Canadian Parliament hosts Commonwealth Parliamentarians for CPA Executive Committee meetings

The Parliament of Canada and CPA Canada Federal Branch has hosted over 30 Commonwealth Speakers and Members of Parliament for the Mid-Year meetings of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) from 11 to 15 April 2019. Members of Parliament representing the nine regions of the CPA – Africa; Asia; Australia; British Islands & Mediterranean; Canada; Caribbean, Americas & Atlantic; India; Pacific; and South East Asia – attended the CPA Executive Committee, the governing body of the Association. The CPA meetings enable Commonwealth Parliamentarians to reach beyond their own Parliaments to contribute in a global setting to the development of best parliamentary practices and the most effective policies for parliamentary strengthening.

The CPA Executive Committee meetings took place at the Wellington Building at the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The CPA Canada Federal Branch’s hosting of the CPA International Executive Committee demonstrates its commitment to parliamentary democracy and the work of the CPA as an active Branch. The Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, Hon. Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, MP, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Cameroon chaired the meetings in Ottawa, Canada and said: “I would like, on behalf of Members of the CPA International Executive Committee, to thank the Parliament of Canada and the CPA Canada Federal Branch for hosting this meeting in Ottawa and for their unwavering support to the CPA.”

Members of the CPA Executive Committee were welcomed to the Parliament of Canada by Hon. Yasmin Ratansi, MP, Chair of the CPA Canada Federal Branch. A meeting of the CPA Regional Secretaries also took place at the Parliament of Canada.

The CPA President Designate, Rt Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, MP, Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda was represented by Hon. Jalia Ngozi Bintu Lukumu Abwooli, MP and Hon. Elijah Okupa, MP from Uganda who gave Members an update on the preparations for the 64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference which will be hosted by the CPA Uganda Branch and the Parliament of Uganda from 22 to 29 September 2019 in Kampala on the conference theme of: ‘Adaptation, engagement, and evolution of Parliaments in a rapidly changing Commonwealth’.

The CPA Vice-Chairperson, Hon. Alexandra Mendes, MP (Canada Federal); the CPA Treasurer, Mrs Vicki Dunne, MLA, Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory; the CPA Small Branches Chairperson, Hon. Anġlu Farrugia MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Malta; and the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Chairperson, Hon. Dr Dato’ Noraini Ahmad, MP (Malaysia) also attended the meetings along with the CPA Secretary-General, Mr Akbar Khan and staff from the CPA Headquarters Secretariat.

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