PM to inaugurate 63rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference today

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the 63rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) at South Plaza of the Bangladesh National Parliament on Sunday morning. Speaker of Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad and also the chairperson of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury will deliver the welcome speech while message from the Queen Elizabeth II, the patron of the CPA will be read out and video message of Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, the Commonwealth’s Secretary General will also be screened during the opening day of the conference. Parliament members from 52 commonwealth nations will participate in the four-day-long conference from November 5 to 8. Various significant global issues like climate change, refugee crisis and militancy will be discussed during the conference. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also the vice-patron of CPA, is likely to highlight the development progress and increased self-dependency achieved by Bangladesh in the last couple of years during her speech.

Rehearsal for a cultural event for the opening of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference on Saturday FOCUS BANGLA

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She will also explain how the adverse impacts of climate change has been victimising Bangladesh. After the opening declaration, Bangladesh’s foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali will brief the delegates on ongoing Rohingya crisis. The lawmakers of commonwealth countries will share opinions on the issue. Bangladesh hopes that the commonwealth countries will extend their helping hands for Bangladesh to tackle the situation. In the conference there will be also workshops on role of parliament in addressing challenges, in building stronger ties within Commonwealth including the new trade issues, visa issues, travel restrictions, non-tariff restriction. There will also be workshop on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) during the programme. The delegations will discuss on how CPA members can work with their own governments to implement the SDG goals in the area of poverty alleviation and women empowerment. The CPA will also discuss on the mechanisms for ensuring effective participation of youth in the governance.