‘Climate change, water scarcity deeply interconnected issues’

ISLAMABAD: The Special Secretary of the Senate, Hafeezullah Sheikh, said that climate change, food security, water scarcity, and energy transitions are multidimensional, deeply interconnected issues and not confined to a single policy domain or ministry.

He expressed these views Wednesday at the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments’ (ASGP) Autumn Session which is being held in Geneva, Switzerland. The theme of the sessions is “Managing Conflicting Competencies Between Parliamentary Committees”.

ASGP is a consultative body of the IPU. Highlighting the causes, Hafeezullah informed the participants that overlapping mandates, ambiguous rules and the evolving nature of challenges create complexity.

He said that parliamentary committees are often structured according to ministries, meaning that challenges crossing several domains tend to create overlaps and as a result, conflicting competencies arise, with committees duplicating efforts or offering contradictory solutions.

The Challenge of Conflicting Competencies, he emphasized, is real and that conflicting competencies among parliamentary committees often arise due to overlapping mandates, ambiguous rules, and political dynamics.

He stressed the need to address this growing challenge and adopt a range of strategies to enhance coordination among committees. He observed that one of the most effective ways to manage conflicting competencies is ensuring that each parliamentary committee has a clearly defined mandate and specific areas of jurisdiction.

The Senate Rules of Procedure, he explained, explicitly outline committee jurisdictions and requires special permission from the Chairman Senate in cases of overlap. “This minimizes the likelihood of conflict and helps to maintain clarity regarding which committee is responsible for,” he noted.

The Senate, he said, has established a formal coordination mechanism, and the Council of Committee Chairmen, a forum comprising the heads of standing and functional committees, plays a key role in resolving jurisdictional disputes and promoting coordination across committees.

He said that in the face of complex, interconnected issues, parliaments may consider grouping related committees into clusters. He also highlighted the significance of regular reviews, capacity building and training.

Pakistan’s Parliament, especially the Senate, he continued, has implemented several mechanisms to streamline committee functions and prevent overlaps. Joint committees of the Parliament, Parliamentary Caucuses, Women Parliamentary Caucus and Committee of the Whole House are some of the solutions to address the challenge.

He suggested improving communication, strengthening Rules of Procedure, and enhancing collaboration through Joint Committees and Clusters to help parliaments handle overlapping situations and work more cohesively. He also called for a multi-disciplinary, collaborative approach and better coordination to ensure more efficient parliamentary functioning.

“By working together, we can overcome these challenges and create a more robust, coordinated parliamentary system,” he concluded.