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President’s Message

Dear Colleagues,

2023 was a difficult year for the causes of democracy, human rights, peace, justice and equality – the very issues that inspire me and my peer-parliamentarians in 150 countries to engage with Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA). These challenges, and the ones that we will face in 2024 – when over 4 billion people go to the polls in the biggest election year in history – make our involvement with PGA even more critical.

Congratulations to the PGA members, Secretariat and experts who contributed to a successful 44^th Annual Parliamentary Forum hosted by the National Assembly of Seychelles on a virtual platform. Next year, I look forward to seeing you in person at PGA’s 45^th Annual Parliamentary Forum/13^th Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians for the International Criminal Court (CAP-ICC).

The spirit of collective action that characterizes PGA is more important today than ever. Rebecca Hubbard, Executive Director of the High Seas Alliance, remarked in our Annual Forum that she believed the High Seas Treaty was approved by UN Member States this year primarily as a sign of commitment and hope for the future of multilateral cooperation.

In this challenging time, I am inspired by our members and their ownership of the organization’s strategic priorities. This essential feature is maintained and safeguarded by the democratic governance and working methods of PGA. Our global network of parliamentarians acting in their individual capacity is supported by PGA National Groups in parliaments.

In response to the lessons learned from the wisdom of our member-parliamentarians and partners, we have made significant strides in the second year of implementation of our 3-year strategy for 2022-2024, focusing on empowering and mobilizing legislators as champions for human rights, democracy and a sustainable world.