67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference
CPC Workshop C: Violence and Abuse of Parliamentarians – Case Studies from the Commonwealth
About the Workshop
CPC Workshop C: Violence and Abuse of Parliamentarians – Case Studies from the Commonwealth
How can Parliaments increase protections for their Members and combat the rise in abuse directed towards Commonwealth Parliamentarians?
Threats to personal security have a substantial impact on the mental and physical well-being of Parliamentarians and their staff. The rise of political polarisation and increased online exposure are two compounding features of contemporary democracies which are often cited as exacerbating instances of violence, abuse and intimidation against public figures.
It has been seen many times how online violence can often extend to physical harm, where the necessary barriers and protections are unfortunately not in place. Similarly, combative and ‘toxic’ styles of debate between opposing Parliamentarians or party representatives is increasingly shown to impact the intensity of public sentiment or reactivity. Again, the extent to which threats and abuse online can impact real lived experiences, especially of those in public-facing roles, is increasingly clear.
If violence, intimidation, discrimination and abuse results in elected representatives not speaking openly or acting freely, then it undermines democracy. It is necessary to consider the vulnerabilities associated with a role in public office, whether they are a candidate or near the end of their career or staff, when approaching the question of safety and security. Vulnerabilities are not fixed and will vary on an individual basis. Therefore, Parliaments of the Commonwealth must be committed to providing robust security measures that can adapt to changing political landscapes, alongside adequate and accessible medical, physical and mental support.
The security and health of elected representatives and their staff is integral to the strength of democratic institutions. This session will explore trends and case studies from around the Commonwealth and will present some of the institutional mechanisms and civil society initiatives being developed to tackle root causes and combat the impacts and effects.
This workshop will take place at 11:00-13:00 on Wednesday 6 November 2024.
Panellists
CPC Workshop C: Violence and Abuse of Parliamentarians – Case Studies from the Commonwealth
Chair: Hon. Bilal Azhar Kiyani, Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
Hon. Dr Moses Wetang'ula, Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya
Rt Hon. Dr Moses M. Wetang'ula, EGH, MP is the 8th Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya. The Speaker began his political career in 1993 when he was nominated to the 7th Parliament (1993-1997).
He served for five cumulative terms between 1993 and 2013 as a Member of the National Assembly representing Sirisia Constituency and as Senator for Bungoma (2013-2022). During his first term as Nominated Member, he served as a member of the Speaker’s Panel, the House Business Committee as well as the Committee on Defense & Foreign Relations. He was also an active Member of the CPA Africa Region Executive Committee.
In the 7th Parliament, he led various reforms to the rules of procedure of the House and was the Leader of Kenya's delegation to the African, Caribbean and Pacific-European Union Joint Assembly.
Internationally, Hon. Moses Wetang'ula seeks to continue building and strengthening parliamentary diplomacy and the long and rich relationship that the Parliament of Kenya has had with key players including the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA); the Pan-African Parliament (PAP); the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU); the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and the OACPS.
Hon. Sharon Hodgson, MP (United Kingdom)
Sharon Hodgson MP was first elected as an MP in 2005. She has taken on many roles in Parliament including on key parliamentary committees, Parliamentary Private Secretary to three different government Ministers, Government Whip, Opposition Whip, and Shadow Ministerial roles (Children and Families 2010-2013; Women and Equalities 2013-2015; Children 2015-2016; Public Health 2016-2020; Veterans 2020-2021). In May 2021, Sharon was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the then Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of HM Opposition and now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer MP.Sharon was nominated in March 2023 by Sir Keir Starmer to the influential position as Chairman of the House of Commons Finance Committee. In this role Sharon oversaw the expenditure on services for the House of Commons and had responsibility for the preparation and scrutiny of the House of Commons budgets. Sharon is currently a member of the House of Commons Commission which is responsible for the administration and services of the House of Commons.
Jennifer Nadel, Co-Director and CEO, Compassion in Politics
Jennifer Nadel is a transformational leader, award-winning journalist, international speaker and bestselling author. She’s also a qualified barrister, political and communications strategist and commentator. Currently, she co-leads the UK think tank, Compassion In Politics and is Director of Compassionate Politics at Stanford University's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.
With over 30 years’ experience working in and around Westminster, Jennifer has advised local and national political campaigns, designed and delivered training for politicians, sat on the National Executive Committee of the Green Party with responsibility for its communications and campaigns strategy and shaped the Party’s second referendum response to Brexit.
In 2018, she stepped away from party politics to co-found the cross-party UK based think tank, Compassion in Politics, which has the active engagement of over 100 MPs from across the political spectrum. It provides the Secretariat for the APPG on Compassionate Politics and its research and policy initiatives are used by Committees and referenced on the floor of the House. Their advice is sought by other governments, politicians and political parties.
In 2022, she set up the US-based Global Compassion Coalition and remains on its Board. She is now the Director of Compassionate Politics at the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education and provides training to politicians and political organisations across the globe. Jennifer is a regular media commentator and hosts parliamentary round tables on compassion.
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Rogier Huizenga, Manager, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Human Rights Programme
Mr Rogier Huizenga has 20 years of experience in handling and promoting solutions to complex political and legal challenges across continents in the areas of human rights and parliamentary democracy.
Since 2011, Mr Huizenga is responsible for shaping and implementing IPU's human rights programme and for ensuring stronger links between IPU's work on sustainable development, peace and human rights. He has taken the lead in enhancing the impact of the IPU's efforts to strengthen the capacity of Parliaments to be "guardians" of human rights. Since 2011, Mr Huizenga has served as Secretary of the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliaments which examines and promotes solutions for individual cases of human rights violations affecting MPs.
Between 2000 and 2011, Mr Huizenga occupied different positions in the IPU’s human rights programme.
Before joining the IPU, Mr Huizenga worked for the International Service for Human Rights and the Association for the Prevention of Torture, two international human rights organizations based in Geneva. He also worked in Bogota (Colombia) for the Colombian Commission of Jurists.
Workshop Recommendation
CPC Workshop C: Violence and Abuse of Parliamentarians – Case Studies from the Commonwealth
The recommendation proposed for endorsement by workshop delegates is as follows:
- Parliaments of the Commonwealth should be committed to providing robust security measures for Members and their staff, adaptable to changing political landscapes, and supplemented by adequate and accessible medical, physical and mental health support.
Workshop Resources
CPC Workshop C: Violence and Abuse of Parliamentarians – Case Studies from the Commonwealth
General Resources
- CPA Standards for Codes of Conduct for MPs and the Parliamentary Workplace
- CPA Mental Health Toolkit for Commonwealth Parliaments
- Inter-Parliamentary Union Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians
- Compassion in Politics, UK
- Interactive Map of the latest cases of MPs in danger (IPU)
- Parliamentary Solidarity: What can you do as a Member of Parliament? (IPU)
The Parliamentarian: Related Articles
- The Parliamentarian 2024 Issue Two: Updated ‘Standards for Codes of Conduct for MPs and the Parliamentary Workplace’ launched by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
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Useful Links
67 CPC
The 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) took place from 3 to 8 November 2024 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.