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HDP Newsletter July 2022

July 1, 2022

July 2022

The House Democracy Partnership (HDP) is pleased to share the Commission's highlights in our mid-year 2022 newsletter. The Commission remains a valuable bipartisan tool that deepens bilateral relations and allows members of Congress and staff to work with their counterparts globally.
HDP continues to leverage virtual tools and platforms to conduct a variety of engagements and programs abroad given the ongoing challenges of the pandemic. As vaccinations become more widespread, HDP was able to resume some of its in-person activities with our partner legislators. We are excited to highlight some of our key events from the last six months that took place both virtually and in person, including two recent CODELs and a parliamentary gathering in advance of the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. Please find more information on these and other activities below.

SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS
HDP hosted a parliamentary gathering in advance of the 9th Summit of the Americas titled “Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future” from June 6-7, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. This event historically marked the first time the United States hosted the summit since its inaugural meeting in Miami in 1994. With nearly 60 MPs representing 21 countries across the hemisphere, the gathering addressed critical topics such as building consensus to support inclusive democratic engagement, improving green energy commitments, strengthening democratic resilience, applying democratic principles to address health crises, and enhancing women’s inclusion in parliament. The development of solutions to address such challenges relies on the actions of strong, independent legislatures. The event included discussions addressing the need for legislatures to collaborate with civil society, youth, and businesses to achieve their socioeconomic and political goals.

EASTERN CARIBBEAN SUMMIT
An HDP delegation led by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL) traveled to Barbados from April 21-25, 2022, to conduct meetings with government leaders including the Prime Minister and her Cabinet, members of parliament (MPs), and other government stakeholders.  The delegation also hosted an in-person one-day Summit with MPs from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to discuss several important and timely issues affecting the region, such as the growing influence of China in geopolitical affairs, the functionality of these Parliaments during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of climate change on the region, and the role of the U.S. in assisting with natural disaster recovery.  The CODEL also conducted a constituency tour in downtown Bridgetown, an area disproportionately affected by the pandemic and climate change, and also participated in a RT hosted by the Women in Politics Leadership Institute with nine Barbadian participants who joined in person and 44 participants from across the Eastern Caribbean who joined virtually.

ECUADOR AND COLOMBIA CODEL
Led by Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL) and attended by Reps. Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Terri Sewell (D-AL), an HDP CODEL traveled to Ecuador and Colombia from April 8-14, 2022. Discussions with country representatives focused on the evolving security situations of the two countries, opportunities for future parliamentary engagement, and the impact of American support. In Ecuador, the CODEL met with President Lasso and several Ministers at the Presidential Palace, as well as MPs and the President of the National Assembly. The delegation visited the Ecuadorian National Police Anti-Narcotics Canine Unit, critical to Ecuador’s anti-narcotics efforts. The delegation also met with migrants and micro-entrepreneurs from Venezuela and Colombia.  The delegation visited the National Police headquarters and participated in a RT discussion with members of Colombia’s Congress on the challenges facing democracy in Colombia and the region and the future of U.S.-Colombia relations, with a focus on building U.S.-Colombia legislative ties. The delegation also met with leaders from Colombia’s Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities and a Temporary Protective Status Registration Site for Venezuelans in Colombia.

SELECT RECENT PROGRAMS

JANUARY: HDP convened a program with experts from the Congressional Research Service and the General Director and Head of Research Services of the Iraqi Parliamentary Research Directorate. This exchange allowed representatives from both organizations to compare experiences, identify goals for forthcoming in-person exchanges, and provide guidance on both the content and structure of the Iraqi Parliament research services. HDP also held a Member briefing on the escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

MARCH:As part of HDP’s continued engagement with the Kenyan Parliamentary Research Services (PRS), HDP held a virtual technical assistance consultancy with staff from the PRS featuring two experts from the U.S. Congressional Research Service and 22 researchers from Kenya. The discussion focused on technical report writing, research techniques, and ways to improve relations between the research services and MPs.

APRIL: Following up on HDP's previous work with the Kenyan PRS, HDP organized a workshop with the Kenyan National Assembly in Nairobi.  Over the course of three days, HDP hosted more than 40 National Assembly staff along with U.S. House of Representatives staff to discuss best practices of responsive citizen engagement and citizen-centered legislative drafting to protect human rights.


MAY: HDP hosted an inbound exchange to DC with senior staff of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo to discuss efforts that would strengthen robust ethics frameworks. The delegation was composed of seven staff members, including the Secretary-General, Speaker’s Chief of Staff, and Directors for Legal & Procedural Affairs, Administration, Research, Library, & Archive, Media & Public Relations, and CSO & Donor Coordination.

J
UNE: In response to a direct request from Colombia's President of the House of Representatives, HDP organized a program focused on improving the digital services and operations of the Colombian House of Representatives.  Several U.S. Congressional staff from the Modernization Committee and the Chief Administrative Officer's office, along with the head of IT from the Chilean Chamber of Deputies assisted their counterparts in Bogota on a variety of topics covering digital services, congressional modernization, and citizen/user-centered design.

JULY: HDP recently completed a STAFFDEL to East Asia to meet with stakeholders in Seoul, South Korea (ROK), and our longstanding partner legislature in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. In Seoul, the delegation met with senior parliamentary staff at The National Assembly of The Republic of Korea, Ministry of Unification, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea, as well as civic actors. These meetings primarily explored opportunities for U.S./ROK collaboration in sharing best practices for legislative governance, but also affirmed our shared commitment to increased partnership in Asia and beyond.  In Mongolia, the delegation met with Government officials and participated in an HDP program that brought U.S. Congressional Research Service experts to Ulaanbaatar to work with their counterparts in the Parliamentary Research & Training Institute, the CRS equivalent in the State Great Hural (Mongolia’s parliament). The timing in Mongolia was auspicious as the date marked 35 years of U.S.-Mongolia bilateral relations.