Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

Last updated

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
Logo of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.svg
Logo
Headquarters London
Leaders
 Patron
Vacant
 Chair
Ian Liddell-Grainger
 Secretary-General
Stephen Twigg
Establishment
 Empire Parliamentary Association
1911
 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
1948

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), previously known as the Empire Parliamentary Association, is an organisation which works to support good governance, democracy and human rights.

Contents

In 1989 the patron of the CPA was the Head of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II. The vice-patronship rotates amongst Heads of State and of Government of the Commonwealth nations who host its forthcoming annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference. The Association's supreme authority is the General Assembly, constituted by delegates to the annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference. [1] The business and activities of the CPA are managed by an Executive Committee, which reports to the General Assembly. The CPA's funds are derived from membership fees paid by its branches, as well as from two trust funds and benefactors.

The official publication of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association is The Parliamentarian, the Journal of Commonwealth Parliaments which was first published in January 1920. The organisation administers the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP), a network across the Commonwealth which promotes greater representation for women in Parliament; the CPA Small Branches network, representing parliaments and legislatures with populations below 500,000 people; the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network; and the Commonwealth Youth Parliament, an annual gathering of young people hosted by a Commonwealth Parliament.

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) currently has approximately 180 branches and is divided into nine regions: Africa, Asia, Australia, British Islands and Mediterranean, Canada, Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic, India, Pacific, and South-East Asia. The CPA Headquarters Secretariat is based in London.

History

CPA conference, Isle of Man, October 1984 Pandit Ram Kishore Shukla at 30th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference at The Isle of Man in October 1984.jpg
CPA conference, Isle of Man, October 1984

The CPA was founded as the Empire Parliamentary Association in 1911, with its first branches being Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom, the latter branch administering the Association as a whole. In 1948 the Association changed its name to the current Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and invited all branches to participate in the organisation's administration.

Officers

The office of Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee is held by Ian Liddell-Grainger MP of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since August 2022. He was previously Acting Chairperson from April 2021.

Previous CPA Chairpersons have included: Emilia Monjowa Lifaka MP, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Cameroon (2017-2021); Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Speaker of Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban of Bangladesh (2014–2017), [2] who succeeded Sir Alan Haselhurst MP (2011–2014), formerly Chairman of Ways and Means of the UK Parliament.

The position of CPA Vice-Chairperson is currently held by Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, MP, Majority Leader and Member of the Parliament of Ghana.

Since August 2022, the CPA Treasurer is Anurag Sharma (politician), MP of the Parliament of India.

Since August 2022, the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians is Hon. Dr Zainab Gimba, MP from the House of Representatives (Nigeria). Previous CWP Chairpersons include: Shandana Gulzar Khan, MNA from the National Assembly of Pakistan; Hon. Noraini Ahmad MP, Parliament of Malaysia; Rt Hon. Rebecca Kadaga MP, Parliament of Uganda; Hon. Alix Boyd Knights, House of Assembly of Dominica; Ms Kashmala Tariq, National Assembly of Pakistan; Hon. Lindiwe Maseko, Parliament of South Africa and Gauteng Provincial Legislature.

Since August 2022, the Chairperson for the CPA Small Branches is Joy Burch, MLA, Speaker of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. Previous CPA Small Branches Chairpersons include Niki Rattle, Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands and Hon. Angelo Farrugia, Speaker of the Parliament of Malta.

Since August 2022, the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) is Hon. Laura Kanushu MP from the Parliament of Uganda. Previous CPwD Chairpersons include Hon. Dennitah Ghati HSC from the National Assembly (Kenya) and Hon. Kevin Murphy (Canadian politician), former Speaker of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia.

Secretaries-General

The CPA's 8th Secretary-General is Stephen Twigg. [3] He was appointed in August 2020 for a four-year term. Twigg was elected to the Parliament of the United Kingdom as a Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2005 (Enfield Southgate) and from 2010 to 2019 (Liverpool West Derby). During his parliamentary career, he held several senior positions including chairing the International Development Select Committee, Minister for Schools and a range of Shadow Front Bench roles.

Previous Secretaries-General have been: Karimulla Akbar Khan, UK/Guyanese Lawyer (2016-2019); William F. Shija, former Minister Tanzania Parliament (2007–2014); Denis Marshall, former Minister New Zealand Parliament (2002–2006); Arthur Donahoe, former Speaker Nova Scotia House of Assembly (1993–2001); David Tonkin, former Premier South Australia (1986–1992); Sir Robin Vandervelt from South Africa (1961–1985); Sir Howard d’Egville (1949–1960). [4]

Members

Members of the CPA are listed below. Both national and subnational parliaments are included.

MembersNational and Sub-National Parliaments
Flag of Alderney.svg  Alderney States of Alderney
Flag of Anguilla.svg  Anguilla Parliament of Anguilla
Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg  Antigua and Barbuda
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Flag of the Bahamas.svg  The Bahamas Parliament of the Bahamas
Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh Parliament of Bangladesh
Flag of Barbados.svg  Barbados Parliament of Barbados
Flag of Belize.svg  Belize Parliament of Belize
Flag of Bermuda.svg  Bermuda Parliament of Bermuda
Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana Parliament of Botswana
Flag of the British Virgin Islands.svg  British Virgin Islands House of Assembly of the British Virgin Islands
Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon National Assembly of Cameroon
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Flag of the Cayman Islands.svg  Cayman Islands Parliament of the Cayman Islands
Flag of the Cook Islands.svg  Cook Islands Parliament of the Cook Islands
Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus House of Representatives of Cyprus
Flag of Dominica.svg  Dominica House of Assembly of Dominica
Flag of Eswatini.svg  Eswatini Parliament of Eswatini
Flag of the Falkland Islands.svg  Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands
Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji Parliament of Fiji
Flag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia National Assembly of the Gambia
Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana Parliament of Ghana
Flag of Gibraltar.svg  Gibraltar Gibraltar Parliament
Flag of Grenada.svg  Grenada Parliament of Grenada
Flag of Guernsey.svg  Guernsey States of Guernsey
Flag of Guyana.svg  Guyana National Assembly of Guyana
Flag of India.svg  India
Flag of the Isle of Man.svg  Isle of Man High Court of Tynwald
Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica Parliament of Jamaica
Flag of Jersey.svg  Jersey States of Jersey
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Parliament of Kenya
Flag of Kiribati.svg  Kiribati House of Assembly
Flag of Lesotho.svg  Lesotho Parliament of Lesotho
Flag of Malawi.svg  Malawi Parliament of Malawi
Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia
Flag of Maldives.svg  Maldives People's Majlis
Flag of Malta.svg  Malta Parliament of Malta
Flag of Mauritius.svg  Mauritius Parliament of Mauritius
Flag of Montserrat.svg  Montserrat Legislative Assembly of Montserrat
Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique Parliament of Mozambique
Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia Parliament of Namibia
Flag of Nauru.svg  Nauru Parliament of Nauru
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand Parliament of New Zealand
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria
Flag of Niue.svg  Niue Niue Assembly
Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan
Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea
Flag of Rwanda.svg  Rwanda Parliament of Rwanda
Flag of Saint Helena.svg  Saint Helena Legislative Council of Saint Helena
Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg  Saint Kitts and Nevis. Also known as Saint Christopher and Nevis.
Flag of Saint Lucia.svg  Saint Lucia Parliament of Saint Lucia
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines House of Assembly of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa Legislative Assembly of Samoa
Flag of Seychelles.svg  Seychelles Parliament of Seychelles
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone Parliament of Sierra Leone
Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore Parliament of Singapore
Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg  Solomon Islands National Parliament of the Solomon Islands
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka Parliament of Sri Lanka
Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania
Flag of Tonga.svg  Tonga Legislative Assembly of Tonga
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago
Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands.svg  Turks and Caicos Islands Turks and Caicos Islands House of Assembly
Flag of Tuvalu.svg  Tuvalu Parliament of Tuvalu
Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda Parliament of Uganda
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of Vanuatu.svg  Vanuatu Parliament of Vanuatu
Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia Parliament of Zambia

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References

  1. wikinewsindia.com Archived 2015-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "CPA Chair at www.cpahq.org". Archived from the original on 2015-09-25. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  3. "Secretary-General Biography". Archived from the original on 2016-10-27.
  4. npg.org.uk

Notes