Buka, April 4, 2016 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with Bougainville House of Representatives conducted an induction workshop for elected members of parliament from March 30 – April 1.
The three-day induction seminar was aimed at assisting members of parliament to better understand and more effectively perform their roles. The workshop covered key aspects of parliament’s work, operational procedures, role of women in leadership and more. MPs also had an opportunity to learn from the experiences from the Australian, New Zealand, and Solomon Island Parliamen’s.
The Bougainville House of Representatives (BHOR) is a key institution to implement the Bougainville Peace Agreement. The elected parliamentarians, who form the Bougainville House of Representative, play a vital role in decision making under the Autonomous Bougainville Government. As newly elected representatives, they need to be informed and inducted on various parliamentary processes, procedures and current events to make informed decisions on key governance issues.
The initiative is part of UNDP’s ongoing efforts to support the parliamentary work in Papua New Guinea. It aims to deepen democracy, strengthen the rule of law and promote good governance through effective leadership.
“UNDP is pleased to provide this support and we hope this capacity building workshop will inspire and equip the parliamentarians to do their work effectively as they strive to bring about real and tangible development changes to improve people’s lives,” said Roy Trivedy, UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative.
“The three day BHOR induction workshop supported by the UNDP created the platform for our parliamentarians to interact with colleagues from other parliamentary jurisdictions in the region, and to better understand their roles as parliamentarians in providing servant leadership to their constituents. All the sessions were very empowering for our members and will make them better parliamentarians,” said Francisca Semoso, Deputy Speaker, Bougainville House of Representatives.
Experiences were shared by experts from the region, including:
– Mark Burton – former New Zealand MP and Minister
– Geoffrey Lee, Member of New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Australia
– Freda Tuki, Minister of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs, Solomon Islands.
– Leslie Gonye, Clerk-Assistant, Table and Sergeant-at-Arms, Legislative Assembly, NSW Parliament, Australia.
– Steven Reynolds, Deputy Clerk, Legislative Council, NSW Parliament, Australia.
– Deryck Fritz, Referendum Consultant
The workshop is part of UNDP’s wider work within UN Peacebuilding Fund to support peaceful implementation of the Bougainville Peace Agreement. By providing its assistance, in partnership with all other partners, UNDP contributes to building peace and democratic governance critical for the successful achievement of social and economic development in Bougainville and PNG.
Source: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
