27 May 2024
Following an eventful week of discussions and engagement at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) British Islands Mediterranean Region (BIMR) Conference all delegates departed St Helena on Saturday 25 May 2024 concluding a six-day visit to the island.
This historic visit marked the first time the CPA St Helena Branch hosted a CPA conference.
Whilst here, delegates engaged in a number of discussions and activities focusing on the theme of the conference ‘Addressing Challenges to Sustainable Development in Times of Global Uncertainty’. Guest speakers from St Helena were invited to deliver presentations and sit on panels with members of the delegation. These discussions provided the delegation an opportunity to participate in exchanging knowledge on approaches and best practices.
The conference concluded with a presentation of gifts to the delegation by Chief Minister Julie Thomas and closing remarks by Hon Catherine Cranfield, Deputy President of the CPA St Helena Branch.
On Tuesday 21 May (St Helena’s Day), the delegates went on various tours of the island. This involved visits to a range of significant St Helenian landmarks and points of interest, including historical sites like High Knoll Fort, and infrastructure crucial to the island’s future, such as Rupert’s Bay Cargo Facility.
The conference also gave the delegates a platform to strengthen further the bonds between our UK Parliament and the British Islands and Mediterranean Region legislatures.
On the conference, President of the CPA St Helena Branch, Cyril Gunnell commented:
“It has been an absolute honour to host the CPA BIMR conference in St Helena this year. I consider the conference a huge success as the aim for parliamentarians and staff to join together to network, to learn and to share similar issues was achieved. I trust our colleagues within the BIM Region have felt the warm and welcoming spirit of St Helena and experienced the ‘Breath of Fresh Air’ that our island proudly offers.”
“As the conference has come to an end, my hope is that valuable links have been built, bonds within our region have been strengthened, and we all look forward to building on those relationships in the years to come.”
