The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) will be hosting a Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference to foster dialogue and cooperation among member countries to address pressing global challenges within the context of Commonwealth Values.
The CPA conference will emphasize the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in addressing these challenges and highlight the role of parliaments in shaping policies that benefit their citizens.
The Conference is scheduled to take place from 30th September to 6th October, 2023 at the Accra International Conference under the theme: “The Commonwealth Charter 10 years on: Values and Principles for Parliaments to Uphold”.
Association, which had five (5) branches at its inception, currently has one hundred and eighty-one (180) national and sub-branches across the nine (9) regions of the Commonwealth.
The Association has a number of organs including Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians, the CPA Small Branches Network, the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities and the Commonwealth Youth Parliament.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC), an annual conference of CPA, was first held in the United Kingdom in 1948.
The Conference was held bi-annually until 1961 when it became an annual event, organized on a rotational basis in all regions of the Commonwealth across the world.
Speaking at a press conference, the Clerk of Parliament Cyril Kwabena Nsiah stated that Parliament of Ghana is expects to host about six hundred (600) delegates, observers and accompanying officials from 56 National Branches (National Legislatures) and 111 Sub-National Branches (State/Provincial Legislatures) across the nine (9) geographic regions of the Commonwealth.
Mr Cyril Nsiah added that the 66th CPC will be held alongside other conferences, meetings, and workshops at the Accra International Conference Centre, including the 66th CPA General Assembly, Meetings of the CPA Executive Committee, 39th CPA Small Branches Conference, Meetings of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP), Meeting of Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) networks.
He said that the conference will also include the 57th Meeting of the Society of Clerks at the Table (SoCATT), Presentation of the 2023 Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year awards.
Mr Cyril Nsiah affirmed that the opening ceremony will take place on Wednesday, 4th October, 2023 under the distinguished patronage of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana and Vice-Patron of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
President Akufo-Addo will also be the Keynote Speaker.
He indicated that the opening ceremony will be followed by workshops to discuss various topics relating to security, human rights, environment, economy, gender and other cross-cutting issues.
Mr Cyril Nsiah added that the host nation’s workshop which will be organized by Ghana will deliberate on the topic: Combating the threat of terrorism to Statehood: the Role of Parliament.
The Minister of National Security is invited to lead discussions on the topic.
Mr Cyril Nsiah continued that the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin is the President of the Association and will preside over the General Assembly on Thursday, 5th October, 2023 and also chair the Elections Committee of the Association.
Mr Cyril Nsiah said that Rt. Hon. Speaker is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Association and will participate in the deliberations at the Meeting of the Executive Committee.
He stated that Ghana is also honoured to have the Hon Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu as the Vice-Chairperson of the Executive Committee, an Office he occupied in acting capacity from April 2021 until his confirmation in August 2022 in Halifax, Canada.
He said that there will be an inaugural lecture in memory of Hon. Emilia Monjowa Lifaka on Monday, 2nd October, 2023 from 19:00 to 20:00 GMT at the Accra International Conference Centre, Ghana.
The Lecture which is to pay tribute to Hon. Monjowa Lifaka who was the former Deputy Speaker of Cameroon who was a passionate champion of the CPA and served as CPA Chairperson from November, 2017 until her demise in April, 2021 will be opened to the general public.
A paper will be presented by Ms. Betty Abeng, Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Education Trust, with Dr. Leslie Casely-Hayford, a Ghana-based international education development expert as the discussant.
He said that as part of efforts to promote our country by showcasing the natural resource endowments, history, culture, and traditions of Ghana to the international community, some tourist sites have been identified for visit by the delegates on Tuesday, 3rd October, 2023 which includes Cape Coast Castle, Kakum National Park, A Cultural durbar at Manhyia Palace, Akosombo Hydroelectric Dam/Boat Cruise to the Dodi Island; and Bisa Aberwa Museum.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Solomon Nartey
