MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Birmingham Firm On Need For Overseas Representation.
Falkland Islands Legislative Council member, John Birmingham, returned to the Islands this week after attending both the Small Countries Conference of the British Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and its Plenary Conference, which took place in Canada between the 30th August and the 9th September.
The Falkland Islands weekly, Penguin News, carried a reader's letter on September 17th, which criticised the number of overseas visits made by councillors, during a period of budgetary restraint and cast doubts upon their usefulness. When questioned by MercoPress, Councillor Birmingham remained firm that such participation in international forums was essential as a way of maintaining a high level of global awareness and interest in the Falklands. "If the Falkland Islands do not send representatives to the few international conferences which we are able to attend and make sure that we are not forgotten, then we will be sidelined," he said.
Pointing out that the travel and accommodation costs of the Falklands delegation to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference were paid by the Association, Mr. Birmingham stressed that FIG Councillors' attendance at international conferences was at a minimal level compared with other countries. As a prime example, he cited last year's UN Committee of 24 meeting, which he attended with Cllr.Mike Summers as the sole Falklands representatives. The Argentine Government, on the other hand, sent a delegation of thirty-two, including their Foreign Minister. "They take it seriously and we have to take it seriously", he concluded.
Councillor Birmingham, who is Chairman of the Falkland Islands Tourist Board, was the Lead Speaker of the Working Group on Sustainable Tourism Resources at the 24th CPA Conference of Members of Small Countries, which preceded the Plenary Conference and brought together some 70 parliamentarians from Commonwealth jurisdictions with less than 400,000 people. Surprisingly, the Falkland Islands was not the smallest member of this group, that honour going to the Australian Overseas territory of Norfolk Island.
Also attending the 50th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, which began in Quebec and ended in Toronto were Clerk of Councils, Claudette Anderson MBE and Councillor Richard Cockwell. Councillor Cockwell has for three years been a Senior Member of CPA's Executive Council, representing the British Islands and Mediterranean Region and this year was elected as Vice Chairman of the Executive for the duration of the meeting.
The theme for the CPA Conference, which attracts over 700 delegates and officials, was "Responsibilities and Rights of People and Parliaments in a Global Community" Within that theme, workshops and seminars were held under a wide variety of headings, from ?Commonwealth Standards for Democratic Legislatures', ?Protecting Public Health in the Global Village' to ?Parliament and the Right To Know"; the latter topic on the subject of open government, according to Cllr.Birmingham, proving particularly interesting and relevant to the Falklands situation.
Councillor Birmingham said it was the global and common nature of the concerns of members of the CPA that emerged with force time and time again, not only in the formal workshops, seminars and conference sessions, but also in the many informal contacts made during meals, coffee breaks and in the corridors outside the conference rooms. It was these contacts with the elected representatives of other and often much larger countries, who might one day be able to influence the thinking of others about the Falklands, which would particularly be lost if the Falklands had no representatives present, said Cllr Birmingham, who concluded, "When you talk to a great number of people, some of whom may one day wield global influence and interest them in our case, you just don't know what seeds you are planting."
Other FIG Councillors' Movements.
Earlier this week, Falkland Islands Councillors Jan Cheek and Norma Edwards left the Islands to attend a meeting of the Overseas Territories Consultative Committee. Councillor Cheek will also be attending the Party Conferences of the Labour and Conservative Parties, along with Cllr.Stephen Luxton and the Falkland Islands Government Representative in London, Sukey Cameron. A spokesperson at the Falkland Islands Councillors' Office in Stanley stated that there would be no Falkland Islands councilors present at the forthcoming talks between the British and Argentine Foreign Ministers.
John Fowler ? Stanley.
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