UK Commonwealth Parliamentary Association workshop on Oversight Committees

From left: Leader of the Opposition R. Sampanthan, British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka James Dauris and British Labour Party MP Fiona Mactaggart at a reception hosted for MPs from the Sri Lankan Parliament, visiting MPs from the UK and members of civil society

This week the UK branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA UK) has participated in a three-day workshop on ‘Sectoral Oversight Committees for Members of Parliament’. The workshop, which ran from 15 to 17 February, was attended by many Sri Lankan MPs and parliamentary officials. 

British Members of Parliament Fiona Mactaggart, Richard Bacon and Julie Elliott, representing the Conservative and Labour Parties, worked together with Sri Lankan Parliamentarians to support Parliament’s aim of creating a strong, independent oversight committee system.  

At a reception hosted by the British High Commission, MP Fiona Mactaggart said: “We have learnt that there is a hunger for effective democracy in this country that has so recently dealt with bitter conflict. There is ambition to create a stable democracy, which allows those elected to Parliament to properly represent those who elected them. These sectoral oversight committees will enable Parliamentarians to work better for their constituents. Oversight committees will allow Members to use the authority that their election as MPs confers on them to help ensure that democracy thrives and government is held properly accountable.” 

High Commissioner to Sri Lanka James Dauris said: “The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK’s visit is a reflection of the important and long standing Parliamentary relations that our two Parliaments enjoy. CPA’s work in Sri Lanka is a demonstration of the UK’s commitment to working with Sri Lanka’s Parliament and Sri Lankan parliamentarians in their efforts to strengthen its institutions and foster stronger democracy.”

This project forms part of CPA UK’s and Westminster Foundation for Democracy’s Parliamentary Partnership Programme (PPP) with the Parliament of Sri Lanka, and was funded from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy.