In partnership with the Parliamentary Institute of Cambodia, the workshop for fellows from across South East Asia focused on international law
Coordinated by the Parliamentary Institute of Cambodia, the second Regional Fellowship Programme on Parliamentary Diplomacy (RFPPD) aims to strengthen the capacity of parliamentary staff from across the Asia region in their work relating to parliamentary diplomacy. A total of eighteen fellows from the Parliaments of Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, and the Philippines are participating in this year’s programme, which has been adapted to an online format in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Since April, fellows have undertaken online courses on, inter alia, parliamentary diplomacy, geopolitics and international relations, conflict analysis, and international law. The Foundation implemented the session on international law from 13 to 17 July 2020 through videos, quizzes, and the provision of a tailored manual, which addressed political principles and the state from an international law perspective, and introduced the participants to international law, as well as its sources. Finally, the fellows considered international environmental law and specifically climate change as an area of focus on the programme.
The international law session concluded with a live video conference where the fellows applied the knowledge and diplomacy skills that they have gained to negotiate a draft resolution on climate change, facilitated by the Foundation’s research fellows. The discussions between the fellows involved lively negotiations and resulted in a final draft text, which the participants then adopted after a vote.
The 2020 RFPPD programme is the second intake of fellows from across Southeast Asia facilitated by the Parliamentary Institute of Cambodia and its partners, including the Foundation. The programme is divided into three stages, including online and face-to-face blended learning and a simulation exercise, which will be concluded in July 2020.