Strengthening Freedom and Democratic Governance: The Role of the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy

September 15, 2011
09:00 am - 12:00 pm

On the occasion of the International Day of Democracy, the newly organized Parliamentary Forum for Democracy (PFD), a diverse coalition of like-minded parliamentarians organized to strengthen democracy and human rights around the world, convened on Capitol Hill to explore current challenges and how the PFD can develop an agenda to address them. The conference was organized by the Embassy of Lithuania (where the Forum’s Secretariat has been established), with assistance from the National Endowment for Democracy, the International Republican Institute, and the National Democratic Institute.

Agenda:

9:00 – 9:30 AM
Parliaments and Democracy: The Challenges Ahead
Opening Remarks
Hon. Emanuelis Zingeris, President, Parliamentary Forum for Democracy
Hon. John A. Boehner, Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives
Hon. Irena Degutiene, Speaker, Lithuanian Parliament
Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives (invited)
Hon. Chimed Saikhanbileg, Head of the Democratic Party Fraction of the Mongolian Parliament and Chairman, Mongolia-US Parliamentary Group
Hon. Howard Berman, U.S. House of Representatives (invited)

9:30-10:30 a.m.
Helping Democracy Succeed: The Role of Parliaments in Assisting Democratic Transitions and Governance
During this time of upheaval and change in many parts of the world, how can the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy provide critical assistance to those actors seeking to bring about democratic transitions and strengthen democratic institutions.

Moderator:
Les Campbell, Senior Associate and Director for the Middle East and North Africa, National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Panelists:
Hon. Jozefina Topalli, Speaker, Parliament of Albania
Hon. Dan Burton, U.S. House of Representatives
Hon. Asiia Sasykbaeva, Vice-Speaker, Parliament of Kyrgyzstan
Hon. Ken Nnamani, former President, Senate of Nigeria
Hon. Vytautas Landsbergis, Member, European Parliament
Hon. Giorgi Baramidze, Vice Prime Minister, Republic of Georgia
Hon. Mihai Ghimpu, Member, Parliament of Moldova
Hon. Ted Deutsch, U.S. House of Representatives (invited)
Hon. Mark Kirk, U.S. Senate (invited)
Aly Abuzaakouk, Executive Director, Libya Human and Political Development Forum
Hon. Mbarka Bouaida, Chair, Committee on Foreign Affairs, National Defense and Religious Affairs, Parliament of Morocco
Hon. Laura Alonso, National House of Representatives, Argentina
Hon. Adriana Gonzalez Carillo, Senate of Mexico (invited)

10:30-11:30 a.m.
Defending Freedom and Human Rights: The Role of Parliamentarians in Supporting Democracy in Repressive Countries
As the struggle for freedom in repressive countries continues and even intensifies, how can the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy provide political support to threatened democracy activists and advance international norms to defend civil society and human rights?

Moderator:
Carl Gershman, President, National Endowment for Democracy
Panelists:
Hon. Jim McGovern, Co-Chairman, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, U.S. Congress
Hon. Frank Wolf, Co-Chairman, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, U.S. Congress (invited)
Radwan Ziadeh, Founder and Director, Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies
Hon. Irwin Cotler, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Hon. Ana Gomes, Member, European Parliament
Mr. Anatoly Lebedko, Chairman, United Civic Party, Belarus
Mr. Boris Nemtsov, Co-Chairman, People’s Freedom Party, Russia
Hon. Mario Diaz-Balart, U.S. House of Representatives
Hon. Christopher Smith, U.S. House of Representatives (invited)
Hon. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, former U.S. Representative

11:30 -12:00 PM
Conclusion/Next Steps
What are the immediate challenges ahead in building a worldwide network of parliamentarians to advance democracy?

Moderator:
Lorne Craner, President, International Republican Institute
Panelists:
Hon. David Dreier, Chairman, House Democratic Partnership, U.S. Congress
Hon. David Price, Ranking Member, House Democratic Partnership, U.S. Congress (invited)
Hon. Rinchinnyam Amarjargal, former Prime Minister, Mongolia
Hon. Emanuelis Zingeris, President, Parliamentary Forum for Democracy
 

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