The CPA
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association supports elected representatives from the across the Commonwealth family of nations to promote good governance, democracy and human rights. I chaired the Jersey Branch of the CPA from 2018 to 2022, and upon taking on the role I led the development of our first-ever strategic plan.
In addition to building relationships between Jersey and other Commonwealth jurisdictions, and raising awareness of Jersey’s unique Island Identity across the Commonwealth, we have focused on some key themes which include women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, engaging young people in politics, and commonalities with other island jurisdictions.
Despite the challenges of Covid we’ve achieved a lot in the past few years. Highlights include:
- Jersey’s work on climate change being featured in the CPA climate change toolkit.
- Jersey hosting the women’s conference in 2019, as part of the Commonwealth Women’s Parliamentary Association (CWPA), to commemorate the centenary of votes for women
- Jersey hosting the 2018 Youth Parliament, where around 90 delegates from around the world learnt about Jersey and the States Assembly
- Annual Youth Parliament events, where young people learn about how parliaments work and roleplay scenarios to deepen their understanding of politics
- States Members attending numerous online seminars on a wide variety of topics and giving presentations to showcase the Island – particularly to newly-elected parliamentarians in other small jurisdictions
- Jersey being chosen for and hosting the first foreign visit of the Secretary General of the CPA, Stephen Twigg. View visit highlights
Our involvement with the CPA enhances the Island’s reputation for good governance and our impact in this increasingly-interconnected world.
