OTTAWA, Canada – Jamaica’s Speaker of the House of Representatives, Juliet Holness, is currently carrying out an official working visit to Canada, where she is taking part in two key regional parliamentary gatherings hosted in the nation’s capital: the 22nd ParlAmericas Plenary Assembly and the 10th Gathering of the Open Parliament Network. The five-day events, running from May 18 to 22, are convened under the central theme “Parliamentary Leadership for Shared Prosperity: Advancing Trade, Innovation, and Security in a Changing World”.
This year’s gatherings have drawn hundreds of parliamentary leaders and elected delegates from every corner of the Americas, creating a collaborative space to address pressing cross-cutting issues ranging from inclusive regional development to the reinforcement of democratic governance across the hemisphere. Holness is joined on the trip by Colleen Lowe, Clerk to the Houses of Jamaica, who will support her engagement throughout the scheduled activities.
Over the course of the assembly, Holness is set to contribute to a full slate of high-level dialogues and structured parliamentary discussions. Key topics on her agenda include expanding hemispheric and regional trade integration, advancing open parliament transparency initiatives, progressing toward United Nations-led sustainable development goals, boosting youth inclusion in political processes, and shoring up the institutional foundations of democratic governance across the region.
Beyond her forum participation, Holness has a scheduled formal courtesy call with Francis Scarpaleggia, the Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada. During that bilateral meeting, the two legislative leaders will focus their talks on deepening existing parliamentary cooperation ties between the governments of Jamaica and Canada, exploring new areas for mutual collaboration.
In prepared remarks ahead of the conference, Holness emphasized Jamaica’s long-standing dedication to strengthening democratic governance at home and expanding collaborative partnerships across the Americas. “Jamaica’s participation in the ParlAmericas Assembly reflects our continued commitment to strengthening democratic governance and advancing regional cooperation,” she said. “These discussions are especially important as we work collectively to address shared challenges and build resilient and sustainable societies.”
Following the conclusion of all scheduled events in Ottawa, Holness is projected to return to her home jurisdiction in Jamaica on May 24, 2026.