The Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa

In the Austrian context the AWEPA section is embedded into a larger project executed in the Austrian Parliament. The project is called North-South Dialogue of Parliaments and aims to strengthen political and societal support for development politics and international co-operation on national and bi-lateral levels. It is based on three main pillars:

• Informing parliamentarians and personnel of the Austrian Parliament about relevant and current topics and trends regarding development politics and development co-operation through the website, regularly issued print and electronic newsletters and events in the parliament
• Strengthening of the AWEPA section within the Austrian Parliament
• Building a parliamentarian partnership, particularly a political and technical co-operation between the parliaments of Austria and Mozambique

More information about the North-South Dialogue of Parliaments can be found on the project website: www.nordsued-dialog.org

Activities

Within the framework of the “North-South Dialogue of Parliaments” various events were organised in cooperation with AWEPA and supported by numerous AWEPA-members:

Seminar: “The New Aid Architecture: Parliamentary Action to Ensure Aid Effectiveness”, 24^th June 2010, Austrian Parliament/Vienna Event Report and Pictures

Seminar: “Getting Involved – The Role of Parliamentarians in Ensuring Aid Effectiveness”, 24^th June 2009, Austrian Parliament/Vienna Event Report and Pictures

Seminar: “HIV/AIDS and Vulnerable Children - A Call for Parliamentary Action”, 21^st November 2008, Palais Epstein/Vienna
Event Report and Pictures

General Assembly of the Austrian AWEPA Section, 21st November 2006, Austrian Parliament/Vienna
Representatives of the Austrian AWEPA Section assembled for their first Members Meeting chaired by the President of the National Council, Hon. Barbara Prammer. A new head and new deputies for the Section were elected during the General Assembly. President Barbara Prammer succeeded the previous head, former National Council MP Inge Jäger. President Prammer chose 2nd National Council President Hon. Michael Spindelegger and 3rd National Council President Hon. Eva Glawischnig-Piesczek to be her deputies. Detailed report and pictures

General Assembly of the Austrian AWEPA Section, 4th June 2009, Austrian Parliament/Vienna
The meeting was chaired by the head of the Austrian AWEPA Section, president of the National Council, Hon. Barbara Prammer. In addition to the president and other parliamentarians of the Austrian Parliament, two staff members of the partner parliament of Mozambique participated in the meeting. Dr. João Nabote Chuaio and Domingos Simba Nguele then attended a two-week staff training organised by the North-South-Dialogue of Parliaments. President Barbara Prammer was again elected as head of the Austrian AWEPA Section, her deputies being the Second President of the National Assembly, Hon. Fritz Neugebauer, and Hon. Eva Glawischnig.  Detailed report and pictures

General Assembly of the Austrian AWEPA Section, 23rd June 2010, Austrian Parliament/Vienna
Speaker of the National Assembly of Austria, Hon. Barbara Prammer welcomed Minister of State and AWEPA President Ms. Miet Smet to the third general assembly of the Austrian AWEPA Section together with Members of Parliament from Austria and a parliamentary delegation from Mozambique. Ms. Smet introduced herself as the new President of AWEPA and briefed the members on AWEPA’s mission for the future and the focus areas of AWEPA. She also emphasised the importance of the support provided by the sections to AWEPA’s work and programmes. Several Austrian MPs reported about their activities such as Hon. Wolfgang Pirklhuber who briefed the members on his participation in a delegation visit to Burkina Faso with 15 different nationalities represented, organised by the Parliamentarian Network on the World Bank (PNoWB).  Detailed Report and Pictures