MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands MLA Pete Biggs at Security Legislation Conference in Westminster

Alicia Kearns, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee next to MLA Pete Biggs at Westminster

The chair of the UK Foreign Affairs Committee, Alicia Kearns MP addressed over 30 parliamentarians from 18 legislatures as part of the Conference on the Scrutiny of National Security Legislation organized by the UK Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA UK).

The Falkland Islands were represented at the gathering of parliamentarians this week by MLA Pete Biggs. The conference is considered a unique opportunity for delegates to equip themselves with the skills to shape and scrutinize legislation within rapidly changing local and international security landscapes.

The program addresses risks to cyber security and climate security, considers challenges to security from both conventional and non-conventional conflict, and discusses the prevention of violence against women and girls in conflict.

The Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Alicia Kearns MP, stated ahead of the session that programs “like this are vital in fostering discussion and sharing ideas for how we best protect our collective and individual security.

”At a time of global insecurity, the Commonwealth offers us a network of likeminded allies. By Meeting and exploring our different views on security, we can all benefit and develop new strategies to protect our societies and people.”

MP Kearns key-note speech, which opened the Conference, highlighted that the foremost responsibility of any Government is the security of its people. It explored the large shift in national and international security challenges in the last twenty years and ask how Governments can adapt to these changes.

Security is one of CPA UK’s five priority themes, working for a safe and secure Commonwealth. CPA UK works with Parliaments to support their activities on security by increasing awareness on the most salient issues and building capacity to support parliamentarians with their responsibilities to legislate, ensure policy scrutiny and oversight, budget approval, and constituency engagement.