On 16 February 2017, PGA held its first UN Advisory Committee Meeting of 2017, hosted by the Chair of the PGA UN Committee Ambassador Christian Wenaweser at the Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein to the UN.

The PGA UN Advisory Committee is an advisory body of PGA, comprised of UN Ambassadors and other high-level UN officials, chaired by the Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein to the UN, H.E. Ambassador Christian Wenaweser. The meeting provided an opportunity for current Committee members and newly appointed UN Ambassadors to learn about PGA’s campaigns and plans for 2017 and discuss the role parliamentarians can play in implementing the UN Agenda at the domestic level.

H.E. Ambassador Wenaweser opened the meeting by explaining how the Liechtenstein Mission has been involved with PGA, in particular PGA’s Campaign for the Rome Statute of the ICC. The PGA Secretary-General, Dr. David Donat Cattin, presented a brief overview of PGA’s mission, as well as the updated strategic plan for 2017-2018 and activities for 2017. The International Law and Human Rights programme was discussed, highlighting the Campaign for the Rome Statute of the ICC, Campaign for Abolition of the Death Penalty, the Strengthening of UN Working Methods, and Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism.

The important recent development of The Gambia’s commitment to the ICC was highlighted, as well as PGA’s commitment to working in Africa with countries such as Cameroon, Togo, and Guinea-Bissau. PGA worked with important partner-countries, such as  Ukraine, Jamaica and Haiti over the past year to promote ratification of the Rome Statute. PGA’s Campaigns under the Gender, Equality, and Population Program have promoted legislative reforms in Zimbabwe, Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago to end child marriage., PGA will be shortly launching a new publication, “Advancing the Human Rights and Inclusion of LGBTI People: a Handbook for Parliamentarians,” produced jointly with UNDP, in a Seminar on this topic in Costa Rica in early March 2017.

The International Peace and Security Program reported recent success in the Biological Weapons Convention Campaign, where Liberia and Nepal became members of the Convention. PGA will be organizing three workshops in Sierra Leone, Chile, and Haiti. On the Arms Trade Treaty Campaign, PGA contributed to the ratification by Cape Verde, and noted that Colombia will soon deposit the instrument of ratification. The Permanent Representative of Korea, who serves as chair of the UN Peace Building Commission (PBC), expressed interest in the work of PGA on the ATT, in particular with Guinea-Bissau which is currently on the PBC’s agenda. He suggested that PGA explore the possibility of engaging more closely with the Peace Building Commission. The suggestion made by the Korean Ambassador was also endorsed by the Representative of the UNODA, who congratulated PGA on its excellent work on the BWC and ATT.

The PGA Secretary General introduced a new Campaign aimed at bringing more transparency in the fishing industry to fight crimes committed on and against the Oceans.

Members of the PGA UN Committee posed questions and offered feedback on PGA campaigns, the updated PGA Strategic Plan, and discussed current issues at the UN that would benefit from greater involvement of MPs.

The next PGA UN Committee Advisory meeting will be held on 5 June 2017, with the presence of the PGA Board.

For any questions on the work of the PGA UN Committee and PGA’s involvement in the Strengthening of the Working Methods of the UN, please contact the PGA Specialist on the Rule of Law and UN Strengthening, Ms. Leyla Nikjou at Leyla.nikjou@pgaction.org .