Lord Tu’ivakano, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga attended an International Parliamentary Conference on National Security in Westminster, on March 27-31.

The aim of the meeting was to advocate for the involvement of legislators in the national security discussions while broadening the knowledge of parliamentarians on the key threats and challenges to national security and stability and explore how they may be effectively mitigated.

The meeting explored the mechanisms that parliamentarians may use to influence and hold governments, international security organizations and private organizations to account.

In addition, the conference also examined and strengthened the relationship between governments, parliaments, civil society, the private sector, the media and international and regional bodies, with the aim of building effective national security.

The outcome is to collaborate with leading global organizations and experts in the development of an International Parliamentary Conference on National Security, which led to the establishment of an international community of good practice by April this year.

Held under a theme, the Role of Parliamentarians in securing the state and its citizens from countering extremism to cyber security, the conference was part of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Cyber security and Cybercrime Project.

Lord Tu'ivakano was accompanied by Gloria Pole’o the Clerk of the House, said Parliament office in Nuku'alofa.