The Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, at the head of a high-powered parliamentary delegation, is participating in the ongoing 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (68th CPC) hosted by the Parliament of Barbados and the CPA Barbados Branch in Bridgetown, Barbados.
The 68th CPC, which commenced on Sunday, will deliberate on a wide range of workshop topics including strengthening Parliaments to support democracy, leveraging technology and AI to transform Parliaments, examining the impact of climate change on global health, and building trust in Legislatures. It is on the theme: “The Commonwealth: A Global Partner.”
The conference is being attended by over 500 Speakers, Presiding Officers, Parliamentarians, Parliamentary staff, and decision-makers from across the Commonwealth. It is being hosted by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) President, Steve Twiggs (2024–2025), Senator Reginald Farley, JP, President of the Senate of Barbados; Arthur Holder, MHA, SC, Speaker of the House of Assembly of Barbados; and the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, SC, MP.
Emphasising the importance of the CPA, the association’s Secretary-General noted 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 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. With the ever-increasing focus on greater scrutiny of Parliamentarians and Parliaments, the CPA’s annual conference offers members the opportunity for professional development, supportive learning, and the sharing of best practices with colleagues from Commonwealth Parliaments, together with the participation of leading international organisations.
Additional conferences and meetings at the CPC include the 41st CPA Small Branches Conference; 9th Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Conference; meetings of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network; the 2025 CPA General Assembly and meetings of the CPA Executive Committee; and the 59th Society of Clerks-at-the-Table (SOCATT) meetings.
Elections will also be conducted for the positions of Chairpersons of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) and the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) networks, the CPA Treasurer, and the CPA Vice-Chairperson. The 3rd Lifaka Lecture will also take place, as well as the presentations for the 2025 Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards.
Mr. Bagbin led the Ghanaian Parliament to host a successful 66th CPC in Accra two years ago. The 68th CPC marks the second time that the CPA Barbados Branch has hosted the event — the previous one being the 35th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in 1989.
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