Enhancing the relevance of Commonwealth parliaments

A New Zealand parliamentary delegation will join more than 600 members of Parliament from across the Commonwealth for the 58th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) conference, being hosted by the Sri Lankan Parliament in Colombo from 10 to 15 September 2012.

The CPA is an international community of Commonwealth parliaments and legislatures working together to deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to democratic governance. There are 175 national, state, provincial and territorial Parliament branches of the CPA representing some 17,000 members of Parliament.

Under the conference theme of “Ensuring a relevant Commonwealth for the future”, participants will explore topics such as whether the Commonwealth should establish a Commissioner for Democracy, the rule of law and human rights, tackling youth unemployment, and ensuring adequate parliamentary scrutiny of foreign and Commonwealth affairs.

The Hon Annette King MP will lead the delegation, which includes Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi MP and Le'aufa'amulia Asenati Lole-Taylor MP. Moana Mackey MP will also attend, representing the Pacific region on the Executive Committee of the CPA.

Hon Annette King, Le'aufa'amulia Asenati Lole-Taylor, and Moana Mackey will also attend a meeting of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians.