Summary:
- Kenya’s National Assembly Speaker, Moses Masika Wetang’ula, advocates for continuous empowerment of MPs on environmental issues at the 27th Commonwealth Conference, emphasizing the need for legislation to safeguard heritage, particularly in water-secure nations, and highlighting the discrepancy in cost-bearing for pollution, while the independent CSPOC fosters fairness and knowledge exchange among Commonwealth Parliaments.
Moses Masika Wetang’ula, the Speaker of Kenya’s National Assembly, underscored the necessity of continuously empowering Members of Parliament through workshops, funding, and additional resources to ensure their well-informed engagement with environmental issues.
Speaking at the 27th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) in Munyonyo, Wetang’ula emphasized the importance of legislating in favor of heritage protection, particularly in nations with secure water resources. He stressed the need for a robust legal framework to accomplish this objective.
Wetang’ula highlighted the current discrepancy where those responsible for pollution do not bear the cost, as polluters benefit from carbon credit proceeds. He called for vigilance from Parliaments in addressing this issue.
Established in 1969 and operating on a two-year cycle, CSPOC aims to promote fairness among Speakers and presiding officers of Commonwealth Parliaments. The conference serves as an ideal platform for advancing knowledge and understanding of Parliamentary democracy in its diverse forms, with the goal of developing Parliamentary Institutions.
Furthermore, the conference provides a valuable opportunity for speakers to exchange experiences and share best practices in addressing challenges faced by their legislatures.
It is important to note that CSPOC is an independent group and does not have any formal affiliation with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Commonwealth Secretariat, or the Commonwealth Heads of Government.
