A powerful parliamentary delegation is taking part in the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (68th CPC), which is being hosted by the Barbados Parliament and the CPA Barbados Branch in Bridegetown, Barbados, under the direction of Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin.
The 68th CPC, which got underway on Sunday, October 5th, will discuss a variety of workshop subjects, such as bolstering parliaments to uphold democracy, transforming parliaments through technology and artificial intelligence, analysing the effects of climate change on global health, and fostering confidence in legislatures.
The Commonwealth: A Global Partner is the theme under which it falls.
More than 500 speakers, presiding officers, lawmakers, parliamentary staff, and decision-makers from throughout the Commonwealth are participating in the conference.
The Speaker of the Barbados House of Assembly, Hon. Arthur Holder, MHA, SC; Barbados’ Prime Minister, Hon. Mia Mottley, SC, MP; and CPA President (2024–2025), Senator Hon. Reginald Farley, JP, are hosting it.
Emphasising the importance of the CPA, the association’s secretary general made the point that “This CPA Conference offers the opportunity to bring together MPs and key stakeholders to share and exchange ideas and best practices, reinforcing the fact that we live in an interconnected world and have a shared responsibility to address our common challenges.
The CPA’s annual Conference in Barbados this week offers an important opportunity for Parliamentarians to benefit from mutual learning and the sharing of best practices with colleagues from across the Commonwealth to become more effective Members.”
The CPA’s annual conference provides members with the chance to gain professional development, supportive learning, and the opportunity to share best practices with colleagues from Commonwealth Parliaments, along with the participation of prominent international organisations, in light of the growing emphasis on increased scrutiny of parliamentarians and parliaments.
Other gatherings and conferences held at the CPC consist of:
- 41st CPA Small Branches Conference;
- 9th Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Conference;
- meetings of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network;
- 2025 CPA General Assembly and meetings of the CPA Executive Committee;
- and the 59th Society of Clerks-at-the-Table (SOCATT) meetings.
The roles of CPA Treasurer and CPA Vice-Chairperson, as well as chairpersons of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) and Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) networks, will also be up for election.
In addition, there will be presentations for the 2025 Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards and the third Lifaka Lecture.
Two years ago, the Ghanaian Parliament successfully hosted the 66th CPC in Accra under Speaker Bagbin’s leadership.
The CPA Barbados Branch has hosted the 68th CPC twice before, the first being the 35th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in 1989.
Source: newsthemegh.com