Im Rahmen des Projekts "Parlamentarischer Nord-Süd Dialog" werden im Laufe des Jahres 2012 mehrere Aktivitäten zur Stärkung der Kapazitäten des mosambikanischen Parlaments stattfinden. ExpertInnen aus dem österreichischen Parlament werden in Maputo thematische Trainings und Workshops für Abgeordnete und MitarbeiterInnen des mosambikanischen Parlaments in den Bereichen IT und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit sowie für den Petitions-ausschuss abhalten.

Um die Inhalte und den Ablauf der Trainings zu konkretisieren und diese gemäß den Vorstellungen und Bedürfnissen des mosambikanischen Parlaments auszurichten, besuchten Hon. José Katuphá, Spokesperson des Ständigen Ausschuss im mosambikanischen Parlament, gemeinsam mit Parlamentsmitarbeiter Herr Luis Dava, für vier Tage das österreichische Parlament.

Expert Meetings with MPs from Mozambique and Bhutan

Between the 22nd and 24th of June 2010 and the 12th and 16th of July 2010 Expert Meetings for three Mozambican respectively two Bhutanese MPs took place within the framework of the Parliamentarian North-South Dialogue Project. The Expert Meetings aimed to enhance an exchange of knowledge and experiences in order to support the MPs in the consolidation of their respective parliamentary systems. In this context the Expert Meetings focused on the structure and processes of parliamentary departments and caucuses as well as on the organisation of the administrative and political work at the Austrian Parliament.

The delegation from Mozambique consisted of Hon. Viana Magalhães, Vice-President of the Mozambican Parliament, Hon. Lucinda Malema and Hon. Rui Conzane, who lives in Bonn and represents Mozambicans living in Europe. They met for discussions, inter alia, with members of the caucus for work and social affairs and the caucus for petitions and citizens’ initiatives. The two MPs from the world’s youngest democracy Buthan, Hon. Sonam Penjore and Hon. Namgay Wangchuk, had a particular interest in the origin and the provisions of the Austrian constitution, the Austrian system of government, the financing of political parties and the parliamentary control of the budget process. During their stay in Austria both delegations had an official meeting with the President of the Austrian National Council, Hon. Barbara Prammer.

Visit of a Mozambican Parliamentary Delegation to Austria

From the 23rd to the 26th of June 2009 a parliamentary delegation of the project’s partner parliament of Mozambique visited the Austrian Parliament. At the first day of their visit the MPs Hon. Virginia Videira, chairwomen of the budgetary caucus, Hon. Abel Mabunda, Hon. Angela Maria Manjate and Ms. Manuesse Mocumbi of the International Department met with the president of the Austrian Parliament, Barbara Prammer, to discuss project activities and next steps within the project cycle. The partnership between the two parliaments was characterised as beneficial to both sides, whereby the training of personnel of the Mozambican Parliament was highlighted as particularly successful.

A meeting with delegates of the development sub-caucus of the Austrian Parliament and with representatives of the Austrian Development Agency were further items on the agenda of the delegation’s four-day visit. They also attended the seminar “Getting involved – Parliamentarians as stakeholders of an effective development co-operation”, held on the 24th of June in the Austrian Parliament, in which Hon. Videira gave a speech on the structure of development co-operation in Mozambique. Lastly, the delegates visited the “Demokratiewerkstatt”, a project of the Austrian Parliament with the aim to give children and adolescents an understanding of what democracy is and how it functions.

Visit of an Austrian Parliamentary Delegation to Mozambique

As part of a series of biennial trips by a delegation of development policy spokespersons to a country singled out by Austrian Development Cooperation (EZA), MPs Petra Bayr (Social Democratic Party), and Franz Glaser (People's Party) Gabriele Moser (Green Party), Sigisbert Dolinschek (Alliance for the Future of Austria) and Reinhard Bosch (Freedom Party) visited Mozambique in October 2007. Mozambique was chosen because building a partnership between the Austrian and Mozambican parliaments is one of the key themes of the project Parliamentary North-South Dialogue. By means of their visit the delegates aimed, on the one hand, to gain an insight into the living conditions of the Mozambican population and, on the other, to establish initial personal contacts with their colleagues in the local parliament. They were accompanied by representatives of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Austrian Development Agency, journalists, members of the project advisory committee, and project staff.

Despite a positive development over the past years, Mozambique remains one of the poorest countries worldwide. At present a sustainable reduction of widespread poverty necessitated the support of the international donor community. More than 50 % of the national budget is donor money from 19 international institutions and countries. Austria started to use the instrument of budget support in 2005.

The delegation visited various development projects financed by the Austrian development co-operation OEZA, attended the opening of a school in Marromeu financed by the OEZA, and met the ambassador of the European Commission, Glauco Calzuola, the minister of health, Hon. Paulo Ivo Garrido, as well as the president of the national assembly, Hon. Joaquim Mulémbwè, and several MPs of the Mozambican Parliament to discuss issues of concern and interest to members of both partner parliaments.

Through the visits and discussions the Austrian MPs gained an extensive insight into the developmental challenges of Mozambique, which certainly will help in building a strong partnership that profits the Mozambican population.