7 October 2025
Hon. Derek Thomas from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) St Helena Branch is currently attending one of the largest annual gatherings of Commonwealth Parliamentarians that is taking place this week at the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) hosted by the Parliament of Barbados and the CPA Barbados Branch.
The flagship event will bring together over 500 parliamentarians, parliamentary staff and decision-makers from across the Commonwealth for this unique conference. The CPC offers the prospect of the coming together of the CPA’s global membership to address the critical issues facing today’s parliaments.
The 68th CPC will be attended by Speakers, Presiding Officers and Members of Parliament from across the membership of the CPA. The CPA is the only parliamentary association to bring together national, state, provincial and territorial legislatures and the CPA’s membership includes almost 180 parliaments and legislatures across the Commonwealth.
The Head of the CPA St Helena Branch’s delegation, (President) Hon. Maureen Thompson said:
“We are delighted to be able to attend the 68th CPC and CPA General Assembly to represent the St Helena Legislative Council. The CPA’s annual conference offers the opportunity for Members to benefit from professional development, supportive learning and the sharing of best practice with colleagues from Commonwealth Parliaments together with the participation of leading international organisations.”
The main conference theme for the 68th CPC is ‘The Commonwealth: A Global Partner’. The conference will explore 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.
During the 68th CPC, there will also be a number of additional conferences and meetings including the 41st CPA Small Branches Conference; the 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.
During the conference, a number of elections will also take place for the Chairpersons of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) and the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD), the CPA Treasurer and the CPA Vice-Chairperson.
Information about the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) can be found at the CPA website www.cpahq.org/68-cpc.
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