MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –
Source: Canton of Neuchatel Switzerland
09/23/2024
On the occasion of the 61st annual meeting of the offices of the parliaments of French-speaking Switzerland, Bern and Ticino, delegations bringing together around seventy people were received in Neuchâtel on 20 and 21 September 2024 for a reception, visits and a working seminar. The discussions focused in particular on the theme of artificial intelligence and its impact on parliamentary activity.
As a reminder, the offices constitute the executive committees of the parliaments. Bringing together representatives of the different political groups as well as the functions of presidency and vice-presidency, these bodies ensure the administrative management of the Grand Councils as well as various missions set by law such as the allocation of objects to the committees, the setting of the agenda of the sessions, or the representations.
Every year, the offices of the Latin cantons meet for two days. This year, it was the turn of the Neuchâtel parliament to host the event. On Friday, September 20, the delegations were received at a friendly reception in the city of Neuchâtel during which Neuchâtel’s heritage and local products were honored. On this occasion, Mr. Jonathan Gretillat, municipal councilor, sent a message on behalf of the municipal authorities. On Saturday, September 21, the participants were received at the Château de Neuchâtel by the President of the Grand Council, Ms. Mary-Claude Fallet, and by the President of the Council of State, Ms. Florence Nater. With the contribution of experts in the field, the parliamentarians discussed the impact of artificial intelligence on parliamentary activity.
The President of the Grand Council of Neuchâtel noted in her introduction to what extent “parliaments, pillars of democracy, are faced with immense challenges in the face of rapid technological developments”, while exploring existing solutions to assert “their role as regulatory bodies, capable of protecting citizens while promoting positive and democratic innovation”. The way in which AI could facilitate parliamentary work by automating certain administrative tasks, synthesizing information or allowing better promotion of parliamentary debates among citizens was also discussed.
As in previous editions, this visit allowed for rich and useful exchanges on the practices and realities of cantonal parliaments, in a fine spirit of intercantonal understanding.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.