making. "This is an important opportunity for Commonwealth members to speak out for their nations," he added.