Announcement of Treasurer Resignation and Call for Nominations

Dear APLAP Members

It is with much regret that the Association of Parliamentary Librarians of Asia and the Pacific Executive Committee (APLAP-EC) has accepted the resignation of our Treasurer, Nicole Cottrell  (New Zealand Parliamentary Library) effective 31 December 2024. Nicole took up the role of Secretary in August 2021 and moved to the role of Treasurer in early 2022. On behalf of the APLAP membership, the Executive Committee would like to wish Nicole well in her future endeavours and offer our sincere gratitude for her hard work and commitment to our organisation.

As a result of Nicole’s planned departure, the role of APLAP Treasurer will become vacant at the end of this year. This prompts the APLAP Executive Committee to open nominations for this position.

Being involved in the APLAP Executive Committee is a great way to get to know your colleagues from across Asia and the Pacific. Serving on the Executive allows you to help guide the direction of an organisation dedicated to developing the skills and service of its members, and to give back to a profession that we are all invested in.

Who’s eligible?

All employees of parliamentary libraries or research services that hold active membership of the Association of Parliamentary Librarians of Asia and the Pacific are eligible to stand for election.

What you need to know

The Parliamentary Library that takes on responsibility for the Treasurer role must be willing to facilitate the transfer of the APLAP bank account to their country, as well as undertake all the responsibilities of the Treasurer position. If you would like to know more about what this would involve, please contact the current Treasurer to discuss – nicole.cottrell@parliament.govt.nz.  

How do I nominate someone or get nominated?

Nominations can be made in two ways:

• individuals may nominate themselves
• a member may nominate another individual for election, provided the nominee certifies she/he is willing to stand

All nominees must complete the attached form and return it to Florida Tamu (florida.tamu@parliament.gov.sb), Secretary, by Monday 2 December 2024.

What's Next for APLAP?

If no nominations are received, APLAP faces a critical juncture. Without a new treasurer, the organization risks dissolution, as this role is essential for its continued operation. We implore our member countries, particularly those with more flexible banking regulations, to consider stepping up and nominating a qualified candidate.

Would you like to know more?

If you are interested in nominating for election and would like to discuss any aspect of serving on the APLAP Executive Committee, please contact any of our office bearers who are happy to discuss their experiences and answer any questions you might have.

APLAP Executive Committee

Boniface Supa
President
boniface.supa@parliament.gov.sb

Fairlyn Sarga
Vice-President Asia and Acting Secretary
fairlynsarga@gmail.com

Asha Kumar
Vice-President Pacific
asha.kumar@legislature.gov.fj

Nicole Cottrell
Treasurer
nicole.cottrell@parliament.govt.nz 

Australia and democracy in the Pacific Islands

Wednesday 11 September 2024, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm (AEST)
Parliament House Theatre, Parliament House and live streamed

The Pacific is a strongly democratic region. Most Pacific countries have unbroken track records of scheduled elections and peaceful power transfers. Despite this, there are challenges to democratic resilience in the region, including the protection of political rights and civil liberties, issues of electoral integrity, and under-representation of women and marginalised groups.

Australia has asserted the importance of promoting shared democratic values in its foreign policy and invested significantly in democracy in the Pacific. In the Pacific region’s complex and competitive geostrategic environment, democratic norms and practices may increasingly come under pressure.

This seminar will examine how democracy manifests in the region and explore the challenges and opportunities of democracy support.

Book Online

Presenter: 
Dr Kerryn Baker is a political scientist and Fellow in the Department of Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University. Kerryn’s publications include issues on political participation, elections and electoral reform, and women’s political representation. She is the author of Pacific Women in Politics: Gender Quota Campaigns in the Pacific Islands (University of Hawai’i Press, 2019), and the winner of the Carole Pateman Gender and Politics Book Prize, 2021.

This free lecture will be held in the in the Parliament House Theatre, Parliament House. Senators, Members, their staff and the public are welcome to attend in person.

This lecture will also be live streamed and recorded. You can access the live stream on the day at Watch, Read, Listen and the Australian Parliament House Streaming Portal on Youtube.

For further information, or if you have any accessibility requirements, call or email Nicholas Cumming on 02 6277 2610.