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Last year Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) made significant contributions towards the goal of a more equitable, safe and democratic world. We are delighted to share our achievements with you in PGA’s 2019 Annual Report.

PGA is the largest non-governmental, multi-party international network of individual legislators committed to human rights and the Rule of Law, democracy, human security, inclusion, and gender equality with over 1,200 members in 136 parliaments around the world.

The year 2019 marked the beginning of PGA’s new Strategic Plan (2019-2021), “Mobilizing Legislators as Champions for Human Rights, Democracy and Peace.” In particular, PGA Members were able to mobilize key political support for the ratification of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) by Tanzania and the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) by The Maldives, Botswana and Canada. Similarly, PGA Members generated the necessary political will for the accession of Kiribati to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and for the ratification by Ecuador and Paraguay of the Kampala Amendments to the Rome Statute. A PGA Board Member led the way towards the ratification by Sao Tomé and Príncipe of the Cape Town Agreement (CTA) on the safety of fishing vessels.

In addition to treaty-focused campaigns, PGA obtained important results in areas of legislative change. Members in several Caribbean States used their political leverage in support of key constitutionality challenges to colonial-era legislation discriminating against and criminalizing the LGTBI community, which can bring about crucial progress in the fight for de-penalization. PGA Members in the Philippines contributed to maintain Senate opposition to the reintroduction of the death penalty being championed by the Executive, while a PGA member from New Hampshire, USA, successfully championed the cause of abolition with three consecutive votes in his State Legislature, overriding the State Governor’s veto.

A highlight of the year was PGA’s 41st Annual Forum in the Parliament of Cape Verde on “the Role of Parliamentarians in the Implementation of SDGs 16 and 14: Promoting Democratic Renewal and Inclusion, Safe-guarding Human Rights and Protecting the Oceans” and the adoption of the Praia Plan of Action, which will guide the PGA Secretariat and members in 2020.

Last, but not least, as PGA President Margareta Cederfelt, MP (Sweden) states, “PGA expanded its role as the ‘go-to’ parliamentary partner of the global human rights community with the launch of the core parliamentary Campaign for Democratic Renewal and Human Rights.”

These achievements were the result of the PGA Secretariat assisting member-parliamentarians, who decided to use their political leadership for peer-to-peer advocacy with other parliamentarians and key stakeholders - including the Executive branch of Government and civil society - in order to advance country-specific strategies. Political will went hand-in-hand with capacity building and technical assistance, including legislative-drafting assistance, under PGA’s Gender, Equality and Inclusion Program, International Law and Human Rights Program and International Peace and Security Program.

Allow me to thank you on behalf of Parliamentarians for Global Action for your support in 2019 and we look forward to continuing our partnership with you in 2020!

Sincerely yours,
 
David Donat Cattin (Ph.D., Law)
Secretary-General, Parliamentarians for Global Action