In today’s complex world, the blurred lines between domestic and foreign policy regularly draw Canadian parliamentarians onto the world stage. Increasingly, they speak directly with their international counterparts on issues of global and national importance.
In Canada, diplomatic engagement has been a long-standing dimension of parliamentary activities, generally with three goals in mind:
- exchanging ideas and best practices;
- helping to inform collective policy and action; and
- promoting democratic values and Canadian interests
Parliamentary Diplomacy in Action
The Speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons, senators and members of the House of Commons, and clerks of both chambers represent the Parliament of Canada internationally in many ways. For example, they may:
- lead or participate in visits to foreign countries;
- welcome foreign parliamentary delegations, heads of state or government, ministers and other officials to Parliament;
- participate in meetings and activities of interparliamentary organizations; and
- take part in parliamentary committee studies having international dimensions and carry out fact-finding missions abroad as part of those
Due largely to the nature and function of their offices, both Speakers are prominent in the conduct of parliamentary diplomacy. In this context, they participate in international gatherings of Speakers, such as the G7 Parliamentary Speakers’ Meeting, the G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit, the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament and the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth.
For their part, clerks engage with their international counterparts at meetings of the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments.
Parliamentary Associations and Interparliamentary Groups
Parliamentary associations and interparliamentary groups offer Canadian parliamentarians from both chambers opportunities to meet and engage with their international counterparts on a range of topics (see Table 1). These associations and groups can be bilateral – concentrated on the relationship with one other country – or multilateral – focused on the activities of an interparliamentary institution or the engagement of countries on a regional basis.
Canadian Leadership in Parliamentary Diplomacy
In Canada, Parliament’s international engagement predates the establishment of a federal department dedicated to foreign affairs. In 1911, Canada’s Parliament helped found the precursor to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and since 1912, Canada has been a member of the oldest and largest interparliamentary assembly, the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
Since 2001, Canada has been home to the international secretariat of ParlAmericas. In 2010, Parliament initiated and hosted the inaugural G20 Speakers’ Consultations.
Canadian senators and members of the House of Commons are regularly elected or appointed to executive positions in interparliamentary bodies, serving as presiding officers, rapporteurs or special representatives, for instance.
They also have a strong record at interparliamentary meetings of proposing resolutions and seeking consensus on various policy issues. Recent topics considered include artificial intelligence, cybercrime, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, gender-based violence, green energy transition, women’s economic empowerment, food security and conflict, and disinformation.
Canadian parliamentarians sometimes observe presidential and legislative elections in foreign countries, including in Kyrgyzstan (2009), Azerbaijan (2010), Moldova (2014), Ukraine (2014 and 2019) and the United States (2016 and 2024).
Parliament Welcomes the World
Over the years, Canada’s Parliament has hosted numerous interparliamentary seminars and conferences, drawing foreign legislators to communities across Canada. For example, ParlAmericas held an assembly in Ottawa in 2009, the 127th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union took place in 2012 in the city of Québec and the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum met in 2016 in Vancouver.
More recently, Parliament hosted meetings in 2022 of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in Halifax and in 2023 of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly in Vancouver. In 2024, three interparliamentary events took place in Canada: a meeting of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region in Happy Valley–Goose Bay, the 70th annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Montréal, and the 49th session of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, also in Montréal.
Foreign parliamentary delegations, led by heads of state or government, ministers as well as presiding officers, frequently visit Parliament. For instance, over the last several years, the Speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons received visitors from the following countries: Brazil, Estonia, Finland, France, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Namibia, Pakistan, South Korea, Tunisia, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
In addition, Parliament organizes a Parliamentary Officers’ Study Program, which provides senior parliamentary personnel from around the world with an opportunity to exchange views and best practices on procedural, administrative and research services.
Benefits of Parliamentary Diplomacy
Parliamentary diplomacy offers opportunities for legislators to share insights and best practices on how to address issues that, in a globalized and more complex world, cannot be understood or advanced solely through a national or intergovernmental lens. Among these issues are human rights, governance, security, global trade and prosperity, the environment and health.
By building relationships at individual and institutional levels, parliamentary diplomacy also serves to strengthen cooperation and ties between and among countries. Such relationships can offer ready avenues for managing crises, either bilaterally or multilaterally, as they arise.
Moreover, because delegations typically comprise individuals representing various groups and political parties from both the Senate and the House of Commons, parliamentary diplomacy provides opportunities for non-partisan collaboration on international issues.
Finally, by expanding contacts and opening new channels for dialogue, parliamentary diplomacy links the Parliament of Canada – and those who represent Canada’s peoples and communities – with the world. It deepens diplomatic relations, builds understanding, empowers Canadian parliamentarians to make better informed decisions affecting their constituents, and raises Canada’s profile on the international stage.
Table 1 – Official Parliamentary Associations and Interparliamentary Groups
| Multilateral Parliamentary Associations | Bilateral Parliamentary Associations | Interparliamentary Groups |
|---|---|---|
| Canada–Africa Parliamentary Association
Canada–Europe Parliamentary Association*
Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association Canadian Section of ParlAmericas |
Canada–China Legislative Association
Canada–France Inter‑Parliamentary Association Canada–Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group Canada–United Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Association Canada–United States Inter-Parliamentary Group |
Canada–Germany Interparliamentary Group
Canada–Ireland Interparliamentary Group Canada–Israel Interparliamentary Group Canada–Italy Interparliamentary Group |
*Note: The Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region is an entity of the Canada–Europe Parliamentary Association.
Sources: Parliamentary Diplomacy Canada, Parliamentary Associations; and Parliamentary Diplomacy Canada, Interparliamentary Groups.
Additional Resources
Barnett, Laura, and Sebastian Spano. Parliamentary Involvement in Foreign Policy. Publication No. 2008-60-E. Library of Parliament, 28 August 2013.
Bien, Philipp, Meray Maddah, and Thomas Malang. “National legislators in global governance: There’s more going on than you think.” The Loop: ECPR’s Political Science Blog, 2023.
Inter-Parliamentary Union. “Parliaments in the Global Governance System” [translation]. YouTube, 27 November 2020 [in Spanish with English subtitles].
Noulas, George. “The Role of Parliamentary Diplomacy in Foreign Policy.” Foreign Policy Journal, 22 October 2011.
Parliament of Canada, Joint Interparliamentary Council. Parliamentary Associations’ Activities and Expenditures from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, September 2024.
Péjo, Philippe. La diplomatie parlementaire, 2020 [in French].
Schimmelfennig, Frank, et al. The Rise of International Parliaments: Strategic Legitimation in International Organizations, 2021.
Stavridis, Stelios, and Davor Jancic, eds. Parliamentary Diplomacy in European and Global Governance, 2017.
Weisglas, Frans W., and Gonnie de Boer. “Parliamentary Diplomacy.” The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, No. 2, 2007.
By Natalie Mychajlyszyn, Library of Parliament
Categories: Government, Parliament and politics, International affairs and defence