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___________________________ Raymond Scicluna Skrivan tal-Kamra ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 SUPPORTING COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTS DURING UNPRECEDENTED TIMES IN 2020 www.cpahq.org The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association promotes democracy, good governance and human rights throughout the Commonwealth.
www.cpahq.org CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 12 MONTHS IN REVIEW CPA ACTING CHAIRPERSON’S MESSAGE CPA SECRETARY-GENERAL’S FOREWORD CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | AIMS AND OBJECTIVES | CPA STRATEGIC PILLARS RESPONDING TO THE COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC IN 2020 WHERE WE WORK: CPA BRANCHES ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH CPA PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES: • PARLIAMENTARY BENCHMARKING AND DEVELOPMENT • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES • THE CPA PARLIAMENTARY ACADEMY • CPA RECOMMENDED BENCHMARKS FOR DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATURES • CPA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMMES • CPA POST-ELECTION SEMINARS (PES) • CPA MASTERCLASSES • COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY RESEARCH SERVICE (CPRS) • WORKING WITH PARTNER ORGANISATIONS • CPA NETWORKS • CPA SMALL BRANCHES • COMMONWEALTH WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS (CWP) • COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES (CPWD) • PUBLIC OUTREACH • CPA ROADSHOWS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE • COMMONWEALTH DAY • COMMONWEALTH YOUTH PARLIAMENT • INTERNATIONAL DAYS AND CPA CAMPAIGNS • COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLISHING INCLUDING THE PARLIAMENTARIAN VISITS TO CPA HEADQUARTERS AND CPA BRANCH VISITS IN 2020 CPA REGIONAL CONFERENCES IN 2020 COMMONWEALTH EVENTS IN 2020 2 4 5 6-7 8-13 14-15 16 17 18 19 21-23 25 25 26-29 30-33 34-41 42-43 44 45 46-47 48-49 50-52 53 54-55 56-57 CPA GOVERNANCE • GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT • CPA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS IN 2020 • CORPORATE EFFECTIVENESS & EFFICIENCY AND CPA SECRETARIAT STAFF • HISTORY & STATUS | STATEMENT OF PURPOSE | PUBLIC BENEFIT 58 & 60 59 61 66 APPENDIX 1: PATRON, OFFICERS, CPA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND 62-65 STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR 2020 APPENDIX 2: FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2020 67-87 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 1 12 months in review 300% increase in CPA programme activities and outputs as year on year comparison (2019/20 compared to 2020/21).
First fully virtual CPA Executive Committee meeting held in 2020 with 30 Members attending representing 9 CPA Regions and including 6 CPA Officers.

In 2020, the CPA engaged with its membership of 180 CPA Branches in 54 Commonwealth nations.

In 2020, 170 Clerks, parliamentary officials and participants from external organisations attended the CPA’s two COVID-19 webinars - making them the largest CPA event during the year.
In 2020, the CPA responded to over 25 detailed research requests from CPA Branches as part of the CPA’s Commonwealth Parliamentary Research Service.

12 different CPA publications and toolkits launched in 2020 for the benefit of CPA Branches and external partners.

6 new staff were sucessfully recruited to the CPA Headquarters including a new staff member based overseas in New Zealand - the first time a staff member has been based outside of the UK.
1 new CPA Secretary- General appointed in 2020 in consultation with all nine CPA Regions.

The CPA’s Commonwealth Day Youth Engagement Pack was successfully used by the CPA Fiji, St Kitts and Nevis, Kiribati and Australia Federal Branches in their local activities for young people.

2 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 3 virtual CPA Post- Election Seminars and countless workshops and roundtables delivered online.
4 issues of The Parliamentarian in 2020 - including a centenary edition marking the publication’s 100th anniversary.

100% of participants attending CPA programmes demonstrated an increased level of learning.

Virtual Commonwealth Youth Parliament with 59 young Commonwealth citizens from 17 time zones and 36 CPA Branches represented.

The most read CPA publication online in 2020 was the ‘CPA Toolkit for Commonwealth Parliaments during COVID-19 pandemic’ with 3,392 page views to date.
At the start of 2020, CPA’s posts on LinkedIn gained around 1,400 impressions per month – by the end of 2020, they had increased to around 3,000 impressions a month.

CPA’s Twitter page reached over a million page views in 2020 for the first time - a 16.8% increase in 2020 compared to 2019.

CPA website - 235,043 page views in 2020 - compared to 199,636 in 2019 - up 17.7% on the previous year.

Most popular countries for CPA website visitors in 2020: Nigeria, India, UK, USA and Pakistan.
In 2020, the CPA Facebook page increased direct Followers from 3,325 to 3,925 – an 18% increase compared to 2019.

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 3 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Acting CPA Chairperson’s Message I am pleased to present to you the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Annual Report for 2020.
I am delighted to share the efforts of my fellow Parliamentarians in strengthening the role of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) across the Commonwealth through its programmes, events and activities and the work of the CPA Headquarters Secretariat in furthering these goals.

2020 was a year like no other.

It was a difficult, tumultuous and challenging year for our Association, owing to the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
The roadmap that had been adopted during the 64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) in Kampala, Uganda in 2019 could no longer be fully implemented as scheduled as the aforementioned pandemic resulted in restrictions on gatherings, travel bans and the cancellation or postponement of events.
Nevertheless, the Association continued its work thanks to the numerous efforts of the CPA Officers, Headquarters Secretariat and the CPA Branches, as well as our rapid switch to virtual work and communication – which are now the world’s greatest modus operandi.

2020 was a year full of challenges.

The CPA Executive Committee, which was initially due to meet in April 2020 in Assam, India, held a virtual meeting from 19th to 22nd August 2020.
All nine regions of the CPA were represented, and all Officers of the Association were in attendance.

During the meeting, key governance issues concerning the CPA were discussed and the CPA Executive Committee confirmed the recruitment of our new Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg, former Parliamentarian of the United Kingdom, who assumed his duties on 1st August 2020.
In addition to this, the CPA Coordinating Committee held a series of meetings, with the participation of all Coordinating Committee Members, assisted by the CPA Secretary-General and other CPA staff members.

On behalf of the Association, I would like to thank all of the Members of the CPA Coordinating Committee, CPA Executive Committee, all CPA Branches, CPA Headquarters Secretariat and CPA Regional Secretaries for what has been achieved in these difficult times in 2020.
With this publication we also pay tribute to the late CPA Chairperson and Deputy Speaker of Cameroon, Hon.

Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, MP, who guided the Association through this challenging year with her steadfast stewardship and commitment to the Commonwealth.
Within the pages of this Annual Report you will find descriptions of the CPA professional development programmes, seminars and activities work held in 2020, many of them held in support of our networks – the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP), the CPA Small Branches and the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) – as well as individual Branch and Regional events.
CPA is a unique platform of Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff of the Commonwealth and has great potential to effect innovative changes in addressing common concerns.

As Acting Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, I present this 2020 Annual Report to colleagues on behalf of the Association.

Hon.
Hon.

Ian Liddell-Grainger, MP Acting Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom 4 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA Secretary-General’s Foreword When I joined the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) as Secretary-General in August 2020, the impact of COVID-19 had already begun to permeate discussions and decision-making throughout the Commonwealth.
As we remember those who have lost their lives to Coronavirus and thank the key workers whose hard work and dedication has made such a difference, the CPA will learn from the events of 2020 as it begins its new strategy for 2022-2025.

Looking through this annual report, 2020 was still a busy year for the CPA, despite the many challenges of the pandemic and it continues to be an exciting time in the CPA’s growth and development.
Like any organisation that has stood the test of time, it is important to continually adapt to the changing needs of our membership and to demonstrate relevance, added value and good governance.

The CPA is a network that has been nurturing democratic governance across the Commonwealth for 110 years and it continues this valuable work to further realise our shared Commonwealth values, for the benefit of all Commonwealth citizens.
In 2020, many of the CPA’s programmes and seminars switched to online delivery due to the pandemic – however they continued to provide professional development, networking and knowledge sharing for Commonwealth Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff.
The new ways of working in 2020 gave us the opportunity to explore a wide range of thematic topics through a series of webinars and online events, as well as connecting with a diverse array of Parliamentarians, parliamentary staff and international experts across the Commonwealth.
Technology has played a central role in our activities in 2020 as events and publications have been delivered online – however we are mindful of the digital divide that exists in the Commonwealth and strive to find new and accessible ways of delivery.
In 2020, the CPA continued to provide our core programmes, including CPA Post-Election Seminars (PES) that were delivered virtually as well as CPA Technical Assistance Programmes and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Research Service (CPRS) for the benefit of our Members.

In 2020, our support for the three CPA networks has continued.
The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) network published its three-year strategic plan 2020-2022, which reaffirmed its key priorities in supporting greater political participation and representation of women in Commonwealth Parliaments.

The CWP network also published its guidelines on Gender Sensitising Parliaments and a new Anti- Harassment Policy that we hope will benefit all CPA Branches.
Recognising the need to offer special support to the smallest jurisdictions in the Commonwealth, the CPA Small Branches network and the CPA Headquarters Secretariat have continued to identify specific programmes for these jurisdictions and, in 2020, have continued to support and develop the network.

The CPA Small Branches network held a Sustainable Economic Development Workshop in Malta at the start of the year as well as launching its ‘Climate Change and Small States: Parliamentarian’s Toolkit’.
Webinars were also held with UNESCO Small Islands and Indigenous Knowledge section.

The new Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 (CPwD) network appointed its first CPwD Regional Champions and Chairperson as well as holding its first virtual meeting and launching videos and toolkits to assist Commonwealth Parliaments increasing disability in inclusion.
The CPA’s flagship quarterly journal, The Parliamentarian, continues to be the main source of best practice and shared experience aimed at our Members and CPA Branches with four issues published in print and online in 2020, while the CPA’s social media channels have continued to grow in the past year, reaching over 6,000 direct Followers on Twitter and 4,000 on Facebook.
The CPA has continued to work closely with a wide range of international partners to deliver its programmes and support parliamentary democracy in the Commonwealth.

Partnering with organisations that share similar values, aims and objectives leads to better information sharing, less duplication and lower programme costs, as well as an agenda that extends beyond Parliaments to include the wider political system.
The CPA remains dynamic and vibrant because of the high levels of programme activity among the CPA Headquarters Secretariat, our CPA Branches and within each Region.

The CPA is particularly grateful to the Members, Clerks and officials that carry out such a wide variety of work on behalf of the organisation across the Commonwealth.
The core purpose of the CPA remains supporting Parliaments and Parliamentarians to be effective, and during 2020, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat have been working on the creation of the new CPA Parliamentary Academy and planned launch of our new website that will strengthen our capacity to support and enable our Members.

These new initiatives will be launched in 2021.


We shall be agile in adapting to the changing needs and expectations of CPA Branches and Members, encouraging mutual learning and informal networking to bloom alongside our important formal structures.

As we reflect on the events of 2020, we also pay tribute to the Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, Hon.

Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, MP, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Cameroon who passed away in April 2021.
As CPA Chairperson, she warmly welcomed me as CPA Secretary- General, and she worked very closely with the staff at the CPA Headquarters Secretariat who all mourn her passing.
Through this 2020 CPA Annual Report and Performance Review, which has been approved by the CPA Executive Committee at its virtual meeting in March 2021, it is confirmed that there are currently no known material, staffing or governance-related matters which have the potential to adversely affect the Association’s standing and future viability that need to be brought to the attention of the Members.
Stephen Twigg Secretary-General Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 5 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review for January to December 2020 provides an overview of the activity of the CPA and highlights the progress of this activity against the CPA Strategic Plan.
This report focuses on the programme strands and activities of the CPA Headquarters Secretariat and is a result of key qualitative and quantitative data analysis producing statistics for monitoring and evaluation.

In 2020, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat continued to deliver CPA programmes despite the global pandemic, with particular focus on parliamentary development and benchmarking, post-election seminars and technical assistance programmes.
There was a focus on youth engagement through the CPA’s Commonwealth Day activities and the virtual Commonwealth Youth Parliament.

This report outlines CPA activity in the three strategic pillars of the CPA Strategic Plan – Parliamentary Benchmarking and Development (which includes three CPA networks – Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP); CPA Small Branches; and Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities); Public Outreach; and Communications and Publishing.
Further CPA activities this year are also covered in this report.

The CPA’s Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 is composed of reports, analysis and monitoring and evaluation data captured for the CPA programmes and work strands throughout the year.
CPA Aims and Objectives Article 1(1) of the CPA Constitution provides that the “aims of the Association are to promote knowledge of the constitutional, legislative, economic, social and cultural aspects of parliamentary democracy, with particular reference to the countries of the Commonwealth.” The overarching objective for CPA in this period is to develop the programmes it delivers to support its members and re-establish its reputation as the leading parliamentary association.
In addition to developing its programmes, Communications and partnering with other organisations, this will require achievement of a range of operational objectives.
The main objectives in the strategic plan and which formed the basis of organisational priorities in 2020 were: 1. continue to design and deliver activities and programmes under the 9 Strands of the CPA Revised Programmes Strategy (introduced in 2016); 2. be recognised as one of the leading Commonwealth parliamentary strengthening organisations to which its Members and other relevant, external stakeholders first turn to for advice, information and support or with which to partner; 3. collaborate with other leading organisations, including Parliamentary bodies in delivering programmes and services; 4. be established as an international organisation established under UK law and located in the UK; 5. operate from offices appropriate to its needs, owned or rented by CPA or provided gratis by the UK Parliament; 6. be financially sustainable, with diverse income streams and unpaid membership subscriptions reduced; 7. have IT systems fit for purpose to support CPA’s efficient operations for the foreseeable future; 8. have established a holistic way of working throughout the Secretariat, that ensures all parts of the organisation work together to achieve its aims; 9. have established management practices that ensure that all staff develop and perform to their full potential.
During the year, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant changes to the way that many of the activities and programmes of the CPA have been carried out.

In particular, programmes, meetings and conferences have all been carried out virtually and very successfully.

However, the main objectives of the CPA have remained unchanged.

Each year, the Trustees review the objectives and activities to ensure that they continue to be relevant.
In carrying out this review, the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the aims and objectives that have been set, and in planning the Charity’s future activities.

In particular, the Trustees consider how planned activities contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.
6 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA Strategic Pillars Parliamentary Benchmarking and Development Public Outreach Communications and Publishing Strong democratic legislatures that adhere to principles of good governance Strong and effective pool of Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff across the Commonwealth who are better equipped on fundamentals of parliamentary practices and procedures Increased awareness, understanding and ownership of CPA Benchmarks Technical assistance responds flexibly to needs and priorities of member legislatures and ‘Special Interest Groups’ CPA recognised as a global resource centre for advice and information on parliamentary practices Increased awareness of the role and value of parliamentary democracy and the role of Parliaments in promoting these values Parliamentarians are informed, included and better equipped to engage in international discussions on trends and issues that have an impact on parliamentary democracy Parliaments more responsive to CPA outreach activities Greater awareness of the Commonwealth, its values and parliamentary democracy Improved visibility and profile of CPA Increased sharing of knowledge and best practices on good governance and rule of law among CPA membership CPA is a partner of choice in parliamentary strengthening Progress on Cross-Cutting Issues – Gender and Rule of Law Please note that these CPA Strategic Pillars are based on the CPA Strategic Plan for 2018-2021 and will be updated in the next CPA Strategic Plan 2022-2025.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 7 RESPONDING TO THE COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC IN 2020 1 2 3 In early 2020, the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) struck around the world, presenting enormous challenges to Commonwealth Parliaments and governments as health systems struggled to cope with the global health crisis and the spread of the virus caused widespread shutdowns, school and business closures, and job losses.
The Coronavirus pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on all Commonwealth Parliaments – large and small.

Inevitably, Commonwealth Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff have rightly had to refocus and prioritise national and international efforts.

As such, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Headquarters has adapted its approach in how it supports its Members and Branches this year.
With this in mind, from April/May 2020, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat undertook a holistic review of its delivery of physical activities and in consultation with Branches and external partners revised its workplans and programme timetable including those related to our networks.
In particular, it felt there was a strong need to undertake focused work around raising awareness on COVID-19 and how Parliaments and Parliamentarians could continue to fulfil their legislative, representative and scrutiny functions.

DELIVERING PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A VIRTUAL BRIEFING FOR COMMONWEALTH CLERKS AND PARLIAMENTARY STAFF In May 2020, the CPA organised two webinars for clerks and parliamentary officials across the Commonwealth.
The webinar was intended to support those officials who are dealing with or are facing the prospect of, maintaining the functioning of Parliament during a full or partial lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Building on insights from the CPA membership, the meetings focused on how clerks and parliamentary staff are navigating these conditions, including conducting virtual plenary sessions, Committee meetings and other important business, as well as the various legal, procedural and technical challenges that have emerged in attempts to adapt to the emergency measures.

170 Clerks, parliamentary officials and representatives of many external organisations attended the two webinars.
Panellists came from Parliaments and Legislatures in the Australian Capital Territory, United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, the Maldives, Canada, New Zealand and Brazil.

This was the largest event of its kind organised by the CPA.
What do CPA Members say... Sally West, Usher of the Black Rod, CPA Victoria Branch: “It was really useful to see what other Parliaments are doing at the moment.” Jerome Brown, Clerk Assistant, CPA Australia Federal Branch: “I wanted to congratulate you on the webinar today; I thought it was very good indeed...I think the CPA Secretariat has hit on a great platform and mode of delivery for some future professional development programs with this approach.” Muhd Sujairi bin Abdullah, Secretary of the Senate, CPA Malaysia Branch: “Thank you for the initiatives taken by the CPA HQ albeit this difficult and testing time.
The webinar was really helpful and enlightening for us.
I’m looking forward to the incoming webinars and hope that this will further strengthen our respective Parliament.” Eric Janse, Clerk Assistant, House of Commons, CPA Canada Federal Branch: “Thank you for all your excellent work putting together the very informative and useful webinar.” 8 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA TOOLKIT FOR COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTS: COVID-19 - DELIVERING PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY The outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and its subsequent spread as a global pandemic that has rapidly spread to at least 180 countries, has consequently plunged many Parliaments and Legislatures across the world into a state of emergency.
Commonwealth Parliaments and Parliamentarians are grappling with many different issues both to implement the emergency health measures during this global pandemic while at the same time looking at new ways to conduct debates, scrutinise and pass legislation, hold Parliamentary Committees and question the actions of their governments.

At their heart, Parliaments need to be able to COVID-19 deliver democracy and democratic accountability, but can this be achieved while practicing social distancing measures?
DELIVERING PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY CPA Toolkit for Commonwealth Parliaments The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Headquarters Secretariat conducted Ut research amongst its membership and in April 2020 published its ‘CPA Toolkit for Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures on the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic and delivering parliamentary democracy’.
The toolkit provided various measures and recommendations that can be adopted by both Parliaments and Parliamentarians in order to continue to deliver on the Legislatures’ role of scrutinising legislation and delivering democracy during a global pandemic.

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Most read CPA publication online in 2020: CPA Toolkit for Commonwealth Parliaments: COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic 689 digital reads | 3,392-page impressions | 00:07:28 average read time | Digital platform - Desktop - 73%; Phone - 3%; Tablet - 24% | Top 5 countries: United Kingdom; Canada; Australia; South Africa; India.
- CPA JOINS VIRTUAL MEETING WITH WORLD BANK AND THE IMF TO DISCUSS ECONOMIC RESPONSES TO COVID-19 In April 2020, the Acting CPA Secretary-General, Mr Jarvis Matiya joined the CPA Treasurer, Hon.

Shamsul Iskandar MD Akin, MP (Malaysia) in attending the ‘Virtual Parliamentary Briefing on Pandemics with a Special Focus on COVID-19’, hosted by the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The virtual briefing convened legislators from countries most affected by or at risk of COVID-19 with World Bank Group and IMF senior management and health experts to exchange views on the economic response to the current Coronavirus outbreak and pandemics in general.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 9 RESPONDING TO THE COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC IN 2020 VIRTUAL PARLIAMENTARY SITTINGS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN THE AMERICAS AND CARIBBEAN REGIONS In May 2020, the CPA in partnership with ParlAmericas organised a webinar for Speakers and Clerks in the Americas and Caribbean Regions on ‘Virtual Parliamentary Sittings during the COVID-19 Pandemic’.
The online meeting provided a space for Parliamentarians and senior officials to discuss the political and technical considerations for adopting partially or fully virtual sittings and Committee meetings.
It took place in the format of a Parliamentary Committee, where participants had the opportunity to learn about the experience of Parliaments – Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth - who have gone virtual, and discuss modifications that may be required to legislation or standing orders, changes to informal practices and considerations to ensure the security and continued transparency of parliamentary work.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago, Hon.
Bridgid Annisette-George, ParlAmericas Board Member and CPA International Executive Committee Member, delivered the closing remarks, thanking the panelists and Vlrtu .. P~SittinSP Yl1ng the COVID-19 Pa~~d.mlc .. 0~ ~ '"'to.e d F..w., Mty , .. , 20:0 ICt-..lO~mlurc..t) - ~ participants for a “great dialogue on the current issues facing our Legislatures.
The spaces for collaboration provided by the CPA and ParlAmericas are particularly valuable in these difficult times to support democracy and good governance throughout this hemisphere and beyond.” CPA was represented by presenters from the Isle of Man, United Kingdom and the CPA Headquarters.

Over 50 participants attended the meeting including Speakers, Members and Clerks from across the CPA Caribbean, British Islands and Mediterranean and Canada Regions.
, CPA-?-~.~ Parliamentarian · ~t-· · SPECIAL ISSUE OF THE PARLIAMENTARIAN ON CORONAVIRUS In May 2020, the CPA published a special issue of The Parliamentarian which featured a series of special reports on Commonwealth Parliaments responses to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Commonwealth Parliaments have responded to the international situation regarding Coronavirus in many different ways and the publication featured special reports and articles on Parliaments’ early responses in Jersey, the Isle of Man, New Zealand, Kenya and the United Kingdom.
CWP CHAIRPERSON SPEAKS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Chairperson, Hon, Shandana Gulzar Khan, MLA spoke about supporting women entrepreneurs and women in leadership positions at a UN Women Pakistan webinar in July 2020 on the ‘Impact of COVID-19 on Women’s Entrepreneurship: Challenges and Opportunities’.
The CWP Chairperson was speaking alongside a number of key speakers from the Asia Region in an event supported by the African Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank.
10 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA JOINS CARIBBEAN-FOCUSED WEBINAR ON GENDER RESPONSIVENESS AND DISASTER RESILIENCE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC In July 2020, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat joined a number of international partners for the ParlAmericas webinar on gender-responsiveness and disaster resilience during COVID-19.
The webinar was hosted in partnership with UN Women Caribbean and the Parliament of St Lucia and it brought together Parliamentarians, technical staff and representatives of civil society from across the Caribbean and Americas.

The ParlAmericas webinar was introduced by Tonni Brodber, Head of the UN Women Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean, who was followed by the Speaker of the House of Assembly of St Lucia, Hon.

Andy Daniel, MP, Member of the ParlAmericas Board of Directors.
The webinar also heard discussions on a wide range of issues in relation to gender- responsiveness and disaster resilience during COVID-19 from representatives of organisations in the Caribbean Region including the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Caribbean Office.
CPA SECRETARY-GENERAL ADDRESSES THE SENATE OF KENYA LIAISON COMMITTEE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES DURING COVID-19 In October 2020, the CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg addressed the Senate of Kenya’s Liaison Committee via video link on the work of the CPA and the role and operations of Parliaments and their Committees in the COVID-19 and post COVID-19 period.
The Senate of Kenya Liaison Committee’s annual workshop brings together the Chairs of the 17 Committees of the Senate with Members and external stakeholders to review their activities and to identify opportunities for further development and improvement.

The two-day workshop was opened by Rt Hon.

Senator Kenneth Lusaka, the Speaker of the Senate of Kenya.
The CPA Secretary-General spoke to Senators of the benefits of modern technology and the key role that it had played in 2020 in Parliaments across the Commonwealth, through still being able to function and fulfil their civic duties.

He also stressed the importance of acknowledging the digital divide in the Commonwealth, and so many citizens with no or limited connectivity had not benefitted from increased use of technology.
The essential role of Commonwealth Parliamentarians in scrutinising legislation was emphasised by the CPA Secretary-General, particularly in the context of emergency legislation and COVID-19.

Engaging with citizens and civil society was key and it is crucial for Commonwealth Parliamentarians and governments to champion transparency and ensure emergency legislation is both proportionate and time limited.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 11 RESPONDING TO THE COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC IN 2020 CPA MASTERCLASS VIDEOS ON REMOTE WORKING FOR COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARIANS AND PARLIAMENTARY STAFF In May 2020, the CPA embarked on a partnership with experts in the field of business administration and personal development to launch a series of videos as part of a set of CPA Masterclasses on Remote Working.
The confinement restrictions in place in countries across the world as a result of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has not only driven many into a state of emergency but, has consequently impacted the work of hundreds of Parliaments.
Almost immediately overnight, Parliaments and Legislatures within the Commonwealth have had to prioritise the health and safety of their Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff, as well as those of their communities and families by encouraging Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff to work from home.

Many are still adjusting to changes to the working environment and experience challenges when conducting meetings, holding parliamentary committees and questions virtually.
Now more than ever, Parliamentarians are required to strengthen their soft skills in order to effectively continue to fulfil their parliamentary responsibilities and commitments away from the parliamentary building and its facilities.

Produced in partnership with BeSpoke Skills and Farrens, these CPA Masterclasses provided Commonwealth Parliamentarians with guidance and recommendations on how to effectively work remotely during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Divided into three courses: Virtual Presenting, Time Management and Questioning, Parliamentarians will not only be able to implement the knowledge shared into their current routines but, they will also have the opportunity to transfer these skills in all aspects of their work beyond these current circumstances.

To access these CPA Masterclasses - please contact your CPA Branch Secretary or email hq.sec@cpahq.org for access details.
IN APRIL 2020, THE CPA ALSO PUBLISHED ONLINE A TOP TEN TIPS FOR NEW PARLIAMENTARIANS TO STAY FOCUSED DURING THE PANDEMIC 12 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 WEBINARS FOR SPEAKERS AND PRESIDING OFFICERS OF THE COMMONWEALTH: COVID-19 AND INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTS In October and November 2020, the CPA ran two Webinars for Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth: COVID-19 and Independent Parliaments.
The webinars brought together over 40 Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers from across the Commonwealth to examine the nature of Parliaments as independent institutions in the context of COVID-19 and highlighting how Parliaments in the long-term should seek to establish policies, strategies and powers to give Parliaments the necessary resources to function effectively regardless of the challenge.
Speakers from Western Australia, India, the Maldives, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom and KwaZulu-Natal emphasised the importance of independent Parliaments and Legislatures and the adaptations that have been made, especially during the current COVID-19 global pandemic.

A recording of the CPA webinars is available on the CPA’s YouTube channel at: www.cpahq.org/cpahq/youtube.
CPA SECRETARY-GENERAL HIGHLIGHTS PARLIAMENTS’ LEGISLATIVE RESPONSES TO COVID-19 DURING COMMONWEALTH RULE OF LAW WEBINAR In October 2020, the CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg spoke at a webinar to discuss the legislative responses of Commonwealth Parliaments during the global COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted the need for urgent and effective legislation during the current pandemic while recognising the challenges of maintaining legislative oversight and scrutiny.
The CPA Secretary-General also emphasised the vital role of Parliamentarians during the current global pandemic and the balance that legislators have to strike between enabling governments to tackle the crisis whilst still providing effective oversight.

In particular, the CPA Secretary-General highlighted the role of Post-Legislative Scrutiny and the importance of emergency measures being both proportionate and time limited.
Organised by the Rule of Law Section of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the webinar focused on the different legislative approaches adopted by Commonwealth countries in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect to which enforcement measures, including emergency legislation, have had on constitutional rights and on the separation of powers.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 13 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 WHERE WE WORK: CPA BRANCHES ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) works across the Commonwealth and represents more than 180 Parliaments and Legislatures in 54 Commonwealth countries.

The CPA network extends to over 17,000 Parliamentarians and Parliamentary staff.
The CPA is the only Commonwealth organisation to represent national, state, provincial and territorial Parliaments and Legislatures.

CPA British Islands and Mediterranean (BIM) Region: 13 CPA Branches CPA Africa Region: 65 CPA Branches At 31 December 2020, there are 188 eligible CPA Branches* distributed across the CPA’s nine Regions.

*Please note: The number of eligible CPA Branches includes all recognised Parliaments and Legislatures in the Commonwealth.
At the time of this report, some CPA Branches may be suspended or in abeyance and so the number of current CPA Branches fluctuates from time to time.

**The Maldives has rejoined the Commonwealth in 2020 and its application to rejoin the CPA is pending approval at the next CPA General Assembly.
CPA Canada Region: 14 CPA Branches CPA AFRICA REGION • Botswana • Cameroon • Eswatini (Swaziland) • The Gambia • Ghana • Kenya • Lesotho • Malawi • Mauritius • Mozambique • Namibia • Nigeria - CPA Branches also in: Abia | Akwa-Ibom | Adamawa | Anambra | Bauchi | Bayelsa | Benue | Borno | Cross River | Delta | Ebonyi | Edo | Ekiti | Enugu | Gombe | Imo | Jigawa | Kaduna | Kano | Katsina | Kebbi | Kogi | Kwara | Lagos | Nasarawa | Niger | Ogun | Ondo | Osun | Oyo | Plateau | River State | Sokoto | Taraba | Yobe | Zamfara • Rwanda • Seychelles • Sierra Leone • South Africa - CPA Branches in: Eastern Cape | Free State | Gauteng | KwaZulu-Natal | Limpopo | Mpumalanga | North-West | Northern Cape | Western Cape • Tanzania - CPA Branch also in: Zanzibar • Uganda • Zambia CPA Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic (CAA) Region: 19 CPA Branches CPA AUSTRALIA REGION • Australia Federal • Australian Capital Territory • New South Wales • Northern Territory • Queensland • South Australia • Tasmania • Victoria • Western Australia CPA ASIA REGION • Bangladesh • The Maldives** • Pakistan - CPA Branches in: Balochistan | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Punjab | Sindh • Sri Lanka 14 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA BRITISH ISLANDS AND MEDITERRANEAN REGION • Alderney • Cyprus • Falkland Islands • Gibraltar • Guernsey • Isle of Man • Jersey • Malta • Northern Ireland • St Helena • Scotland • United Kingdom • Wales CPA CANADA REGION • Canada Federal • Alberta • British Columbia • Manitoba • New Brunswick • Newfoundland & Labrador • Northwest Territories • Nova Scotia • Nunavut • Ontario • Prince Edward Island • Québec • Saskatchewan • Yukon CPA CARIBBEAN, AMERICAS AND ATLANTIC REGION • Anguilla • Antigua & Barbuda • The Bahamas • Barbados • Belize • Bermuda • British Virgin Islands • Cayman Islands • Dominica • Grenada • Guyana • Jamaica • Montserrat • St Christopher & Nevis - CPA Branch also in: Nevis Islands • St Lucia • St Vincent & the
 Grenadines • Trinidad & Tobago • Turks & Caicos Islands CPA Asia Region: 8 CPA Branches CPA India Region: 32 CPA Branches CPA Pacific Region: 13 CPA Branches CPA South-East Asia Region: 15 CPA Branches CPA Australia Region: 9 CPA Branches CPA INDIA REGION • India Union - CPA Branches also in: Andhra Pradesh | Arunachal Pradesh | Assam | Bihar | Chhattisgarh | Delhi | Goa | Gujarat | Haryana | Himachal Pradesh | Jammu & Kashmir | Jharkhand | Karnataka | Kerala | Madhya Pradesh | Maharashtra | Manipur | Meghalaya | Mizoram | Nagaland | Odisha | Puducherry | Punjab | Rajasthan | Sikkim | Tamil Nadu | Telengana | Tripura | Uttarakhand | Uttar Pradesh | West Bengal CPA PACIFIC REGION • Cook Islands • Fiji • Kiribati • Nauru • New Zealand • Niue • Papua New Guinea - CPA Branch also in: CPA SOUTH-EAST ASIA REGION • Malaysia - also CPA Branches in: Johor | Kedah Darulaman | Kelantan | Melaka (Malacca) | Negeri Sembilan | Pahang | Penang | Perak | Perlis | Sabah | Sarawak | Selangor | Terengganu • Singapore Bougainville • Samoa • Solomon Islands • Tonga • Tuvalu • Vanuatu Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 15 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Parliamentary Benchmarking and Development Strategic Pillar Parliamentary Benchmarking and Development Strategic Outcome Strong democratic legislatures that adhere to principles of good governance Intermediate Outcomes A strong and effective pool of parliamentarians and parliamentary staff across the Commonwealth who are better equipped on fundamentals of parliamentary practices and procedures Increased awareness, understanding and ownership of CPA Benchmarks Technical assistance responds flexibly to needs and priorities of member Legislatures and ‘Special Interest Groups’ PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES FOR PARLIAMENTARIANS AND PARLIAMENTARY STAFF Following the decision of the CPA Executive Committee to transfer the former CPA Parliamentary Fundamentals Course on
 Parliamentary Practice and Procedure into the new CPA Parliamentary Academy, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat has sought to work with our existing partners to continue to offer a portfolio of academically rigorous accredited programmes for Commonwealth Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff to access independently.
1 2 3 4 WITWATERSRAND UNIVERSITY GENERAL PROGRAMME FOR PARLIAMENTARIANS – ONLINE The Parliamentary Basics and Fundamentals course for Parliamentarians, hosted by the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Governance in South Africa, commenced its third and final cohort in 2020.

The course covers basic and fundamental principles of the workings of parliaments, parliamentary life, practice and politics.
Due to the disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat, in consultation with the university, postponed the start of the course to ensure maximum attendance.

The decision was also made to cancel the residency component of the course, and so it has been fully online in 2020.

Despite the significant disruptions, a cohort of 17 Commonwealth Parliamentarians enrolled on the course.
MCGILL UNIVERSITY SMALL BRANCHES PROGRAMME FOR PARLIAMENTARIANS – ONLINE The CPA Fundamentals Programme on Parliamentary Practice and Procedure for CPA Small Branches has been delivered by McGill University’s School of Continuing Studies in Canada, providing participating Commonwealth Parliamentarians with greater depth of knowledge of parliamentary practice and procedure and practical knowledge of international good practice.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat in consultation with the university, postponed the start of the new course to best facilitate enrolment with 8 Commonwealth Parliamentarians from CPA Small Branches joining the course.

The CPA Secretary-General also delivered a session to participants during the course.
MCGILL UNIVERSITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE FOR PARLIAMENTARY STAFF - ONLINE The Professional Development Programme in Parliamentary Management is a fully online non-credited programme for Clerks and parliamentary staff.

This is the first year in which the programme is completed all online and the curriculum utilises the latest e-learning technologies, including interactive video conferencing, pre-recorded lectures and discussion forums.

The CPA accepted a full cohort of 29 participants in 2020.
KING’S COLLEGE ADVANCED PARLIAMENTARY THEORY AND PRACTICE FOR PARLIAMENTARY STAFF – ONLINE Provided by the International School for Government, King’s College, London, this is a fully online, accredited course for Clerks and parliamentary staff.

The 50-hour course aims to introduce participants to the functions that parliamentary officials are required to perform and utilises a range of interactive online activities to support learning.
The CPA Headquarters accepted a full cohort of 32 participants, who all completed the course in January and February 2020.
16 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 THE CPA PARLIAMENTARY ACADEMY 1 2 3 In 2020, the CPA began work on the development of the CPA Parliamentary Academy: A Centre of Excellence for Commonwealth Parliamentarians, which will be one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by the CPA in its 110-year history.
The Academy is intended as a central learning hub for Commonwealth Parliamentarians, Clerks and parliamentary officials to utilise, broaden and deepen their professional development.
The Academy comprises of four pillars: • CPA online resource library | • CPA residency courses | • CPA online courses | • Affiliated external courses The Academy’s primary output is a curriculum of online courses, two annual residency courses, a comprehensive online resource library and a number of courses externally delivered by leading international universities and professional development institutions.
The CPA Headquarters Secretariat has brought together over 50 experienced current and former Speakers, Parliamentarians, Clerks and external experts from across the Commonwealth to offer their insight and advice in the development of modules on subjects ranging from gender-sensitive budgeting to codes of conduct.

Courses will be freely available to CPA Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff - however, there will be a nominal fee for external stakeholders.
For more information about the CPA Parliamentary Academy please email hq.sec@cpahq.org.

VIRTUAL GRADUATION CEREMONY HELD FOR COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARIANS FROM SMALL JURISDICTIONS COMPLETING CPA COURSE WITH MCGILL UNIVERSITY In July 2020, Commonwealth Parliamentarians from across the world joined a virtual graduation ceremony for the CPA Fundamentals Programme on Practice and Procedure for CPA Small Branches delivered in partnership with McGill University in Canada.
The virtual graduation ceremony saw the presentation of the Professional Development Certificate in Parliamentary Governance to 12 Commonwealth Parliamentarians from Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Falkland Islands, Grenada, Isle of Man, Jersey, Niue, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Turks and Caicos.

The Chairperson of the CPA Small Branches network, Hon.
Niki Rattle, Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands sent a video message to the virtual graduation ceremony and said: “It is one of the strengths of the CPA and the Small Branches network that we are able to provide these peer- to-peer learning opportunities and I warmly encourage graduates to share what you have gained from your experience of this course.
The importance of democratic principles and good governance are not tied to specific areas of our shared Commonwealth but are universal and vital maxims at the centre of the work that we carry out.” Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 17 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures Building on the Commonwealth Latimer House Principles on the separation of powers, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures provide a framework for excellence in Commonwealth parliamentary and legislative practice.
The original CPA Benchmarks published in 2006 comprised of 87 indicators and were drafted by CPA Parliamentarians representing different Commonwealth regions.
The CPA Benchmarks were the outcome of a Study Group in late 2006 hosted by the Legislature of Bermuda on behalf of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and the World Bank Institute (World Bank Group) with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Parliament and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI).
The CPA Benchmarks were revised and updated in June 2018 by a second study group of CPA Parliamentarians representing different CPA Regions as part of the Commonwealth Partnership for Democracy (CP4D) Project.

The CP4D Project’s objective is for Commonwealth Legislatures to strengthen democratic good governance.

The CPA Benchmarks are a means by which CPA Branches can self-assess their parliamentary and wider governance institutions against approved democratic standards.
Following expressions of interest from CPA Branches, the CPA Headquarters has enabled Legislatures to either independently or with support of expert facilitators conduct such CPA Benchmark Assessments.

The concluding reports are a resource for Legislatures to refer to in identifying reforms and strategic plans as well as priority needs in parliamentary strengthening activities.
In the long-term, the CPA will be able to support such CPA Branches in fulfilling their developmental needs through its CPA Technical Assistance Programmes over a one to three-year period.

In 2019/2020, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat has undertaken CPA Benchmark Assessments in the following jurisdictions: South Africa, Malaysia, Belize, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, St Lucia, Grenada, The Gambia, Ghana, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Anguilla, Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal.
The following CPA Branches have also conducted partial self- assessments independently: Isle of Man and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

In October 2020, the CPA joined a working group comprising of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), International IDEA, the EU Parliament and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) in the development of a set of global indicators based on the Sustainable Development Goals.

These are due to be published in 2021/22.


To view the CPA Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures please visit www.cpahq.org/cpahq/benchmarks.

CP4D CONFERENCE: INCLUSIVE POLITICS IN PRACTICE IN THE COMMONWEALTH In March 2020, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat in partnership with the other consortium members took part in the concluding element of the Commonwealth Partnership for Democracy (CP4D) Project.
The Conference included Parliamentarians and civil society groups across the Commonwealth examining key issues around good governance and inclusivity as well as show-casing outcomes from the project over two-years.

The seminar included: the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, Rt Hon.
Jacob L’Okori Oulanyah who shared his experience of using the updated CPA Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures; former UK MP, Dr Roberta Blackman- Woods who advocated the CPA Benchmarks as reinforcing effective Parliaments in a functioning democracy; and the Clerk of the Parliament of Sierra Leone, Paran Tarawally about the practical application of the CPA Benchmarks during a self-assessment.
18 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA Technical Assistance Programmes 1 2 This Programme aims at enhancing the current CPA’s Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures Assessment process by offering a Technical Assistance Programme (TAP) to support Legislatures who have not fully met all/some of the CPA Benchmarks.
In 2020, the CPA has continued to support Technical Assistance Programmes, furthering the intermediate objective of the TAP programme to develop a bespoke road map to meet the CPA Benchmarks within a defined timeline while providing the CPA with an opportunity to demonstrate ‘added value’.
Technical Assistance Programmes in 2020 Current programmes include: • Belize – this support will include providing pre-election planning support for new Members induction; development of a new Parliamentary Code of Conduct; delivery of a CPA Post-Election Seminar; a workshop for Women Parliamentarians and Public Engagement Roundtable; a technical review of the House and Senate Standing Orders with the development of draft Standing Orders; a technical review of the Parliament’s organisation and administration.
• Anguilla – this support will include delivery of a CPA Post-Election Seminar; a technical review of the House Standing Orders/Rules of Procedure with development of draft Standing Orders; a technical review of the Parliament’s organisation and administration; the development of a Parliamentary Code of Conduct and Register of Interests for Members; the development of an education and outreach pack for Members to use with schools and colleges.
SEPARATION OF POWERS AND THE COMMONWEALTH LATIMER HOUSE PRINCIPLES WORKING GROUP The Commonwealth Latimer House Principles, also known as the Commonwealth Principles on the Three Branches of Government, highlight the importance of the separation of powers between the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary to ensure effective governance and democracy.

The CPA is a member of the Latimer House Working Group and seeks to champion its principles.
In May 2020, as part of its commitment to the Principles, as well as its work in benchmarking Parliaments against international standards, the CPA developed a Model Law for Independent Parliaments.

The Model Law is designed to help empower Parliaments to take control away from the Executive to ensure it has the administrative, operational and financial resources needed to function effectively.
The purpose behind such a project is to have a ready-made draft Bill for Legislatures to use as a template to create financially and administratively independent institutions.

Specifically, the Model Law enables parliaments to have Parliamentary Commissions and to ensure there are Parliamentary Appropriations for legislatures to have the resources they need to function effectively without the risk of executive interference.
The Model Law has so far been used by the Parliament of the Cook Islands as part of their constitutional review process.

In 2020, the CPA organised two Webinars for Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth: COVID-19 and Independent Parliaments which examined the Model Law for Independent Parliaments - turn to page 11 for more details.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 19 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA SECRETARY-GENERAL ELECT JOINS BOTSWANA MPS FOR VIRTUAL WORKSHOP ON EFFECTIVE PARLIAMENTARY OVERSIGHT In July 2020, the CPA Secretary-General Elect, Stephen Twigg joined Commonwealth Parliamentarians via video link at the Parliament of Botswana for the 12th Parliamentary Workshop on Effective Oversight.
The virtual workshop was opened by the Speaker of the National Assembly of Botswana, Hon.

P. T. C. Skelemani, MP and the Clerk of the National Assembly, Ms B. N. Dithapo and was attended by around 50 Members of the Parliament of Botswana.

The four-day workshop examined parliamentary oversight and accountability and the tools available to MPs to undertake this role.
The CPA Secretary-General Elect spoke in one of the opening sessions of the virtual workshop about the work of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in providing advice and training to Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures and the CPA Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures which provides a benchmark for parliamentary standards.
The CPA Secretary-General Elect also spoke about his own experiences of oversight as a former Parliamentarian and Chairperson of the International Development Select Committee.

He said: “I was delighted to join Parliamentarians from Botswana for my first public engagement as CPA Secretary-General-Elect.
The opportunity to learn from each other is of critical importance and I was pleased to highlight some of the excellent resources which the CPA has developed to support Commonwealth Parliamentarians in their crucial oversight work.” The virtual workshop at the Botswana Parliament was the first time that the CPA Secretary-General Elect took part in an overseas event with a CPA Branch ahead of the start of his new role which officially commenced from 1 August 2020.
CPA SECRETARY-GENERAL HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARIANS IN PRESERVING PEACE AND PREVENTING POLITICAL VIOLENCE AT CPA ZAMBIA WORKSHOP The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg highlighted the important role of Commonwealth Parliamentarians in preserving peace and preventing political violence at a workshop organised by the CPA Zambia Branch and the Parliament of Zambia in November 2020.
The workshop, held in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the Parliament Building in Lusaka, was held ahead of the Zambia General Election due to take place in August 2021 and its aim was to equip Parliamentarians to contribute towards preserving peace and preventing political violence during this important and sensitive time.

The workshop participants heard from the Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia and CPA Zambia Branch President, Rt Hon.
Dr Patrick Matibini, MP, who highlighted the key role that Parliamentarians can play as preservers of peace before, during and after an election period and in their contribution towards the prevention of political violence.

This workshop was an important step in equipping Members of Parliament for the role that they will play during the election period.
The CPA Secretary-General speaking at the workshop via video link, spoke about the key role of Parliamentarians in society and their influence on citizens particularly during an election period.

Commonwealth Parliamentarians adherence to, and the promotion of the key tenets of peace and good governance as demonstrated in the Commonwealth Charter can help to provide stability and peace.
By virtue of their legislative, oversight and representative role, Parliamentarians have a key role to play in maintaining and promoting peace, as well as in preventing political violence.

20 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA Post-Election Seminars (PES) 1 2 The CPA Post-Election Seminar is a flagship programme of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
For over 25 years, the CPA has conducted numerous Post-Election Seminars for Commonwealth Parliaments.

These seminars are aimed at building the capacity of newly elected Parliamentarians so that they function efficiently and effectively in the performance of their democratic duties and serves as a refresher course for returning Parliamentarians.

This programme introduces Parliamentarians to different parliamentary systems and methods of working.
They usually take place a few months after a general election and are delivered by senior, highly experienced Parliamentarians and parliamentary officials from throughout the Commonwealth.

CPA POST-ELECTION SEMINAR: ANGUILLA In late July 2020, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat delivered a historic first.
In over 25 years of delivering CPA Post- Election Seminars, the CPA conducted its first virtually with panellists presenting from across the Commonwealth, due to travel restrictions in place during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Over the course of a week, 11 Members of the House of Assembly of Anguilla were recipients of an induction programme alongside the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
The CPA partnered with CPA UK/BIM Region for the final day of the programme, which focused on scrutiny and oversight and following the seminar, in September 2020, a concluding report and a recording of the Seminar was shared with participants.

Parliamentary experts spoke at the seminar from Bermuda, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, Cayman Islands, Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom.

What do CPA Members say...

The Speaker of the House of Assembly of Anguilla, Hon.
Barbara Webster-Bourne: “The CPA have been reliable partners to the Anguilla House of Assembly, and we have benefitted tremendously from those partnerships.” The Premier of Anguilla, Hon.

Dr Ellis L. Webster: “Thank you for leading an informative and necessary seminar.

Also, please thank your team on behalf of the Government and people of Anguilla.” Hon.

Dee-Ann Kentish Rogers, Minister of Social Development and Education: “I want to thank you for facilitating the CPA Seminar sessions.
They were very useful and a great guide.” Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 21 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA Post-Election Seminars (PES) CPA POST-ELECTION SEMINAR: DOMINICA In September 2020, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat hosted its second virtual seminar in the CPA Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region.
The CPA Post-Election Seminar was due to take place in Dominica itself, however, since the start of the current Coronavirus global pandemic, the CPA adapted to deliver its programmes virtually in order to ensure that its membership would continue to be supported during this time of uncertainty.

The CPA Post-Election Seminar for the House of Assembly of Dominica began with the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon.
Joseph Isaac addressing the Members gathered in the Chamber and guests linked via video link across the Commonwealth.

The Prime Minister of Dominica, Hon.

Roosevelt Skerrit, during his keynote address, said: “When you have concluded the seminar on both the days concerned, I assure you that you will be equipped with a better understanding of what it means to be a Parliamentarian.” The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Chairperson, Hon.
Shandana Gulzar Khan, MNA also joined the virtual CPA Post- Election Seminar in Dominica at the workshop session on Empowering Female Voices in Parliament by sharing her personal experiences as a woman Member in the National Assembly of Pakistan and her role as the CWP Chairperson.

Parliamentary experts spoke at the seminar from Bermuda, Canada, Isle of Man, Jersey, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Turks and Caicos, Cayman Islands, Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom.
Caribbean Leaders at CPA Post-Election Seminar A key highlight of the CPA Post-Election Seminar in Dominica was the notable contribution from the Prime Minister of Barbados, Rt Hon.

Mia Amor Mottley, QC, MP, who joined the Prime Minister of Dominica, Hon.

Roosevelt Skerrit, the Premier of Anguilla, Dr Ellis L. Webster, and other delegates via video link at the workshop for Government Ministers on how to effectively balance important government business with parliamentary and constituency responsibilities.
22 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA POST-ELECTION SEMINAR: BERMUDA The CPA Bermuda Branch were the recipients of the third virtual CPA Post-Election Seminar to take place in 2020, but the first entirely virtual seminar – in that all Members participated from separate locations.
During the seminar, held virtually in December 2020, Members of the Parliament of Bermuda gained vital knowledge of the key areas that relate to their role as a Parliamentarian.

Important discussions were had between the new and existing Members, which created an environment of collegiality and openness.

Important discussions were had on the establishment of a Women’s Caucus with the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Chairperson, Hon.

Shandana Gulzar Khan, MNA.


The Speaker of the Bermuda House of Assembly, Hon.

Dennis Lister, JP, MP, said that learning from different Commonwealth Parliaments is crucial for newly elected MPs and that the CPA provides a vital network for Parliamentarians across the Commonwealth.
The Speaker also reflected on the 400th anniversary of the Bermuda Parliament in 2020 and said that the newly elected MPs would have a unique opportunity to influence the start of the next 400 years in the history of Bermuda’s Parliament.
Attendees were addressed by a resource team of 18 Parliamentarians, Presiding Officers and Clerks from different Commonwealth jurisdictions including St Lucia, Jersey, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Isle of Man, Canada, Cayman Islands, Guyana, Seychelles and Bermuda, brought together by the CPA to share their experiences, ideas and strategies.
ORIENTATION PROGRAMME FOR JAMAMICAN PARLIAMENTARIANS In November 2020, following a request from the CPA Jamaica Branch, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat provided support in sourcing resource people from across the CPA network to contribute their experiences and expertise to the new and returning Members of Parliament in Jamaica.
The Orientation Programme, delivered by the Jamaican Houses of Parliament in partnership with the Management Institute for National Development (MIND) and supported by the CPA Headquarters Secretariat, was conducted over a five-week period over virtual platforms and seven CPA resource people spoke to the Members present, including the CPA Secretary-General.
During the virtual seminar, Parliamentarians also studied topics including the constitutional and legal framework of parliamentary democracy, Standing Orders, practices and Committees, public finance and management.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 23 24 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA Masterclasses 1 2 3 CPA Masterclasses provide concise video briefings for Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff from across the Commonwealth on a particular subject or topic.
CPA Masterclasses are aimed at promoting parliamentary debate, dialogue and cooperation to build parliamentary capacity and efficiency with the objective that Parliamentarians will be more informed on parliamentary practice & procedure and key policy issues and consequently more effective in parliamentary committees and parliamentary debates.

The topics of the Masterclasses cover three areas: key policy issues, parliamentary practice & procedure and corporate skills.
In 2020, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat worked to develop a CPA Masterclass on parliamentary ethics, led by Professor Charles Sampford of Griffith University, Australia.

The CPA also launched a series of online masterclasses for Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff on how to work effectively from home or remotely, in partnership with BespokeSkills and Farrens, to support its membership during the global pandemic - turn to page 10 for more details.
The CPA Masterclasses are available on the CPA website at: www.cpahq.org/cpahq/cpamasterclasses.

The CPA Masterclasses complement the CPA’s parliamentary strengthening work and enhance the performance of Parliamentarians across the Commonwealth.

Commonwealth Parliamentary Research Service (CPRS) 1 2 The Commonwealth Parliamentary Research Service (CPRS) offers to Parliaments and Parliamentarians a research service to supplement those available to Parliament on a range of specialist subjects.
The service is offered to all CPA Branches and invites input from all CPA Branches.

The CPA is able to provide CPA Branches with access to the wider CPA network and collate responses for the original CPA Branch who have made the enquiry.

In 2020, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat received several requests to the CPRS from CPA Branches with responses received from over 25 CPA Branches.
The requests included: the setting up of International Relations Offices; COVID-19 responses; Transitioning to Life after Parliament; Facilitating a Commonwealth Parliamentary Communications Network; Members’ Pay and Remuneration; Codes of Conduct from Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies; Members of Commonwealth Parliaments under 30.

If you have a CPRS request for the CPA Headquarters Secretariat then please email hq.sec@cpahq.org.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 25 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Working with Partner Organisations The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) works closely with a wide range of partners to deliver its programme work aimed at strengthening the institution of Parliament, supporting and promoting parliamentary democracy and the political values of the Commonwealth.
Working with partner organisations allows for not only greater institutional support (direct support) aimed at supporting Commonwealth legislatures but also thematic support (issue-based support) for the purpose of promoting specific policy goals, such as poverty reduction, environmental protection, anti-corruption, trade, and human rights.
CPA programmes are delivered in partnership with CPA Branches and international organisations including international parliamentary associations, such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union; other international bodies, such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women, as well as Commonwealth organisations and universities.
Partnering with organisations that share similar values, aims and objectives leads to better information sharing, less duplication and lower programme costs as well as an agenda that extends beyond Parliament to include the wider political system.

There is however further scope for international partnerships to develop and if you are interested in working with the CPA Headquarters Secretariat then please contact us at hq.sec@cpahq.
26 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA JOINS GLOBAL WEBINAR HIGHLIGHTING THE VITAL ROLE OF THE COMMONWEALTH NETWORKS In June 2020, the CPA Acting Secretary-General, Mr Jarvis Matiya delivered the keynote address at a global online webinar titled ‘Vanguards in the 21st century: Optimising Commonwealth Networks’.
The CPA Acting Secretary-General highlighted the key role that Commonwealth organisations play in the international community and the role of the CPA as the parliamentary wing of the Commonwealth in connecting over 180 Parliaments and Legislatures.

He said: “Through the ongoing work of the Commonwealth, citizens can reap the benefits that come from positive dialogue and engagement on issues of democracy, good governance, human rights and socio-economic development.
Through collaboration, consultation and speaking with one common voice, the Commonwealth is truly a global force for good, bringing a richness of its diversity and geographical reach to solve issues and identify new opportunities.” The online webinar was held as part of a series hosted by Global Policy Insights (GPI) and The Ramphal Institute and the session featured a panel discussion on the Commonwealth’s pivotal networks as they partner with each other and their national counterparts to deliver upon the Commonwealth’s priorities.
Guest panellists included: The Commonwealth Project; Commonwealth Foundation; Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF); and Independent Forum of Commonwealth Organisations (IFCO).

CPA SECRETARY-GENERAL ELECT SPEAKS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SDGS WITH COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARS AT UK PARLIAMENT EVENT In July 2020, the CPA Secretary-General Elect, Stephen Twigg, joined Government Ministers, Parliamentarians and other guest speakers at the annual event for Commonwealth Scholars.
The event offered a rare opportunity for young people on the scheme to hear from Members of the UK Parliament and gain an insight into the role of Parliament in UK politics.

The CPA Secretary-General Elect spoke about the CPA’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how this linked to the Commonwealth Scholars and the work that they will go on to do after their studies.

The former CPA Chairperson (2014-2017), Hon.


Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, MP, Speaker of the Parliament of Bangladesh was just one of many examples of Commonwealth Parliamentarians who have benefited from the Commonwealth Scholarships scheme over the years.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the UK’s Minister of State for the Commonwealth and United Nations spoke about the work of his government departments, the strength and diversity of the Commonwealth and also congratulated the CPA Secretary-General Elect on his new appointment and looked forward to working further with the CPA Headquarters team.
The event is organised by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC), the Council for Education in the Commonwealth’s (CEC) CSFP Support Group and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK (CPA UK Branch).
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 27 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Working with Partner Organisations CPA WEBINAR EMPHASISES THE ROLE OF BUILDING EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMONWEALTH ORGANISATIONS IN ACHIEVING ITS STRATEGIC GOALS FOR 2022-2025 The CPA emphasised the key role of building effective partnerships with Commonwealth organisations in achieving the organisation’s strategic goals for 2022-2025 during a CPA webinar event in October 2020.
The CPA webinar on ‘The Commonwealth in 2025: Building effective partnerships’ was attended by over 40 Commonwealth organisations and partners representing a wide range of disciplines.

The Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, Hon.

Emilia Monjowa Lifaka MP, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Cameroon opened the webinar and spoke of the challenging times that all organisations are facing with the external flux and uncertainty of COVID-19.
The CPA Chairperson said: “The CPA will prioritise its strategic objectives and will continue to work closely with partner organisations in the Commonwealth.” The webinar event provided an opportunity for the recently appointed CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg, to meet virtually with representatives of many Commonwealth organisations and external partners and to discuss the upcoming work of the CPA and in particular, the new CPA Strategic Plan 2022-2025.
The CPA Secretary-General spoke of his commitment to engage and consult with as many Commonwealth partners as possible during the planning for the new CPA Strategic Plan and said: “The CPA recognises the importance of consultation with organisations at local and regional level as well as national and international.” The CPA Secretary-General spoke of the challenging global context due to COVID-19 and of the opportunities that new technology can bring.
“Technology has the potential to engage with a much wider audience and can increase the engagement of citizens with their Parliaments and Parliamentarians.” The CPA Secretary-General also spoke of the critical importance for global progress of the values enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter as well as the Commonwealth Latimer House Principles and the CPA’s Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures which provide a framework for good governance in the Commonwealth.
“Democracy, the rule of law and human rights are all fundamental principles that we must work towards achieving and the UN Sustainable Development Goals provide us with an ambitious set of targets for the wider Commonwealth family to realise.” The webinar also held a Q&A session facilitated by the Secretary-General of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, Dr Joanna Newman MBE which saw questions from a number of different Commonwealth organisations including the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF), the Commonwealth Equality Network and the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network.
NEW CPA SECRETARY-GENERAL HOLDS FIRST BILATERAL MEETING WITH THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY-GENERAL The role of Commonwealth partnerships was emphasised when the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt Hon.

Patricia Scotland, QC and the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Stephen Twigg held their first virtual meeting to discuss ongoing partnerships, closer Commonwealth collaboration and strengthening ties between the two organisations.
28 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA SECRETARY-GENERAL HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COMMONWEALTH’S ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT IN UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS AT ANNUAL GLADWYN LECTURE The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg highlighted the role that the Commonwealth can play in delivering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Speaking at the Annual Gladwyn Lecture in November 2020, organised by the Council for Education in the Commonwealth, the CPA Secretary-General focused particularly on quality education (SDG4) and peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG16).

The UN SDGs were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
During his virtual lecture, the CPA Secretary-General emphasised the urgency of the SDGs, invoking the call of UN Secretary-General António Guterres for a ‘decade of action’.

COVID-19 may have very damaging impacts on global efforts to meet the 2030 target, but the CPA Secretary-General was resolute that the deadline should not be extended, reiterating that it is the duty of governments, Parliaments and civil society to keep the SDGs at the forefront of the global agenda, in spite of the pandemic.
On education, the CPA Secretary-General highlighted five key priorities: funding, a focus on quality, collaboration, innovation and leaving no one behind.

Education, peace and good governance are not simply linked, but interdependent.

A safe, well-governed society is imperative for the delivery of quality education, whilst an educated society is well- placed to deliver peace, justice and good governance.
It is through collaboration across the Commonwealth that we can jointly advance these values, which are central to the Commonwealth Charter.

The Annual Gladwyn Lecture, named in honour of Lord Gladwyn, the former patron of the Council and a distinguished UK diplomat, focusses on an educational topic of relevance to the Commonwealth.
TWO VIRTUAL CPA ROUNDTABLE EVENTS ENGAGE WITH COMMONWEALTH HIGH COMMISSIONERS IN LONDON The CPA Headquarters Secretariat held two virtual CPA High-Level Roundtables with Commonwealth High Commissioners based in London and representatives of the Overseas Territories to discuss key issues facing the Commonwealth.
During the first roundtable, participants heard from the newly appointed CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg and guest speaker, Her Excellency Winnie Kiap, High Commissioner of Papua New Guinea to the UK on the topic of the ‘Challenges Facing Island States in the Commonwealth’.

The second virtual roundtable discussed the topic of ‘Working Towards a Common Future’ ahead of the CHOGM 2021 conference in Rwanda next year and attendees heard from guest panellists, Hon.
Yasmin Ratansi, MP, CPA Canada Federal Branch Chairperson and Member of the Canadian House of Commons; Her Excellency Rethabile Mokaeane, High Commissioner of Lesotho to the UK; and CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg.

During the roundtable, the CPA Secretary-General also launched an 8-week consultation with key stakeholders on the CPA Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and the future direction for the organisation.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 29 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA Small Branches 1 2 3 Of the over 180 Branches of the CPA, forty-three Branches are classified as ‘Small Branches’ which are defined currently as jurisdictions having a population below 500,000 people.
Examples of CPA Small Branches include Commonwealth countries such as Barbados and Tonga, as well UK Overseas Territories such as Turks and Caicos or states and provinces within larger countries like Northwest Territories in Canada.

The CPA works closely with Small Branches in all Regions to identify their unique needs and requirements in parliamentary strengthening, development and cooperation.
Recognising the need to offer special support to CPA Small Branches, the CPA has over the years identified specific programmes for these jurisdictions and in 2016, for the first time a Chairperson for Small Branches was elected.

In 2020, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat worked closely with the CPA Small Branches Chairperson, Hon.

Niki Rattle, Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands, to support and further develop the CPA Small Branches network.
CLIMATE CHANGE TOOLKIT FOR SMALL STATES LAUNCHED As an outcome from the Climate Change CPA Small Branches Workshop which took place at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya in October 2018, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat published a ‘Climate Change and Small States Parliamentarians Toolkit: A Guide for Effective Climate Change Action’ in February 2020.
This toolkit is aimed at CPA Small Branches, pointing them towards potential areas of collaboration (in addition to policy recommendations).

It also incorporates the latest scientific and technical advances in the field.

The CPA Small Branches Chairperson, Hon.


Niki Rattle said: “Putting the sustainability of our knowledge sharing and learning at the top of my agenda during my tenure as Chairperson of the CPA Small Branches Network, I am proud to see the results of the Climate Change Workshop in Nairobi reflected in this toolkit.
The toolkit however does much more than this: it encapsulates the range of approaches to climate change, the results from the latest scientific research, and details innovative and actionable steps for Parliamentarians from small jurisdictions to make their mark on the climate change agenda.” To download a copy please visit www.cpahq.org/cpahq/SBclimatechange.
RESEARCH PROGRAMME FOR FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT IN CPA SMALL BRANCHES The CPA, in partnership with McGill University, the Université Laval, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Canadian Audit and Accountability Foundation, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs is collaborating on a research programme on financial oversight.

In January 2020, the CPA disseminated a survey targeted at Small Branches.
The project has been sponsored by the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and will be delivered over the course of 2020/21.

The purpose of the survey is to collect information on the structure and organisation of two critical elements of legislative oversight, namely parliamentary oversight committees (such as Public Accounts or similar audit committees) and Supreme Audit Institutions (such as the Auditor General).
The research undertaken will be developed into regional and country-specific case studies of ‘good practice’ which will lead to a set of training and other materials which will help parliaments and parliamentarians be more effective in carrying out their oversight function.
30 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA SMALL BRANCHES SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP Over 20 senior Parliamentarians from jurisdictions across the Commonwealth met in Malta at the end of January 2020 to discuss sustainable ways of boosting their economies.
The CPA programme was hosted by the Parliament of Malta and delivered by the CPA Headquarters Secretariat in partnership with the Commonwealth Small States Centre of Excellence.

It discussed trade opportunities for small states, the development of the tourism sector, education, integration and equality, renewable energy and energy independence, ocean management and climate change and food security.
In Malta, the CPA Small Branches programme saw the participation of international organisations such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Oxfam and the Small States Network for Economic Development.
Participants present in Malta represented the CPA Branches of Alderney, Australian Capital Territory, The Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Fiji, Isle of Man, Jersey, Malta, Northern Territory, Perlis, Seychelles, St Helena, St Lucia and Turks and Caicos.

The CPA Small Branches Workshop on Sustainable Economic Development was the first delivered under the leadership of the recently elected CPA Small Branches Chairperson, Hon.
Niki Rattle, Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands, who embarked on her chairwomanship of the network in November 2019 and said: “I am immensely proud to be the Chairperson of this Network.

My goal for the next three years is to carry forward the excellent work of my predecessor, Hon.

Angelo Farrugia, Speaker of the Parliament of Malta, but also to ensure that the activities delivered under my chairwomenship build on each other, so no knowledge or value of an activity gets lost.
It is the aim of our Network to tackle the challenges small Parliaments are facing and to ensure that over time, these challenges diminish.

That way, our Parliaments and our democracies will grow from strength to strength and deliver even better results to the people over time.

This is my commitment to you.
Representing the CPA Pacific Region, I will also bring more of my region’s experiences into this forum, since I believe we have a lot to contribute when it comes to outlining the challenges small Parliaments face and the potential solutions.” Following the Workshop, Deputies from CPA Jersey questioned the Chief Minister on Jersey’s sustainable economic and climate change policies; based on the Committee-style of the Workshop, the CPA Seychelles delegate has engaged the CPA Headquarters Secretariat in strengthening the Seychelles Parliament in undertaking Committee inquiries; a Jersey Deputy has proposed ban on plastic bags as a consequence of her attendance at the Workshop; and a report on the Workshop Outcomes was published in April 2020 and disseminated to CPA Branches.
Climate Change and Small States: Parliamentarian’s Toolkit 567 digital reads | 2,494-page impressions | 00:09:15 average read time | Digital platform - Desktop - 86%; Phone - 1%; Tablet - 13% | Top 5 countries: United Kingdom; Fiji; Canada; India; Australia.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 31 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA Small Branches A VALUABLE RESOURCE IN STRENGTHENING THE CAPACITY OF PARLIAMENTS – CPA SMALL BRANCHES PUBLISHES HANDBOOK ON LAY MEMBERS FOR COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTS In November 2020, the CPA Small Branches network launched its new ‘Handbook on Lay Members for Commonwealth Parliaments’, that serves as an information resource for encouraging the adoption of lay members into parliamentary systems.
Small Legislatures are often met with the challenge of having fewer Members than are required to form Parliamentary Committees, boards and commissions; bodies that are crucial in ensuring that Parliaments function effectively in their role of holding the Executive to account.

This new handbook is unique in that it is one of the first of its kind to explore this issue and delve deeper into the various ways in which the adoption of lay members into a parliamentary system can eliminate such problems.
Although this handbook is more notably for the benefit of small states and territories, its contents are no doubt a valuable resource for all Commonwealth jurisdictions.

In exploring what a lay member is and the various challenges and motivations behind adopting them, it is hoped that there will be a greater understanding of what benefits this change may bring.
The CPA Small Branches Chairperson welcomed the handbook promoting the adoption of lay members, stating “For forty years, the CPA Small Branches network, has sought to find effective and practical approaches to help strengthen the capacity of Parliaments within smaller jurisdictions and territories across the Commonwealth.
This Handbook, a first of its kind to look at this issue, will be an invaluable asset to those legislatures that wish to learn more about the nature of lay members and how they can effectively be incorporated into parliamentary systems across the Commonwealth.” To download a copy please visit www.cpahq.org/cpahq/smallbranchesresources.

45TH SESSION OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF THE PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE ON THE WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION The former Chairperson of the CPA Small Branches, Hon.
Angelo Farrugia MP, Speaker of the Parliament of Malta represented the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) at the 42nd Session of the Steering Committee of the Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organisation (WTO), in Brussels, Belgium in February 2020.

The Parliamentary Conference on the WTO (PCWTO) is organised jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the European Parliament.

Hon.
Hon.

Angelo Farrugia MP spoke about overcoming trade barriers for the smallest jurisdictions; including fisheries subsidies and also highlighted the greater impact of climate change on small states as an important issue in relation to the impact of trade processes.

According to the rules of procedure for the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is one of the international organisations represented on the Steering Committee.
The following CPA Branches are also currently represented on the Steering Committee of the PCWTO: Botswana, Cameroon, India, Singapore, South Africa, and Tanzania.
32 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 KEY ROLE OF PARLIAMENTARIANS AND POLICY MAKERS IN PROMOTING BIODIVERSITY IN SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES IS HIGHLIGHTED AT CPA AND UNESCO WEBINARS In July 2020, global leaders and experts from across the world highlighted the role of legislators and decision-makers in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) on biodiversity and the Sustainable Development Agenda.
Two online webinars were convened by the CPA Small Branches network and UNESCO’s Small Islands and Indigenous Knowledge Section.

The webinars aimed to build the knowledge of Commonwealth Parliamentarians and policy makers in small jurisdictions and to highlight the multilateral agreements and global instruments within UNESCO’s mandate of education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, communication and information.
The webinars looked specifically at biodiversity and the concept of connecting knowledge with decision-making and were attended by over 40 Commonwealth Parliamentarians from across the CPA Small Branches’ seven regions, with particularly emphasis on the CPA Caribbean and Pacific Regions.
High-calibre panels included presentations from leading experts from international organisations engaged in biodiversity and sustainable development for small states including the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES); the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA); the University of the South Pacific; the Indian Ocean Commission; and the Ministry of Environment of the Maldives.
Speeches were also delivered by the CPA Small Branches Chairperson and the CPA Secretary-General.

Preparations between UNESCO and the CPA Headquarters Secretariat for the next webinar series have now commenced.

The area of focus will be on ocean management and will draw on the expertise of experts, senior negotiators and public officials from member Branches and leading international organisations and bodies including the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.
CPA SMALL BRANCHES REGIONAL INITIATIVE FUND (RIF) The CPA Small Branches Regional Initiative Fund (RIF) seeks to promote regional initiatives which add value to the operations of Legislatures across the CPA Small Branches network.

The allocation of a £10,000 fund was approved by the CPA Small Branches Steering Committee during their inaugural meeting at the 64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Uganda in September 2019.
In furtherance of the objectives of the CPA Small Branches network, RIF is intended to address the respective thematic areas (climate change, economic development, migration) and technical areas (parliamentary practice and procedure, alleviating resource constraints, improving access to information).

To further guide regions in their proposals, examples of initiatives which regions may wish to pursue include: Clerk exchanges, staff attachments, and database implementations, among others.
VIRTUAL CPA SMALL BRANCHES STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING The CPA Small Branches Steering Committee met for only the second time of its existence during a virtual meeting in October 2020 to discuss the strategic plan and future activities for 2021.

In attendance was the CPA Small Branches Chairperson and the Regional Representatives from the CPA Australia, Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic (CAA), and British Islands and Mediterranean (BIM) Regions.
The Steering Committee approved the CPA Small Branches Work Programme for 2021 and the new CPA Small Branches Strategic Plan 2021 - 2023.

The Steering Committee also elected a new Vice-Chairperson, Hon.

Joy Birch MLA, Speaker of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, for the period 2020 - 2021.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 33 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) 1 2 The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) seeks to work for the increased representation of women in Legislatures and for the furtherance of gender equality across the Commonwealth.
Furthermore, the CWP seeks to ensure that gender continues to be mainstreamed across all activities to assist Legislatures to exceed the Commonwealth target of at least 30% of women in decision making positions across all representative bodies.

A CWP Steering Committee of 11 Members of Parliament, which includes one representative from each of the nine CPA Regions plus the CWP President and CWP Chairperson, plan the CWP’s annual activities.
The CWP Chairperson serves a term of three years and the CWP President serves for one year.

CWP Chairperson’s International Activities Throughout the year, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat have supported the CWP Chairperson, Hon.

Shandana Gulzar Khan, MNA, (Pakistan) in her role.


DISCUSSION ON GENDER RIGHTS AT IPU HEADQUARTERS In January 2020, the CWP Chairperson visited the Headquarters of the Inter-Parliamentary Union to meet with the IPU Secretary-General, Martin Chungong to discuss collaboration between the IPU, CPA and CWP on gender projects.
While in Geneva, Switzerland, the CWP Chairperson also met with key figures in international gender rights including Amanda Ellis, Executive Director from the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability; Veronica Birga, Chief of the Women’s Human Rights and Gender Section, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; and Uma Mishra- Newbery, Executive Director, Women’s March Global.
VISIT TO OECD GLOBAL PARLIAMENTARY NETWORK AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS IN PARIS In February 2020, the CWP Chairperson was a keynote speaker at an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Parliamentary Network and Women Political Leaders (WPL) joint session on ‘Making the Web a Safer Place for Women’ where she shared a panel with Members of the European Parliament and a representative of Facebook.
As part of her participation at the OECD Conference in Paris, the CWP Chairperson also met with the Pakistan Ambassador to France, H.E.

Moin-ul-Haque where they discussed CWP activities and the importance of women’s economic empowerment.

The CWP Chairperson met with the Director of Equality and Gender Division at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The CWP Chairperson briefly informed her about CWP and the work the network would like to do around women in leadership, economic growth and financial inclusivity.

UNESCO expressed interest in collaborating in areas of mutual interest.

As part of additional meetings held in Paris, the CWP Chairperson met with the Administrative Secretary-General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF), Mr Emmanuel Maury and the adviser responsible for the management of the women’s network, Mr Fatmir Leci.
The CWP Chairperson also held a Skype call with Hon.

Maryse Gaudreault, Chairperson of the APF women’s network and Member of the Quebec Assembly (CPA Quebec) in which Gaudreault expressed her desire to partner with CWP and to have a joint event on harassment against women in 2021 where Members could learn and share information on the work their Parliaments are doing on the issue.

There was also a desire for the APF Secretariat to visit the CPA Headquarters Secretariat to learn more about the CPA.
34 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CWP CHAIRPERSON AND PAKISTAN WOMEN’S PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS VISIT UK PARLIAMENT In January 2020, the CWP Chairperson joined a number of women Parliamentarians from Pakistan to attend the Pakistan Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) visit to the UK Parliament, organised and hosted by the CPA UK Branch.
The delegation included eight Members of the National Assembly of Pakistan and five Members of the Provincial Assemblies of Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The five-day programme was designed to provide space for discussions on women and gender in legislation, scrutiny and oversight.

Delegates engaged in discussions with Parliamentarians, academics and community stakeholders, and developed plans and pledges for future action and collaboration.
In addition to introducing delegates to the UK Parliament, specific topics also included gender sensitive scrutiny, legislating for gender equality, and common challenges and opportunities around inclusivity.

During the visit, the CWP Chairperson also delivered a short speech at a reception for the delegation, together with the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rt Hon.
Theresa May, MP; the High Commissioner for Pakistan to the to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Mohammad Nafees Zakaria; and CWP Steering Committee Member for the Asia Region and Chair of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus of Pakistan, Hon.

Munaza Hassan, MNA.
Munaza Hassan, MNA.

UN WOMEN WEBINAR ON ‘DELIVERING JUSTICE FOR ALL SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT’ The CWP Chairperson spoke about the CWP network encouraging the adoption of sexual harassment policy guidelines across the CPA’s 180 Commonwealth Parliaments during a UN Women webinar on sexual harassment in March 2020.
During the webinar, the CWP Chairperson said that “there must be a wider policy for Parliamentarians in the Commonwealth on harassment adopting definitions, threshold and reach” and that “justice is not just about the legal process but also about preventing harassment and any form of violation against women.” The webinar was held following the postponement of meetings on the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) that were due to be held in New York in March 2020 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995).
PARLIAMENTARIANS FOR GLOBAL ACTION EVENT In November 2020, the CWP Chairperson addressed the Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) event - 11th Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians on the International Criminal Court and the Rule of Law (CAP-ICC).
The virtual event, co-hosted by the PGA National Group in The Netherlands, discussed the challenges and opportunities in attaining a universal justice system through the Rome Statute, while discussing the sanctions against the ICC and the independent mandate of its organs during the unprecedented circumstances the current global health emergency.
PROMOTING INCREASED WOMEN’S REPRESENTATION IN THE PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLIES OF PAKISTAN In January 2020, the CWP Chairperson launched the first of four workshops on the role, rights and duties of women Parliamentarians in the Provincial Assemblies and Women’s Caucuses of Pakistan and spoke about the work of the CWP and its role in supporting women Parliamentarians in national, subnational and territorial Parliaments across the Commonwealth.
Canadian Senator Salma Ataullahjan spoke at the event and gave Members an insight into her role in the Canadian Parliament and her experiences as a woman of Pakistani Pashtun origin in politics.
The first workshop was attended by Ministers and women Members from the Provincial Assemblies of Pakistan – including Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab – and the workshops were organised in partnership with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy as part of the Commonwealth Partnership for Democracy (CP4D).
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 35 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians International Activities INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2020: COMMONWEALTH WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS HIGHLIGHT GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S REPRESENTATION IN PARLIAMENTS Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians marked International Women’s Day 2020 by highlighting the importance of gender equality and the urgent need to increase women’s representation in Parliaments.
International Women’s Day (8th March) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity, with the theme of International Women’s Day 2020 calling for a more gender-balanced world and the difference individuals can make - #EachForEqual.
To mark International Women’s Day 2020, the CWP Chairperson released a video message online in which she highlighted the CWP’s work in women’s representation across the Commonwealth and representing women’s voices in Commonwealth Parliaments.

The CWP network also released their annual review to coincide with International Women’s Day which provides a review of CWP activities across the Commonwealth during the previous 12 months.
Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians across the nine regions of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association celebrated International Women’s Day 2020 with a wide range of events and activities.
For example, ahead of International Women’s Day 2020, the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) New Zealand Joint Chairs, Louisa Wall, MP and Jo Hayes, MP launched the newly refurbished Women’s Suffrage Room at the Parliament of New Zealand at an event attended by the New Zealand Prime Minister, Rt Hon, Jacinda Arden, Deputy Speaker, Hon.

Anne Tolley MP and the CWP Alumni Champion, Dr Lesley Clarke.
The CWP Jersey Branch Chair, Deputy Jess Perchard hosted an International Women’s Day event with Parliamentarians and local women’s organisations on the theme of ‘changing the narrative’.

In addition, the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians British Islands and Mediterranean Region issued a joint statement ahead of International Women’s Day 2020 condemning gender-based violence and committing to work with partner organisations to protect women through legislation, scrutiny and awareness raising.
Women Parliamentarians and Commonwealth High Commissioners also attended a high-level panel discussion hosted by the Commonwealth Secretariat at Marlborough House in London, UK at which the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt Hon.

Patricia Scotland, QC spoke about gender equality in the workforce and closing the gender pay gap for women in the Commonwealth.
36 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CWP REAFFIRMS ITS CORE PRIORITIES AS IT RELEASES NEW THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN In August 2020, the CWP network officially published its CWP Strategic Plan 2020-2022 which sets out its core priority to encourage women Parliamentarians and Commonwealth Parliaments to advance issues around gender equality and to advocate for greater representation of women in Parliaments across the Commonwealth.
With over 3,000 women Parliamentarians represented in 180 national, sub-national, provincial and territorial Parliaments of the Commonwealth across the nine Regions of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), the CWP provides a means of building the capacity of women elected to Parliament to be more effective in their roles, improving the awareness and ability of all Parliamentarians, male and female, and encouraging them to include a gender perspective in all aspects of their role - legislation, oversight and representation and helping Parliaments to become gender-sensitive institutions.
The CWP Chairperson said: “I encourage all women Parliamentarians across the CWP’s membership, Branches and Regions of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to actively utilise and take ownership of this new Strategic Plan 2020-2022.

Its success will be determined by our collective dedication to its implementation.
I look forward to working with every member of the CWP to successfully fulfil this Plan.” Developed following a series of consultations with members of the CWP International Steering Committee, as well as other women Parliamentarians and Parliaments from across the Commonwealth, this new strategy will focus on addressing the following areas of concerns and key priorities: Women and leadership; Elimination of gender-based violence (GBV) in all its forms and harmful practices; Economic empowerment of women and; Equal access to national resources.
The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg welcomed the launch of the CWP Strategic Plan 2020-2022 and stated: “Women play a central role in advancing parliamentary democracy across the Commonwealth.

Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality is of critical importance to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
I am confident that the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians network will play an increasingly important role in connecting, developing and supporting women Parliamentarians across the Commonwealth.” CWP Strategic Plan 2020-2022 362 digital reads | 1,201-page impressions | 00:04:55 average read time | Digital platform - Desktop - 66%; Phone - 1%; Tablet - 33% | Top 5 countries: Gibraltar; United Kingdom; Canada; Australia; South Africa.
CWP AT WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN DAVOS In January 2020, the CWP network were represented at a gender panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland by the CPA’s James Pinnell who emphasised the importance of collaborations and partnerships in successfully championing gender equality and further referenced the vast reach that the CWP network has in facilitating this.
The panel discussion on ‘UN SDG5: gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls’ was organised by the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability and featured distinguished panellist including the IPU Secretary-General, Martin Chungong; UN Women, Deputy Director, Anita Bhatia; and the Director of Corporate Responsibility at RELX, Dr Márcia Balisciano.
The CWP invited research and other expertise that potential partners may be able to provide from the event partners and looks forward to future collaborations with like-minded organisations striving for the same goals.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 37 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians International Activities CWP GUIDELINES ON GENDER-SENSITISING COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTS In October 2020, the CWP network published a new set of guidelines titled ‘CWP Gender Sensitising Parliaments Guidelines: Standards and a Checklist for Parliamentary Change’ to highlight the importance of gender sensitising across all Parliaments in the Commonwealth.
The Guidelines build on the recommendations proposed in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Gender Sensitising Parliaments Report that was produced in 2001 following analysis by a study group of women Parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth.

Now updated to reflect the current issues that hinder the process to achieving gender equality, the new CWP Guidelines provide Commonwealth Parliaments with an outline of gender sensitising standards that they can look to achieve.
Produced by Sarah Childs, Professor of Gender and Politics at Royal Holloway, University of London on behalf of the CWP, the newly released CWP Guidelines are designed to encourage Parliaments to look into priority areas that need to be strengthened in order to help legislatures to become effective gender sensitive institutions.
CWP Gender Sensitising Parliaments Guidelines: Standards and a Checklist for Parliamentary Change 231 digital reads | 993-page impressions | 00:05:23 average read time | Digital platform - Desktop - 78%; Phone - 3%; Tablet - 19% | Top 5 countries: United Kingdom; Australia; India; Canada; USA.

What do CWP Members say...


The CWP Chairperson said: “The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians recognises the important role it plays in raising and addressing issues relating to gender equality, in particular, the representation of women in Parliaments.
The network will continue to encourage and support Parliamentarians, of all genders, to include a gender perspective in all aspects of their role - legislation, oversight and representation and to help Parliaments become gender sensitive institutions.” Professor Sarah Childs said: “It’s been 20 years since the CPA and CWP published its first Gender Sensitising Guidelines; much has changed in the intervening years.

In many Parliaments there are more women elected.


But most Commonwealth Parliaments – indeed most of the world’s Parliaments – fail to deliver equality of representation for women.
And, in too many places, women are still fighting for gender equality.” 38 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CWP ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY GUIDELINES In October 2020, the CWP network launched its new Anti-Harassment Policy Guidelines to support Parliaments across the Commonwealth in the effort to both address and remove all traces of harassment across parliamentary workplaces.
The Anti-Harassment Policy Guidelines have been designed to support all Parliaments regardless of their experiences to endorse and uphold a zero-tolerance approach to harassment, which could include, but is not limited to, a wide range of unwanted sexual, discriminatory, physical and psychological behaviours or actions.
Drawing from a wide range of anti-harassment policies and procedures from Parliaments in the Commonwealth, these guidelines provide a detailed step-by-step approach that offers insights and case studies on what appropriate methods should be included when developing or updating their respective anti-harassment policies.

Since its publication, the CWP will be working with the Quebec National Assembly and the Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF) to have the publication translated into French.
To download a copy of these CWP resources please visit www.cpahq.org/cpahq/cwpresources.

What do CWP Members say...

The CWP Chairperson said that “At the 6th Triennial CWP Conference, held in the margins of the 64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Uganda in 2019, the issue of bullying and harassment in the workplace was highlighted as an important issue which needed to be tackled across the Commonwealth and beyond.
The devastating consequences of this unacceptable behaviour are far-reaching and as both a visible and representative institution, all Parliaments must show leadership and set an exemplary standard for all by taking a proactive role in having such policies in place.” VIRTUAL CWP STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING The CWP Steering Committee met virtually twice in October and November 2020 with representatives from CWP Africa, BIM and Canada Regions as well as the CWP Chairperson.
The CWP Steering Committee approved the new Strategic Plan 2021 - 2023 and re-elected Hon.

Dr Zainab Gimba MP to serve a second term as the CWP Vice-Chairperson as well as considering the forthcoming CWP Work Programme and the funding for Regional Strengthening.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 39 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Regional Activities CWP BIM REGION MEET IN FALKLAND ISLANDS TO DISCUSS GENDER STEREOTYPES AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians from the CPA British Islands and Mediterranean Region held their Regional Conference which took place in February 2020 in the Falkland Islands and was attended by over twenty delegates.
The CWP Regional Conference was opened in the Falkland’s capital, Stanley, by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon.

Claudette Prior, MBE and were welcomed by Falkland Islands Member, Hon.

Leona Roberts, MLA, a member of the CPA International Executive Committee.

Delegates attended from Cyprus, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, Malta, Scotland, St Helena, England and Wales.
Topics covered combating stereotypes in small communities, building roles in small communities and creating opportunities for women in the future in small communities, and encouraging women to stand for public office.

Delegates also attended a CPA Roadshow at the Falkland Islands Community School as well as a session entitled ‘Mentoring of Women in Parliament’ by Hon.
Samantha Sacramento, MP (Gibraltar) with guest speakers and former Members of Parliament, Roberta Blackman-Woods (UK) and Patricia Ferguson (Scotland).
Whilst women Parliamentarians from across the CWP British Islands and Mediterranean Region met in the Falkland Islands to learn and share experiences about breaking down gender stereotypes, especially in small communities, the CWP Regional Steering Committee also discussed the worrying prevalence of violence against women, including domestic abuse, sexual crimes and femicides.
The CWP British Islands and Mediterranean Region have been proactive in discussing violence against women, with White Ribbon Day (the International Day for the Eradication of Violence against Women marked on 25 November) being a key date in the calendar to raise awareness.

Several recent cases were highlighted including that of an alleged rape victim in Cyprus whose treatment within the criminal justice system raised concerns and sparked protests in Cyprus and other countries.
In response, CWP members issued a statement, ahead of International Women’s Day 2020, which condemned failures of systems to protect many women, alarm at the number of cases across the region and a commitment to work together and with other organisations to protect women through legislation, scrutiny and awareness raising.
CWP CANADA REGION BEGIN GENDER SENSITIVITY AUDIT The CWP Canada Region, in partnership with the British Columbia Legislative Assembly applied for CWP Regional Strengthening Funds to engage a political scientist to undertake key planning toward conducting a gender sensitivity audit.

The audit would serve as a case study of Canadian jurisdictions.

The Funds were used to develop a detailed project scope, methodology and project plan and result in a first interim report which was published in December 2020.
40 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CWP PACIFIC REGION DISCUSS GENDER EQUALITY AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN NIUE Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians from the CPA Pacific Region met for their Regional Conference in February 2020 in Niue, to discuss gender equality and effective communication, with MPs attending from across the Region, led by CWP Pacific Regional Chair, Hon.
Anahila Kanongata’a-Suisuiki, MP (New Zealand).

As one of the smallest jurisdictions in the Commonwealth, it was felt that this would be a special opportunity to have many of the Pacific Region’s women leaders visit Niue and to network with local women leaders.
The 20-member Assembly of Niue currently has five women Members of Parliament and a strong women’s parliamentary caucus/CWP group, Matakau He Tau Ekepule Fifine Ha Niue with both current and former women MPs as well as women business, community and public-sector leaders who share the vision of gender equality.
Delegates travelled from across the region – from the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Fiji, New Zealand, Nauru, Niue, Tonga, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Samoa - and were welcomed by the Speaker of the Niue Legislative Assembly Togiavalu Pihigia, showing his support for the importance of male champions in increasing women’s participation in politics.
The CWP Pacific Chairperson spoke about the aims of the Region in furthering the strategic intentions of women; carrying out a review of women MPs’ communications and social media with some new tools for action; developing resolutions to take forward to the wider Parliamentary and interparliamentary community; continuing peer-to-peer and mentoring relationships between women in the Region; looking at ways of fostering new relationships with experts, women of influence and young women leaders; developing mitigation strategies for bullying, harassment, and sexism; and advocating for best practice and codes of conduct in Parliaments.
A key achievement of the Regional Conference was the establishment of a new CWP Pacific Region Facebook page.

In addition, the CWP New Zealand Group supported a multi-Member Bill in the New Zealand Parliament in 2020 that will bring in new legislative reform for female genital mutilation (FGM).

The Bill is part of the work of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) New Zealand Group, who seek to better the lives of women and girls in New Zealand.
CWP New Zealand has collaborated with FGM Education to highlight the need for this legislative reform.

COMMONWEALTH WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS IN AFRICA REGION HOST VIRTUAL GENDER SENSITISATION WORKSHOP In December 2020, the CWP Africa Region, in partnership with the CPA Nigeria Branch, delivered a CWP Gender Sensitisation Virtual Workshop.

Hosted by the CWP Vice-Chairperson, Hon.


Dr Zainab Gimba MP, the Workshop covered a variety of topics related to the impact of COVID-19 on women’s socio-economic wellbeing and women’s participation and leadership in decision-making.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 41 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is working with over 180 CPA Branches across the Commonwealth through its new network for Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD).
In 2020, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat supported and further developed the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network.

HELPING PARLIAMENTS TO LEGISLATE ON DISABILITIES – CPwD LAUNCHES TWO NEW VIDEOS TO HIGHLIGHT THE ISSUES FACING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES CPwD VIDEO SERIES In December 2019, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat began preparations for a 5-part video series.
Advancing the understanding and involvement of persons with disabilities in Parliament, the instructional videos explore, how through a Parliamentarian’s role, disability perspectives are incorporated into all aspects of policy and legislation; the effective implementation of existing disability laws and policies; and the mainstreaming of disabilities across society.
In September 2020, the CPA published the first two videos through its Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network to highlight the issues facing people with disabilities.

These new videos on legislation and representation, education & advocacy provide guidance to Commonwealth Parliaments and their Members on how to enhance these aspects of their institutions.

The video on legislation features New South Wales Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services, Hon.
Gareth Ward, MP and Liesl Tesch, AM, MP, both of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.

• “We don’t want to see government raise the floor but remove the roof and encourage everyone to achieve their full potential” - Hon.

Gareth Ward on the perspective of the New South Wales Parliament on disability legislation.
• “The voice of the advocacy agencies and the groups that we have contact with from our previous lives and bringing that voice into the Parliament is really important [with] policy development” - Liesl Tesch on the role of non-governmental actors in the process of policy development by Parliaments.

The video on representation, education and advocacy features Dr Floyd Morris, former President of the Senate of Jamaica and leading disability rights advocate.
• “There are over 1 billion persons with disabilities living across the world and out of that over 80% of them reside in developing countries so [they are] a significant constituent” - Dr Floyd Morris on persons with disabilities as a constituent worldwide.

To view the videos please visit www.cpahq.org/cpahq/youtube.

CPwD LAUNCHES ITS DISABILITY INCLUSIVE COMMUNICATIONS GUIDELINES In September 2020, the CPwD network published two new toolkits as part of its Disability Inclusive Communications Guidelines.
These toolkits on ‘Facilities of Inclusion’ and ‘Linguistic Principles’ provide guidance to Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures on how to enhance and sensitise their communications with persons with disabilities.

The CPA Headquarters Secretariat has conducted research amongst its membership of 180 Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures as well as non-governmental organisations to create these two Disability Inclusive Communications Guidelines for Parliaments.
The guidelines provide various examples of best practices that can be adopted by both Parliaments and Parliamentarians in order to continue to ensure that they sensitively address Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff with disabilities.

To access the CPwD guidelines please visit www.cpahq.org/cpahq/disabilitiesresources.
42 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPwD Mission Statement “To encourage Commonwealth Parliaments to enable effective and full participation of persons with disabilities at all levels.” CPwD REGIONAL CHAMPIONS AND ELECTION OF CPwD CHAIRPERSON In November 2020, the CPA announced the new CPwD Regional Disability Champions, selected to lead and champion the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network.
The nine CPwD Regional Champions have been chosen to represent each of the CPA’s nine Regions and will promote the rights of Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities in their Region and represent disability interests within the CPA.

Their first inaugural meeting was held virtually later in November 2020 and at the meeting, the Regional Champions unanimously elected Hon.

Kevin Murphy, MLA, Speaker of the Nova Scotia Legislature as its first CPwD Chairperson.
The CPwD Regional Champions also agreed a new Mission Statement “To encourage Commonwealth Parliaments to enable effective and full participation of persons with disabilities at all levels.” For the full list of CPwD Regional Champions please turn to page 63. INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES The Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network, Hon.
Kevin Murphy MLA, Speaker of the Nova Scotia Legislature released a video message to Commonwealth Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff for International Day of People with Disabilities in December 2020 in which he highlighted the 2020 theme of ‘Not all Disabilities are Visible’ that focuses on spreading awareness and understanding of disabilities that are not immediately apparent, such as mental illness, chronic pain or fatigue, sight or hearing impairments, diabetes, brain injuries, neurological disorders, learning differences and cognitive dysfunctions, among others.
The CPwD Chairperson also highlighted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on persons with disabilities and the isolation, disconnect, disrupted routines and diminished services that have greatly impacted the lives and mental well-being of people with disabilities right around the world.
CPwD CAPITAL INVESTMENT FUND In accordance with the decision made by the CPA Executive Committee in August 2020, an investment fund of £30,000 will be established from which Regions may claim up to £10,000 to support efforts within the Region toward the objectives of the CPwD network.

The fund will raise the capacity of CPA Regions in progressing disability-related issues.

However, the direction of the funds will be focused, being designed for tangible and practical outcomes only.
The priorities for the fund include, but are not limited to, improving the physical accessibility of parliaments, procurement of assistive technology, or supporting persons with disabilities to seek higher office.

The proposals will then be selected based on suitability and how far they contribute towards the aims and priorities of the CPwD.

The tendering process for the proposal will be conducted on an annual basis.

CPA Branches should contact their CPwD Regional Champion for details.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 43 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Public Outreach Strategic Pillar Public Outreach Strategic Outcome CPA recognised as a global resource centre for advice and information on parliamentary practices Intermediate Outcomes Increased awareness of the role and value of parliamentary democracy and the role of Parliaments in promoting these values Parliamentarians are informed, included and better equipped to engage in international discussions on trends and issues that have an impact on parliamentary democracy Parliaments more responsive to CPA outreach activities CPA Roadshows for young people The goal of the CPA Roadshows for young people is to increase awareness of the important work done by the CPA in promoting parliamentary democracy to young people across the Commonwealth and to connect Parliamentarians with young people in schools, colleges and universities to inspire the next generation of ‘young leaders’ and to promote parliamentary democracy and Commonwealth political values.
YOUNG PEOPLE ENCOURAGED TO PLAY A POSITIVE ROLE IN DEMOCRACY AS COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION BRINGS CPA ROADSHOWS TO GIBRALTAR In January 2020, the CPA held two CPA Roadshows in Gibraltar aimed at introducing young people to the work of the CPA, the importance of the Commonwealth family and the CPA’s vital role in the democratic process.
The CPA Roadshows were held for Year 12 and 13 students (17-19- year olds) at Bayside and Westside schools and students from the College of Further Education in Gibraltar.

The two presentations were delivered by the Acting CPA Secretary- General, Mr Jarvis Matiya, and by the Deputy Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Hon.

Dr Joseph Garcia, in his capacity as Minister with responsibility for relations with the Commonwealth.
The Acting Secretary-General spoke about the importance of the Commonwealth in democracy across the world and the role that young people can play in engaging in the democratic institutions in their own jurisdictions.

He also spoke about the Commonwealth fostering a sense of community among its 54 member countries and the 2.4 billion people who live in them as well as the shared values of democracy, development and diversity, and the CPA’s role in promoting these values.
44 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Commonwealth Day COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES COMMONWEALTH DAY 2020 IN ITS 180 PARLIAMENTS AND LEGISLATURES Commonwealth Day is celebrated annually on the second Monday of March and in 2020, it fell on Monday 9 March 2020.
The Commonwealth Day 2020 theme was ’Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating and Transforming’ in unity with the theme for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2020) which was due to take place in June 2020.

The Chairperson of the CPA International Executive Committee, Hon.
Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, MP, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Cameroon released a Commonwealth Day message on behalf of the CPA and said: “Commonwealth Day holds a special significance for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

It provides an opportunity to celebrate the collective achievements of our 180 Branches with the 2.4 billion people that have felt their positive Commonwealth Day 2020 celebrations at CPA New Zealand impacts first-hand.
I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincerest gratitude to all member Branches of the CPA for working tirelessly in their efforts to embed our shared Commonwealth values into the heart of all that we do.” Public engagement is crucial in connecting, innovating and transforming social networks and cultures of all societies as it encourages an informed and involved citizenry which is crucial for a functioning democracy.
In order to celebrate Commonwealth Day 2020, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat put together a CPA Commonwealth Day Youth Engagement Pack for the benefit of all CPA Branches in order to inspire Parliaments to engage their young people.
The Youth Engagement Pack provided a handbook with suggestions for the different types of youth outreach and engagement programmes that Parliaments can carry out, useful supporting tools to facilitate the delivery of these programmes and a leaflet on relevant information pertaining to the Commonwealth Day 2020 theme.

The CPA Youth Engagement Pack was successfully used by the CPA Fiji, St Kitts and Nevis, Kiribati and the Australia Federal Branches.
CPA Branches and Regions across the network of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association marked Commonwealth Day 2020 in many different ways with reports featured in The Parliamentarian, the CPA’s flagship journal.

Commonwealth Day 2020 celebrations at CPA Fiji Branch.
“I wish to advise that we found the Commonwealth Day Youth Engagement pack very informative and useful and it was shared with the Ministry of Education for them to disseminate to the various schools, for the proposed activities to be organized at a school level.

The Engagement Pack was also shared with the St. Kitts National Youth Parliament Association for their use as well.” - CPA St Kitts & Nevis Branch.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 45 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Commonwealth Youth Parliament IN NUMBERS: VIRTUAL COMMONWEALTH YOUTH PARLIAMENT 59 young Commonwealth citizens taking part in Virtual CYP from 17 different time zones 3 External Experts from the Commonwealth Youth and Gender Equality Network, the Commonwealth Medical Association, and the International Labour Organisation 3 young current Commonwealth Parliamentarians from Tonga, Virgin Islands and Australia The highest reaching CPA Facebook post in 2020 was about the Virtual CYP reaching 13,616 people.
36 CPA Branches represented at CYP 2020 including Tanzania, Uganda, Western Cape, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Australia Federal, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Malta, Jersey, UK, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Assam, Delhi, Rajasthan, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Tonga and Virgin Islands.
What do CYP participants say... “It was undoubtedly one of the finest Parliamentary experiences I have ever had but apart from that the keen attitude of everyone contributing back to society is what I loved the most and I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for us as young leaders.” – Youth participant from the CPA Delhi Branch “I have learnt a lot about the workings of different Parliaments which I will share during my job at my own Parliament” – Youth participant from the CPA Isle of Man Branch “I want to be more engaged in the democratic process and I also want to share this knowledge with others” – Youth participant from the CPA Victoria Branch “The knowledge and skills gained from this Youth Parliament can be applied in multiple ways.
For one, this experience can be used to teach youth about the role and functions of the legislature” – Youth participant from the CPA Jamaica Branch 46 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 YOUNG LEADERS DISCUSS COVID-19 AND UNEMPLOYMENT AT FIRST VIRTUAL COMMONWEALTH YOUTH PARLIAMENT Young citizens from across the Commonwealth participated in a week-long Virtual Commonwealth Youth Parliament, giving them the opportunity to experience parliamentary democracy, meet other young leaders and discuss urgent global issues.
Organised by the CPA, the Commonwealth Youth Parliament took place in December 2020 and was held virtually for the first time.

The virtual format allowed young people from all 9 CPA regions to connect across a remarkable 17 time zones.

In total, 59 delegates representing 32 different Commonwealth Parliaments participated in a range of parliamentary activities.

Delegates, aged 18-29, were nominated to attend the event by their national or subnational Parliament.
Youth delegates acted as Members of Parliament for the fictional jurisdiction of ‘Commonwealthland’.

They were split into two political parties, with a third group of independent Members.

The central issue of the week was a mock Bill proposing a new COVID-19 Youth Relief Fund and a Statistical Bureau for Youth Unemployment.
Sessions were designed to replicate real parliamentary processes and included intra-party meetings, Prime Minister’s Questions, Committee hearings, a debate on the Bill and a mock press conference.

Some of the youngest current Parliamentarians in the Commonwealth acted as Speakers for the Commonwealth Youth Parliament, ruling over the House and moderating debates.
The three Speakers for the week were Lord Fakafanua, the youngest ever Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga; Senator Jordon Steele-John, the youngest current Member of the Senate of Australia; and Hon.

Sharie De Castro, a Member of the House of Assembly of the British Virgin Islands and a prominent youth activist.

The CPA also partnered with leading international and Commonwealth organisations to provide expert witnesses for the Committee sessions of the Parliament.
These sessions were an opportunity for the young Parliamentarians to scrutinise a Bill in detail and receive evidence from external specialists.

Drew Gardiner, from the International Labour Organisation; Taofeekat Adigun, from the Commonwealth Youth Gender and Equality Network; and Dr David Strain, from the Commonwealth Medical Association, fielded questions from delegates on issues relating to social affairs, employment and health.
At the opening session of the week, Dr Arjoon Suddhoo, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General, and Lord Fakafanua spoke alongside CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg.
Dr Suddhoo challenged delegates to “be bold and be different” and to “create the kind of parliament you would like to see in the future”, whilst Lord Fakafanua urged participants to “seize opportunities to represent your community.” The CPA Secretary-General encouraged everyone to enjoy their week, telling attendees that, “Young people’s voices must be heard, particularly during challenging periods such as a global pandemic.
As we look to rebuild from the COVID-19 crisis, we must do so inclusively and sustainably, harnessing the power of technology and innovation.
The Commonwealth Youth Parliament brings together a diverse group of young people to learn from one another and find common, cross-party solutions to global challenges.” Lātū Bloomfield, who represented the Parliament of Tonga at the Commonwealth Youth Parliament and was chosen by her fellow delegates to act as Prime Minister of ‘Commonwealthland’, thanked the CPA and praised the attitude of her peers throughout the week, saying “I have gained many new friendships and it has been great to see the harmony and unity of delegates, regardless of the political party they represented.” A highlight of the week was the return of Hon.
Juan Watterson, Speaker of the House of Keys, Isle of Man, to the Commonwealth Youth Parliament.

Twenty-three years after attending the first ever Commonwealth Youth Parliament as a delegate, Speaker Watterson gave the ceremonial Speech from the Throne, showcasing the power of the programme to create future leaders.

The CPA is committed to promoting and facilitating youth engagement in democracy through programmes such as the Commonwealth Youth Parliament.
By bringing together young citizens from the Commonwealth to experience democracy in action and to share their ideas and perspectives, this programme fosters youth leadership and creates a more connected approach to development.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 47 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 International Days and CPA campaigns INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PARLIAMENTARISM CELEBRATES THE VITAL ROLE OF PARLIAMENTS ESPECIALLY DURING THE CURRENT COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC The International Day of Parliamentarism (World Parliament Day) is celebrated every year on 30 June and in 2020, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association celebrated the vital role that Parliaments and Legislatures are playing during the current global COVID-19 pandemic to pass emergency laws, allocate resources and scrutinize government action.
The CPA Headquarters Secretariat also celebrated the work it does to support its membership to achieve their key goals to be more representative and to adapt to different times.

The Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, Hon.

Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, MP, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Cameroon released a statement to mark International Day of Parliamentarism which highlighted the importance of parliamentary democracy and its value to societies and the global community.
The CPA Chairperson said: “Parliamentarians are now focusing their minds on creating safe and secure environments for their countries and constituencies.

To succeed in this endeavour, Parliamentarians and our Parliaments have had to embrace rapid and uncertain change in the form of technical, social and cultural adaption; from how we communicate and travel to the ways in which we legislate, represent and scrutinise governments.
As such, adapting to new ways of working is essential.” The CPA Chairperson also spoke about the diversity of the Commonwealth and the role that Parliamentarians can play in representing all members of the community: “As Parliamentarians, we are the representatives of our communities, and as such, we must speak for all those who might be at a potential disadvantage because of their perceived differences and the negative prejudices of others.
Even if, we as representatives are not reflective of the diversity of our people, we must as Parliamentarians still speak for all and ensure their views, ideas and knowledge can be voiced in the Chambers of our Parliaments, in the meeting rooms of government departments or on the streets of our constituencies.” CPA AND ICwS CAMPAIGN In October 2020, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat led a campaign that brought together 25 Commonwealth organisations, as well as many other supporters, to send a joint letter to the Vice-Chancellor of the University of London, urging further consultation on the future of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies (ICwS) and Commonwealth studies at the University, following an announcement that the ICwS was under threat of possible closure.
The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg also led a delegation from this group of Commonwealth organisations for a series of consultative meetings with the University.

Following this campaign, along with many other campaigns from different Commonwealth stakeholders, a new Committee has been established by the University of London to take place in the first half of 2021, which will look at the future of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies and the study of the modern Commonwealth at the University.
The new Committee will be chaired by Rt Hon.

Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former UK Foreign Secretary, and the CPA Secretary-General will be a Member of the Committee alongside representatives from the Commonwealth Foundation, Commonwealth Secretariat, Commonwealth of Learning and Association of Commonwealth Universities.
48 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARIANS SPEAK ABOUT WHAT DEMOCRACY MEANS TO THEM ON INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DEMOCRACY 2020 “As the world confronts COVID-19, democracy is crucial in ensuring the free flow of information, participation in decision-making and accountability for the response to the pandemic.” — United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres.
The United Nations highlighted the importance of democratic processes to mark International Day of Democracy 2020.

The International Day of Democracy was an opportunity to urge governments to be transparent, responsive and accountable in their COVID-19 response and ensure that any emergency measures are legal, proportionate, necessary and non-discriminatory.
Democracy is built on inclusion, equal treatment and participation — and it is a fundamental building block for peace, sustainable development and human rights.

The CPA marked this special day and many of its 180 Branches in Parliaments and Legislatures across the Commonwealth celebrated International Day of Democracy 2020 with different events and activities.

In her video message to Commonwealth Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff, the Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, Hon.
Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, MP spoke about the importance of democracy in the Commonwealth to mark International Day of Democracy and encouraged Parliamentarians across the Commonwealth to reflect on what democracy means to them and share their experiences on this important day.
Commonwealth Parliamentarians from Cameroon, Australia, Canada, the Cook Islands and Ghana spoke about what democracy means to them in a series of video messages to mark International Day of Democracy that were shared across the CPA’s social media platforms.

The Commonwealth Parliamentarians speaking about democracy included: CPA Vice-Chairperson and President of the New South Wales Legislative Council, Hon.
John Ajaka, MLC; CPA Small Branches Chairperson and Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands, Hon.

Niki Rattle; Hon.

Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, MP, Majority Leader, Parliament of Ghana; and Hon.

Yasmin Ratansi, MP, Parliament of Canada and CPA Canada Federal Branch Chairperson.
The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg marked International Day of Democracy speaking at a virtual event on the ‘State of Democracy Globally’ organised by the British Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (BGIPU) alongside other guest speakers including former UK Foreign Office Minister, Rt Hon.

Harriet Baldwin, MP.

In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly reaffirmed the Universal Declaration on Democracy by instituting the International Day of Democracy on 15 September each year.
COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION MARKS INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY With the Commonwealth home to 1.2 billion young people, the CPA Secretariat celebrated International Youth Day 2020 by promoting the importance of youth interaction and representation with Parliaments across the globe.

Hon.
Hon.

Fasiha Hassan, Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature and Lord Fakafanua, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga joined the CPA in celebrating #IYD2020 with video messages promoting the importance of youth representation in Commonwealth Parliaments.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 49 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Communications and Publishing Strategic Pillar Communications and Publishing Strategic Outcome Greater awareness of the Commonwealth, its values and parliamentary democracy Intermediate Outcomes Improved visibility and profile of CPA Increased sharing of knowledge and best practices on good governance and rule of law among CPA membership CPA is a partner of choice in parliamentary strengthening CPA in the news CPA features regularly in the news media (print and online) across the Commonwealth • Over 500 news mentions each year • Over 50 news stories featured on the CPA website annually • Over 60 press releases and media statements to the wider CPA membership annually CPA Publications In 2020, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat has designed and published the following publications which are sent via email to all CPA Branches, external partners and international organisations and are also available on the CPA website for download.
50 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 The Parliamentarian 1 2 3 4 The Parliamentarian is the quarterly flagship journal of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Journal of Commonwealth Parliaments.

In 2020, the Journal of Commonwealth Parliaments marked its centenary 1920-2020.
The Journal is distributed to approximately 12,500 Members of Parliament, Parliamentary staff and individual subscribers across the Commonwealth and International Organisations.

Totals for 2020: (four issues) • Print edition: 12,500 print copies are usually sent to CPA Branches, Members and subscribers.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic closures, this was reduced to a small number of print copies for each CPA Branch in 2020.
• Digital edition: 4,778 digital reads | 21,709 page impressions (views) | 00:06:05 average read time.

Top 5 countries: United Kingdom; Canada; India; Australia; USA.
Key themes in The Parliamentarian in 2020 included: • Centenary of publishing The Parliamentarian to mark its 100th anniversary • Commonwealth Parliaments responses to the COVID-19 global pandemic • United Nations at 75: The relationship between the Commonwealth and the UN • The relationship between social media and parliamentary democracy in the Commonwealth The Editorial Advisory Board for The Parliamentarian advises the Secretary-General and the Editor on the publication’s future direction and editorial content.
Members of Editorial Advisory Board represent the diversity of the Commonwealth, its nine Regions, CWP and youth contributors.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 51 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA online 1 2 CPA website www.cpahq.org and online activity: In 2020, the current CPA website has been updated with new content continuously throughout the year and a new website is in the process of being implemented as part of the IT Transformation Project.
The CPA website and social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube for video content and Flickr for image sharing) have continued to be a popular source of information for our Members and Branches.

In 2020, the CPA website had a sizable increase in users and page views compared to 2019 - 125,193 users across 150,713 web sessions and 235,043-page views in 2020 - compared to 83,193 users across 107,604 web sessions and 199,636-page views for 2019.
The Top 10 most popular countries of origin for visitors to the CPA website in this period were: Nigeria (21.04% of users), India (14.8%), UK (7.9%), USA (5.44%), Pakistan (4.47%), Canada (2.81%), Australia (2.77%), South Africa (2.52%), Kenya (2.21%) and Tanzania (2.04%).

Top referal methods to the CPA website New and returing visitors to the CPA website Map of most popular countries for visitors to the CPA website in 2020.
In 2020, the CPA Facebook page increased direct Followers from 3,325 to 3,925 – an 18% increase in Followers in 2020.

This compares to an increase in direct Followers from 2,894 to 3,325 – a 14.9% increase in Followers for the same period in 2019.

In 2020, the CPA’s Twitter page reached approx.

1,210,600-page impressions (views) – a 16.8% increase on the same period the previous year.

The CPA Twitter page reached the milestone of over 6,000 direct Followers in August 2020.
The CPA Headquarters Secretariat has launched a new Instagram page @cpa_secretariat.

To date, the CPA’s Instagram page has 242 Followers – this is an increase of 112% from the same period the previous year.

In 2020, the CPA’s LinkedIn page has gained 358 Followers – an increase of 129% to a total of 636 Followers.

The posts on LinkedIn have gained 19,237-page impressions in 2020 - an increase of 187% over the same period the previous year.
In 2020, the CPA’s Twitter views reached over a million impressions for the first time.
52 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Visits to the CPA Headquarters Secretariat From March 2020, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat was unable to welcome visitors from CPA Branches including Members of Parliament and Parliamentary staff and from a wide range of Commonwealth and international partner organisations due to restrictions in place during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
CPA Branch visits in 2020 Each year the CPA Secretary-General and members of the CPA Headquarters Secretariat staff undertake a number of Branch visits to Member Parliaments and Legislatures of the CPA to engage with Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff and to raise the profile of the CPA in different jurisdictions – however during 2020, the majority of these visits were unable to take place during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
CPA VICE-CHAIRPERSON VISITS CPA SCOTLAND AND CPA UK BRANCHES The CPA Vice-Chairperson, Hon.

John Ajaka, MLC, President of the New South Wales Legislative Council accompanied by the CPA Acting Secretary General, Mr Jarvis Matiya visited The Scottish Parliament in February 2020 and met with the CPA Scotland Branch President and Presiding Officer, Rt Hon.

Ken Macintosh MSP.

During his visit to The Scottish Parliament, the CPA Vice-Chairperson also met with Hon.

Stuart McMillan, MSP and Hon.


Margaret Mitchel, MSP, Members of the CPA Scotland Branch Executive Committee and observed proceedings in the chamber.

A further meeting was held to discuss the legislative process and Committees system at The Scottish Parliament with Peter McGrath, Clerk Team Leader and Sigrid Robinson, Assistant Clerk.
Following his visit to Scotland, the CPA Vice-Chairperson also met with the CPA UK Branch Chairperson, Ian Liddell-Granger, MP and CPA UK Branch Secretary, Jon Davies during a visit to the UK Parliament.

CPA SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS VIRTUALLY WITH COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARIANS IN THE ISLE OF MAN The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg had the opportunity to meet virtually with members of the CPA Isle of Man Branch at their Executive Committee meeting.
The CPA Secretary-General met with the President of Tynwald, Hon.

Stephen Rodan MLC and the Speaker of the House of Keys and Chairman of the CPA Executive Committee, Hon.

Juan Watterson SHK, along with members of the CPA Isle of Man Executive Committee, who were holding their meeting at the Legislative Buildings in Douglas.
The CPA Secretary-General congratulated the CPA Isle of Man Branch for taking such an active role as a Branch of the Association and on the many innovations in Tynwald that have made for a more effective and modern legislature.

The CPA Secretary-General also spoke of the support to the smallest jurisdictions in the Commonwealth.
The CPA is unique in that it works with national, sub-national, provincial, state and territorial legislatures in the Commonwealth – including the Crown Dependencies and the Overseas Territories - to network, share good practice and innovative work to strengthen the role of Parliament as an institution.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 53 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA Regional Conferences in 2020 COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARIANS FROM THE LARGEST DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD GATHER AT 7TH CPA INDIA REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN UTTAR PRADESH Over 100 Commonwealth Parliamentarians from across India renewed their focus on Parliament’s role in the sustainable development agenda and reaffirmed their commitment to democracy at the 7th CPA India Regional Conference held for the first time in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, in January 2020.
In the two-day conference, discussions included increasing the efficiency of the people’s representatives and improving the standard of the House’s meetings.

The CPA Acting Secretary-General, Mr Jarvis Matiya sent a video message on behalf of the CPA Headquarters Secretariat to delegates attending the CPA India Regional Conference and highlighted the CPA Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures which many Commonwealth Parliaments are implementing through assisted self-assessments.
The CPA Regional Conference was hosted by the CPA Uttar Pradesh Branch and the Speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Hon.

Hriday Narayan Dixit who welcomed delegates to the Regional Conference and said that the outcomes of the CPA India Regional Conference would strengthen democracy.

Ahead of 7th CPA India Regional Conference, the CPA India Regional Chairperson and Speaker of the Lok Sabha, India Parliament, Hon.
Shri Om Birla, MP chaired a meeting of the CPA India Regional Executive Committee.

The CPA India Regional Conference brought together Speakers and Members of Parliament from the national Parliament of India (Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha) and thirty-one state and provincial Legislatures across India, one of the most populated regions and the largest democracy of the Commonwealth.

Representatives also attended from Australia, Malaysia and other Commonwealth countries.
PARLIAMENTARY CLERKS FROM THE CPA AFRICA REGION’S SOCIETY OF CLERKS-AT-THE-TABLE MEET IN TANZANIA AND MEDITERRANEAN REGIONAL CONFERENCE Parliamentary Clerks from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Africa Region met for the Steering Committee of the Africa Region Society of Clerks-at-the- Table (SoCATT) in Arusha, Tanzania in February 2020.
This was the first Steering Committee meeting of the year and was convened by the Chairperson of the SoCATT CPA Africa Region, Mrs Cecilia N. Mbewe, Clerk of the National Assembly of Zambia.
Parliamentary Clerks attending the meeting included: Mr Stephen Kagaigai, Clerk of the Parliament of Tanzania and CPA Africa Regional Secretary; Mr Michael Sialai, Clerk of the Parliament of Kenya and Vice- Chairperson of the CPA Africa Region SoCATT; Mrs Lydia Kandetu, Clerk of the National Council of Namibia; Mrs Barbara N Dithapo, Clerk of Parliament of Botswana; and Ambassador Jeanine Kambanda, Clerk of the Chamber of Deputies of Rwanda.
The purpose of the meeting was to plan for the Society’s activities for 2020 and to track progress and report on various recent activities of the Society.
54 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARIANS EXAMINE THE RESPONSE OF PARLIAMENTS TO GLOBAL CRISES AT VIRTUAL 49TH CPA BRITISH ISLANDS AND MEDITERRANEAN REGIONAL CONFERENCE Over fifty Parliamentarians from more than thirteen Commonwealth countries and territories joined a virtual conference to discuss the response of Parliaments in times of crisis with a special focus on the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The 49th CPA British Islands and Mediterranean (BIM) Regional Conference, was hosted by the Parliament of Malta and CPA Malta Branch with a virtual meeting in September 2020.

The regional conference was opened by the Speaker of the House of Representatives at the Parliament of Malta, Hon.

Angelo Farrugia, who spoke of the need for Parliaments and Parliamentarians to learn from each other in these challenging times for all jurisdictions.
The Speaker highlighted the importance of how Parliaments react to the current crisis and how it presented an opportunity to rethink how Parliaments operate.

The current global crisis had enabled technological innovation to flourish and Parliaments had adapted their procedures to continue to operate.

The Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Hon.
Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, MP, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Cameroon, addressed the opening of the regional conference via video link and said: “I believe this is the first CPA BIM Regional Conference to be held remotely and its success is testament to the ingenuity of the Parliament of Malta and the wider region.
It follows a very effective and fruitful virtual CPA International Executive Committee Meeting that I chaired in August and I imagine we will be harnessing these new technologies increasingly in the coming months as face to face meetings still remain difficult in many parts of the world.
Regional conferences such as these are an excellent opportunity for Members and staff alike to join together and discuss these values and how best to approach them in what is often a challenging and fast-moving global context.” The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg virtually attending his first CPA Regional Conference since his appointment said: “The impact of COVID-19 has been felt across the Commonwealth on health, on the economy and on public finances.
COVID-19 has impacted on everyone, but it has hit some harder than others.
It reminds us why the work of the CPA networks – the CPA Small Branches network, the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians, and the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities - are of such vital importance.” The CPA Secretary-General also spoke of the importance of the UN Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals which focus on tackling poverty, addressing climate change and environmental degradation and promoting positive good governance around the world.
Delegates attending the virtual BIM regional conference participated in workshops on a number of topics including: the parliamentary responses to COVID-19; the economic impact of COVID-19 on small jurisdictions; the impacts of COVID-19 on women and men in policy-making; examining if the innovations introduced in response to COVID-19 made Parliaments more resilient.
The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) British Islands and Mediterranean Region held a meeting of the regional Steering Committee during the virtual regional conference and the BIM regional conference also incorporated the CPA BIM Region’s Annual General Meeting.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 55 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Commonwealth events in 2020 SPEAKERS MEET IN CANADA FOR THE 25th CONFERENCE OF SPEAKERS AND PRESIDING OFFICERS OF THE COMMONWEALTH TO DISCUSS PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT, TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY Speakers and Presiding Officers from across the Commonwealth met in Canada for the 25th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) which took place from in January 2020.
Speakers and Presiding Officers from 37 Commonwealth Parliaments were hosted by the Senate of Canada’s Speaker, Hon.

George Furey and the Speaker of the House of Commons, Hon.

Anthony Rota, MP.

The biennial conference focused on the topics of parliamentary engagement: openness, transparency and accountability; and on Parliamentarians as effective legislators and representatives.
A special plenary session was also held on inclusive Parliaments where Speakers and Presiding Officers discussed the role of the Speaker in supporting emerging procedures and practices to embrace the changing needs of modern Parliaments.

The 25th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth was opened by the Governor-General of Canada, Her Excellency Rt Hon.

Julie Payette at a ceremony held in the Senate of Canada.
The Governor-General said: “The Commonwealth is a remarkable union of diverse nations and jurisdictions with 53 different members that touch every single continent of this planet, representing almost a third of the world’s population.

From small to big, poor to rich, we are all united, and we come together, by choice, to share values, to share languages and to share parliamentary traditions.
It is incredible what different people and different nations can do and can achieve when they work together and when they put their smarts, their will and their resources together to advance the common good for the prosperity of their people.” The Speaker of the Senate of Canada, Hon.
George Furey said: “The more effective we are in our roles as Speakers and Presiding Officers, the stronger debates and parliamentary processes can be, and correspondingly, the more our citizens will have faith in our systems of government.

It is no surprise that the Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers Conference takes place under the auspices of the Commonwealth – we are united by our diversity, by our shared history and by our commitment to parliamentary democracy.” CPA President, Hon.
Anthony Rota, MP, Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada said: “It is a matter of great pride to us that the very first Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth was held in Canada in 1969, an initiative created by Hon.

Lucien Lamoureux, 27th Speaker of the House of Commons which focused on the role of Speakers within parliamentary institutions.
Then, as today, the aim of the conference was to maintain, foster and encourage impartiality and fairness on the part of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Parliaments, to promote knowledge and understanding of parliamentary democracy in the various forms and to develop parliamentary institutions.” To mark the ceremony being held on the traditional lands of the Algonquin people, Mrs Claudette Commanda, Algonquin Elder gave a traditional welcome to delegates.
The CSPOC conference brings together the Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Parliaments and Legislatures of the Commonwealth.

It focuses on the sharing of experiences, collaboration and partnership across the Parliaments of the Commonwealth.

CSPOC was created in 1969 and is a separate independent organisation, although many of its participants are also members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
CSPOC operates on a two-year cycle, holding a conference of the full membership every two years.

The next hosts for the biennial conference are Australia in 2022 and Uganda in 2024, with additional CSPOC Standing Committee meetings to be held in Guernsey in 2021 and Trinidad and Tobago in 2023.

For more information about the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) please visit www.cspoc.org.
56 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 THE MALDIVES RE-JOINS THE COMMONWEALTH The Republic of The Maldives re-joined the Commonwealth on 1 February 2020, becoming the 54th nation of the Commonwealth.

The small island nation rejoined the Commonwealth following a process of over a year that began in December 2018 when President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih wrote to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt Hon.
Patricia Scotland, QC expressing the country’s interest in re-joining.

Following a country assessments and consultations in accordance with the rules and procedures agreed by the Commonwealth Heads of Government in Kampala in 2007, the Maldives has now been re-admitted into the organisation.

The assessment included positive feedback given by a Commonwealth Election Observer Group for the Parliamentary Elections in April 2019.
The Maldives also presented evidence of functioning democratic processes as well as popular support for re-joining.

The Maldives will now be able to take part in forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM) and its Ambassador to the UK now becomes its High Commissioner, signifying its Commonwealth membership.

The Maldives joined the Commonwealth in 1982, and withdrew its membership in 2016.
Under the Constitution of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (article 3:1), the Parliament of the Maldives (People’s Majlis) is now eligible to rejoin the CPA’s association of over 180 Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures.

The small island nation can also become a member of the CPA Small Branches network which represents jurisdictions with populations of up to 500,000 people and addresses the needs of the smallest Legislatures in the Commonwealth.
The CPA Acting Secretary-General, Mr Jarvis Matiya said at the time of the Maldives re-joining the Commonwealth: “The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association welcomes the Maldives back into the Commonwealth family and the CPA looks forward to the Parliament of the Maldives (People’s Majlis) rejoining the CPA soon.” CPA CHAIRPERSON PROVIDES REFLECTIONS ON DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT FOR COMMONWEALTH REPORT PUBLISHED DURING POSTPONED CHOGM 2020 WEEK Leaders of the Commonwealth’s 54 countries were due to meet in June 2020 in Kigali, Rwanda, at the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was postponed, however a new report was launched in June 2020 to reinforce the values and aspirations of the Commonwealth and discuss shared goals of democracy and development.

The CHOGM 2020 Interim Report featured perspectives from Commonwealth Heads of Government and global leaders on a range of topics including good governance, trade and economic growth, ICT, youth, education, and the environment.
The Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, Hon.

Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, MP, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Cameroon wrote in the report in an article titled ‘Parliaments and Democracy in an Evolving Commonwealth’ about the important work of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in supporting different Parliaments and Legislatures across the Commonwealth to develop fundamental democratic values and practices for the benefit of all.
The impact of COVID-19 dominated discussions in the report, with many authors calling for world leaders to put aside national self-interest and work collaboratively to minimise the devastating socio- economic impacts of the pandemic as well as examining the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals in this ‘Decade of Action’.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 57 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA Governance Governance and Management HOW IS THE CPA ORGANISED?

The General Assembly: The General Assembly has the ultimate constitutional authority to determine the policy and management of the Association.

An annual ordinary meeting of the General Assembly is held at each plenary conference.
Executive Committee and Trustees: The CPA is run by an Executive Committee which acts as the board of trustees of the charity and determines its strategy and overall management.
Day-to-day direction of the Association is CPA General Assembly: Representing all CPA Branches at the annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference CPA Executive Committee: CPA Officers and 35 Regional Representatives from all nine regions CPA Co-ordinating Committee: CPA Chairperson; Vice-Chairperson; Treasurer; Small Branches Chairperson; Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Chairperson vested in the Secretary-General, the Chief Executive Officer CPA Secretary-General & CPA Headquarters Secretariat (CEO).
The Executive Committee is responsible for the control and management of the Association’s affairs.

It has three Subcommittees: Planning & Review Subcommittee; Finance Subcommittee and Performance & Review Subcommittee.

The Executive Committee is made up of 35 Members, who are also the Trustees of the Association.

They are comprised of Members of all three Subcommittees.

All Members of the Executive Committee serve a three-year term, with a third of the Members retiring each year.
The Executive Committee normally meets twice a year and reports to the General Assembly annually.

However, between 1 January and 31 December 2020, the Executive Committee and its Subcommittees met for a virtual meeting from 19 to 22 August 2020.

The CPA Executive Committee and Secretary-General report to the annual General Assembly.

The most recent General Assembly was held on 28 September 2020 in Kampala, Uganda.
Trustees are appointed by the Executive Committee on the basis of eligibility, specialist skills and availability, and all of our Trustees give their time freely.

An induction session is organised by the Secretariat for new Trustees.

New Trustees are also provided with recent data on the operations of the CPA, including financial reports and minutes of immediate past meetings.
At their bi-annual meetings, Trustees are kept appraised of recent charity legislation/developments by the Senior Management Team (SMT) of the CPA Headquarters Secretariat.

Coordinating Committee: The Coordinating Committee is constitutionally composed of the Chairperson of the Executive Committee, the Vice-Chairperson of the Executive Committee, the Treasurer, the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) and the CPA Small Branches Chairperson.
The Coordinating Committee is responsible for overseeing the implementation of practices, policies and procedures of the Executive Committee between meetings, the follow-up on Executive Committee decisions, and for dealing with urgent and critical issues as may arise between Executive Committee meetings.
58 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA Executive Committee Meetings in 2020 CPA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE HOLD VIRTUAL MEETING TO ADDRESS KEY GOVERNANCE ISSUES FOR THE COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION The CPA Executive Committee held its first fully virtual meeting from 19 to 22 August 2020 chaired by the Chairperson of the Executive Committee, Hon.
Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, MP, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Cameroon.

The CPA Executive Committee represents the nine regions of the CPA - Africa; Asia; Australia; British Islands and Mediterranean; Canada; Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic; India; Pacific; South-East Asia.

The CPA Executive Committee Mid-Year meeting was attended by representatives from all of the nine CPA Regions along with the Officers of the Association.
The meeting was also the first CPA Executive Committee attended by the new Secretary- General of the CPA, Stephen Twigg.

The Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee said: “The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) provides a unique platform for inter-parliamentary dialogue to take place amongst its membership of 180 Member Parliaments and Legislatures.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s membership not only comprises national Parliaments of the Commonwealth, but also provincial, state and territorial Legislatures as well as devolved Assemblies.
The diverse nature of the membership provides the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association with a unique position within the parliamentary community to offer a comprehensive perspective on how to strengthen parliamentary democracy Commonwealth- wide and discuss new and innovative approaches on how to do so.” The CPA Executive Committee Mid-Year meeting was due to have been held in April 2020 in Assam, India but had to be postponed due to COVID-19 global pandemic and travel restrictions in place.
Ahead of the CPA Executive Committee meetings, the CPA Chairperson and the CPA Secretary-General also met virtually with the CPA Regional Secretaries.

Left: The Speaker of the Parliament of Fiji and CPA Pacific Regional Representative, Hon.

Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, MP participates in the virtual CPA Executive Committee meeting.
CPA GOVERNANCE MEETING WITH CPA OFFICERS HELD AT START OF 2020 The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association held a meeting of the Officers of the Association on 18 and 19 January 2020 in London, UK.

The meeting was chaired by Hon.

Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, MP, Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee and the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Cameroon.

Attendees included: Hon.


John Ajaka, MLC, Vice-Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee and President of the Legislative Council of New South Wales; Hon.

Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar bin Mohd Akin, MP (Malaysia), CPA Treasurer; Hon.

Shandana Gulzar Khan, MNA (Pakistan), Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP); Hon.
Niki Rattle, CPA Small Branches Chairperson and Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands; Senator Yuen Paul Woo from Canada also attended the meeting to represent the CPA President.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 59 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Day-to-Day Management: The CPA Secretary-General is supported in the day-to-day management of the CPA Headquarters Secretariat and the Association’s affairs by the Deputy Secretary-General and Director of Operations and the Finance Director.
The CPA Secretary-General reports on the operations of the CPA Headquarters Secretariat directly to the CPA Chairperson and the CPA Executive Committee, and via the Co-ordinating Committee and the three Subcommittees.

Decisions on daily operational matters are made by the CPA Secretary-General, in consultation with the Directors.
The CPA Secretary-General, the Deputy Secretary-General and Director of Operations, the Finance Director, the Head of Parliamentary Development, the Head of the Secretary-General’s Office, the Head of IT Transformation and HR Consultant make up the Senior Management Team (SMT).

Risk Management: The Trustees are responsible for risk management.

Risks identified by the Senior Management Team are reviewed, assessed and appropriate action incorporated as part of operational delivery.
During 2020, the main risks and uncertainties facing the Association were: • restricted opportunities to grow or diversify income.

• significant reliance on membership fees, and the timely payment of subscriptions.

• • the challenge of ensuring that membership remains a worthwhile proposition for the CPA’s Branches.

investment in the infra-structure that helps ensure the CPA Headquarters Secretariat is run efficiently and is pro-active in communications with its membership.
• new or unexpected pressures on the CPA Headquarters Secretariat or Programme costs.

• governance, given the CPA’s status as a UK Charity with both UK and international Trustees.

Appropriate systems and/or actions have been developed or undertaken to identify and mitigate risk.

These systems or actions include: • expanding the Association’s revenue streams by reviewing its membership categories.

• maximising the Association’s investment returns within an agreed risk appetite framework.
• actively seeking hosts for the Association’s events to achieve a reduced cost burden on reserves.

• financial governance-related policies (i.e.

use of credit cards, funding policy to support branch programme delivery, cash handling, etc).

• a programme of internal audit of the Association’s governance, risks, controls and performance management arrangements.

• Audit Subcommittee oversight.

• staff handbook detailing HR policies, practices and procedures.
• business and financial risk management plan (risk register) which details the nature of risk (i.e.

external, fraud, governance, operational, liquidity and security) likelihood of occurrence, controls in place and the risk holder.

• appropriate insurance cover (management liability: Trustees’ liability, employment practices liability and legal liability; office cover: employer’s liability, public liability, business interruption, and office contents; health and life).
• establishment of an expert group to consider options for longer term organisational status.

The Trustees consider risk management as a top priority matter.

The internal audit cycle in 2020 reviewed the effectiveness of the Association’s risk management processes and key controls.

Following the review, steps will be taken to update/develop relevant policies and systems.
Compliance with UK Charity Commission Governance Code: The CPA Headquarters Secretariat recognised that a new Governance Code was introduced by the UK Charity Commission in July 2017 and has implemented and complied with this new code.
CPA STRATEGIC AND BUSINESS PLAN CONSULTATIONS The previous CPA Strategic Plan for the Association runs from 2018 to 2021 and so in 2020, the CPA Secretary- General and the CPA Headquarters Secretariat began a consultation process with all CPA Branches and Regions as well as over 100 external stakeholders to produce the next CPA Strategic Plan for 2022-2025.
The CPA Secretary-General emphasised the key role of building effective partnerships with Commonwealth organisations in achieving the organisation’s strategic goals.

The new Strategic Plan will be presented to the CPA Executive Committee in March 2021 and will begin in 2022.
60 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Corporate Effectiveness and Efficiency Provision of Facilities for Member Branches CPA Headquarters Secretariat staff during 2020 are listed below: • Mr Stephen Twigg, Secretary-General (from 1 August 2020) • Mr Jarvis Matiya, Acting Secretary-General (until July 2020) The Trustees continued to make the CPA both accessible and then Deputy Secretary-General welcoming to all Commonwealth countries who wish to enhance • Mr Paul Townley, Director of Finance parliamentary democracy.
In particular, we are committed to • Mr Matthew Salik, Head of Parliamentary Development assisting Commonwealth countries that are less developed both • Ms Emily Davies, Head of Private Office, Secretary-General’s Office financially and democratically.

Our annual membership fee is • Mr Chinonso Orekie, Head of IT Transformation structured to provide assistance to all CPA Branches by providing • Ms Sharon Moses, Human Resources Advisor funding to assist their Parliamentarians to attend the CPA’s events.
• Mr Tuck Choo, Financial Accountant • Mr Jeffrey Hyland, Editor, The Parliamentarian and CPA Staff & Secretariat Matters in 2020 Communications Manager In 2020, the staff at the CPA Headquarters Secretariat continued • Ms Cynthia Appenteng, Partnership & Engagement Manager in their commitment to support the work of Parliamentarians and • Mr James Pinnell, Programmes Manager, Multilateral Engagement parliamentary staff in the Branches and Regions of the Association.
• Ms Lydia Buchanan, Programmes Manager, Bilateral Engagement • Ms Benite Dibateza, Programmes Officer and CWP Coordinator CPA Headquarters Secretariat have continued to benefit from • Mr Jack Hardcastle, Programmes Officer and CPA Small Learning and Development (L&D) opportunities and training during Branches Coordinator the year.
To that end, CPA Headquarters Secretariat staff members • Mr Clive Barker, Programmes Officer and CPwD Coordinator attended, amongst others: Prince2 Foundation Training; BOND • Ms Colette Blair-Buchanan, Finance Officer courses on Monitoring and Evaluation and Budget Management; • Ms Avni Kondhia, Executive Officer, Secretary-General’s Office Senior Leadership and Management course.
• Ms Aqsa Latif, Programmes Administrator • Ms Acacia Wall, Programmes Administrator The CPA Headquarters Secretariat recruited several new staff • Ms Olivia Flynn, Programmes Administrator (Parliamentary members in 2020 including the Secretary-General, Programmes Academy) Manager, Partnership & Engagement Manager, Executive Officer to • Mr Tom Davies, Communications and Monitoring & Evaluation the Secretary-General, Programmes Administrator (Parliamentary Administrator Academy) and Communications and Monitoring & Evaluation • Mrs Luseane Chesham, Office Administrator (part-time) Administrator.
The CPA Headquarters Secretariat also worked with the CPA New Zealand Branch to recruit a new Programmes Administrator based at the Parliament of New Zealand.

Former CPA staff during 2020: • Ms Anna Schuesterl, Programmes Manager • Mr Mohammed Aden, Programmes Administrator NEW CPA SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTED IN 2020 In 2020, the CPA Executive Committee appointed a new Secretary-General for the Association, Stephen Twigg.

The Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, Hon.
Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, MP, said: “On behalf of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, we welcome the appointment of the new CPA Secretary-General, and the CPA Executive Committee and CPA Headquarters Secretariat look forward to working with Mr Stephen Twigg to further the work of the Association in parliamentary strengthening across the Commonwealth.
His long-standing parliamentary experience will be valuable to the Association.” The CPA Executive Committee approved the appointment of the new CPA Secretary-General, acting in the capacity of the General Assembly as mandated by the 64th General Assembly held in Kampala, Uganda on 28 September 2019.

The new CPA Secretary-General took up his appointment from 1 August 2020 for a fixed term of four years.
He is a former UK Parliamentarian, who was elected to the Parliament of the United Kingdom as a Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2005 (Enfield Southgate) and from 2010 to 2019 (Liverpool West Derby).

During his parliamentary career, he held several senior positions including Chairperson of the International Development Select Committee, Minister for Schools and a range of Shadow Front Bench roles.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 61 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Appendix 1: Patrons, Officers, CPA Executive Committee Members and Steering Committee Members Patron and Vice-Patron Patron H.M. Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth Vice-Patron Vacant, 2019-2020 s s e r P a r e m a C / l l e n n a w S n h o J © n e e u Q e h T f o t i a r t r o P Executive Committee Members (Officers of the Association) The names of the Members serving on the CPA Executive Committee during the year (as at 31 December 2020) were as follows: Officers: President Hon.
Anthony Rota, MP, Speaker of the House of Commons, Canada Federal, 2019 - to date* Vice-President Vacant, Parliament of Ghana, 2019 - to date* Chairperson Hon.

Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, MP, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Cameroon, 2017 – to date* Vice-Chairperson Hon.

John Ajaka, MLC, President of the Legislative Council, New South Wales, 2019 – to date* Also Regional Representative for the CPA Australia Region, 2016 - to date* Treasurer Hon.

Datuk Shamsul Iskander Md.


Akin, MP, Federal Parliament of Malaysia, 2019 – to date CWP Chairperson Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Chairperson: Hon.

Shandana Gulzar Khan, MNA, National Assembly of Pakistan, 2019 – to date CPA Small Branches Chairperson Hon.

Niki Rattle, Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands, 2019 – to date Executive Committee Members (Regional Representatives) CPA Africa Region Hon.
Bernard Songa Sibalatani, MP, Vice-Chairperson of National Council, Namibia, 2016 – to date* Hon.

Lazarous C. Chungu Bwalya, MP, Zambia, 2016 – to date* Hon.

Dr Makali Mulu, MP, Kenya, 2017 – to date* Rt Hon.

Sephiri Enoch Motanyane, MP, Speaker of National Assembly of Lesotho, 2017 – to date* Hon.

Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, MP, Ghana, 2019 - to date Rt Hon.
Dr Abass Bundu, MP, Speaker of the Parliament of Sierra Leone, 2019 - to date 62 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 CPA Asia Region Hon.

Dr Fehmida Mirza, MP, Pakistan, 2016 – to date* Hon.

Dr Lal Chand Ukrani, MPA, Sindh, 2017 – to date* Hon.

Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, MP, Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, 2019 - to date CPA Australia Region Hon.
John Ajaka, MLC, President of the Legislative Council, New South Wales, 2016 – to date* Also Vice-Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, 2019 - to date Hon.

Bruce Atkinson, MLC, President of the Legislative Council, Victoria, 2017 – to date Senator Hon.

Scott Ryan, President of the Senate of Australia, 2019 - to date CPA British Islands and Mediterranean Region Hon.

Stuart McMillan MSP, Scotland (Stand-in Branch for Northern Ireland), 2016 – to date* Hon.
Leona Roberts MLA, Falkland Islands, 2017 – to date* Hon.

Ian Liddell-Grainger, MP, United Kingdom, 2019 - to date CPA Canada Region Hon.

François Paradis, MNA, Quebec (Stand-in Branch for Northwest Territories), 2016 – to date* Hon.

Kevin Murphy, MLA, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Nova Scotia, 2017 – to date* Hon.

Yasmin Ratansi, MP, Canada Federal, 2019 - to date CPA Caribbean, Americas and the Atlantic Region Hon.
Bridgid Annisette-George, MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives Trinidad & Tobago, 2017 – to date* Parliament and Media Law Conference Hon.

Andy Glenn Daniel, MP, Speaker of the House of Assembly of St Lucia, 2019 - to date Hon.
Dwayne Taylor, MHA, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Turks and Caicos, 2019 - to date CPA India Region Shri Premchand Aggarwal, MLA, Speaker of the Assembly of Uttarakhand (Stand-in Branch for Jammu and Kashmir), 2016 – to date* Shri Hitendra Goswami, MLA, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Assam, 2017 – to date* Shri Anurag Sharma, MP, Lok Sabha, India Union, 2019 - to date CPA Pacific Region Vacant, New Zealand, 2016 – to date* Hon.
Therese Kaetavara, MHR, Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Bougainville, 2017 - to date* Rt Hon.

Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, MP, Speaker of the Parliament, Fiji, 2019 - to date CPA South-East Asia Region Hon.

Suhaizan Kayat, MLA, Speaker of the Johor State Legislative Assembly (Stand-in Branch for Malacca), 2016 – to date* Hon.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan, MP, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Singapore, 2017 – to date* Hon.
Datuk Wira Dr Mohd Hatta Md Ramli, MP, Malaysia, 2019 - to date * The names of the Members serving on the CPA Executive Committee are listed as at 31 December 2020.

Some Members’ terms were extended in 2020 as no General Assembly was held in 2018 and in 2020.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 63 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Former Officers and Members of the Executive Committee (Regional Representatives) during 2020 The following includes those who served during the year, but their term had ended when the Annual Report was approved: Vice-President Rt Hon.

Aaron Mike Oquaye, MP, Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana (2019-2020) CPA Asia Region • Hon.
Karu Jayasuriya, MP, Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka (2019-2020) CPA Pacific Region • Mr Clayton Mitchell, MP , New Zealand (2016-2020) • Hon.

Francesca Semoso, MHR, Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Bougainville (2017-2020) CPA South-East Asia Region • Hon.

Mr Zainal Sapari, MP, Singapore (2017-2020) CPA Small Branches Steering Committee As at 31 December 2020: CPA Small Branches Chairperson Hon.
Niki Rattle, Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands, 2019 – to date British Islands and Mediterranean Region Hon.

Juan Watterson, SHK Speaker of the House of Keys, Isle of Man 2020 - to date Africa Region Hon.

Gervais Henrie, MNA, Deputy Speaker Seychelles, 2019 - to date Canada Region Hon.

Nils Clarke, MLA, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Yukon, 2019 - to date Australia Region Hon.
Joy Burch, MLA, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Australian Capital Territory, 2019 - to date Also Vice-Chairperson of the CPA Small Branches Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region Vacant, 2020 - to date.

Pacific Region Hon.Tofa Nafoitoa Talaimanu Keti, MP, Samoa, 2019 - to date South-East Asia Region Hon.
Hamizan bin Hassan, MLA Perlis, 2020 - to date Former Members of the CPA Small Branches Steering Committee during 2020: The following includes those who served during the year, but their term had ended when the Annual Report was approved: British Islands and Mediterranean Region Deputy Lyndon Trott, Guernsey (2019-2020) South-East Asia Region Hon.

Dato’Haji Hamdan bin Bahari, Perlis (2019-2020) Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region Hon.
W. McKeeva Bush, OBE, JP, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Cayman Islands (2019-2020) 64 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Steering Committee As at 31 December 2020: CWP President Vacant, Canada Federal, 2019 - to date CWP Chairperson Hon.

Shandana Gulzar Khan, MNA Pakistan, 2019 – to date Africa Region Hon.

Zainab Gimba, MP, Nigeria, 2019 - to date.


Also CWP Vice- Chairperson, 2019-2020.

Asia Region Ms. Munaza Hassan, MNA, Pakistan, 2018 - to date Australia Region Senator Nita Green Australia Federal 2019 – to date British Islands and Mediterranean Region Hon.

Samantha Sacramento, MP Gibraltar 2019 - to date Canada Region Hon.

Lisa Thompson, MPP Ontario 2020 – to date Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region Senator Hon.
Jeannine Giraudy-McIntyre, President of the Senate, St Lucia, 2018 – to date India Region Smt.

Sunita Duggal, MP Lok Sabha, India 2020 – to date Pacific Region Hon.

Selina Napa, MP Cook Islands 2020 - to date South-East Asia Region Hon.
Alice Lau Kiong Yieng, MP Malaysia, 2019 – to date Former Members of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Steering Committee during 2020: The following includes those who served during the year, but their term had ended when the Annual Report was approved: Australia Region Ms Michelle O’Byrne, MP, Tasmania (2019-2020) India Region Smt.

Kirron Anupam Kher, MP, Lok Sabha, India (2017-2020) British Islands and Mediterranean Region Hon.
Margaret Mitchell, MSP, Scotland (2019-2020) Pacific Region Ms Anahila Kanongata’a-Suisuiki, MP, New Zealand (2017-2020) Canada Region Ms Laura Ross, MLA, Saskatchewan (2017-2020) Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) Regional Champions As at 31 December 2020: CPwD Chairperson Hon.

Kevin Murphy, MLA Speaker of the House of Assembly Nova Scotia, 2020 - to date Africa Region Hon.

Dennitah Ghati, MP Member of the National Assembly Kenya, 2020 - to date Asia Region Hon.
Zill-E-Huma, MNA Member of the National Assembly Pakistan, 2020 - to date Australia Region Hon.

Gareth Ward, MP Member of the Legislative Assembly and Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services, New South Wales, 2020 – to date British Islands and Mediterranean Region Hon.

Ann Jones, MS Deputy Presiding Officer of the National Assembly, Wales 2020 - to date Canada Region Hon.
Kevin Murphy, MLA Speaker of the House of Assembly Nova Scotia, 2020 - to date Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region Senator Paul Richards Trinidad and Tobago, 2020 – to date India Region Smt.

Supriya Sule, MP Lok Sabha, India 2020 – to date Pacific Region Hon.
Viam Pillay, MP Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment Fiji, 2020 - to date South-East Asia Region Senator Ras Adiba Mohd Radzi Malaysia, 2020 – to date Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 65 Activities and Public Benefit In pursuance of the CPA’s aims and objectives, the Trustees have considered the UK Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
In broad terms, all stakeholders in the legislative arm of government (the only other two being the executive and judiciary) across the 54 countries of the Commonwealth in particular, and the other countries of the world in general, benefit from the work of the Association through its promotion of the knowledge of the constitutional, legislative, economic, social and cultural aspects of parliamentary democracy.
During the year under review, the Trustees delivered on the following core constitutional mandate of: • arranging Commonwealth Parliamentary Conferences, and other conferences, seminars, meetings and study groups • providing facilities for the exchange of visits between Members of the Branches of the Association • publishing material relevant to the aims and activities of the Association, which shall include the regular publication of a periodical devoted to constitutional and parliamentary affairs • maintaining at the CPA Headquarters Secretariat a centre for the dissemination and exchange of information on parliamentary matters.
In 2020, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat planned to continue to implement a revised programme, with particular focus on parliamentary development and benchmarking, Post- Election Seminars and Technical Assistance Programmes together with an emphasis on youth engagement through the CPA’s Commonwealth Day activities, Commonwealth Youth Parliament and CPA Roadshows for young people.
However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, physical activities during 2020 have been severely restricted so a wide range of virtual activities have been organised.

CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 History and Status The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) was originally established in 1911 as the Empire Parliamentary Association.

In 1948, the name was changed to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
The CPA was registered as a charity on 22 October 1971 (registration number 263147) under the laws of the United Kingdom.

Its principal office is located at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, CPA Headquarters Secretariat, Richmond House, Houses of Parliament, London SW1A 0AA, United Kingdom.
The Association’s Constitution was first adopted by the General Assembly in Cyprus on 6 September 1993, and amended by the General Assembly of the Association at its meetings in New Zealand on 19 October 1998; in Canada on 7 September 2004; in India on 28 September 2007; in Kenya on 18 September 2010; in South Africa on 5 September 2013; and in the United Kingdom on 16 December 2016.
The current membership is made up of over 180 national, state, provincial and territorial Parliaments or Branches in 54 countries of the Commonwealth.

Each Branch is autonomous, raises its own finances and pays an annual subscription to the Association’s International Secretariat in London.

The annual subscription is determined at the Association’s annual meeting of the General Assembly.
Statement of Purpose The Commonwealth Parliamentary Assocation (CPA) exists to connect, develop, promote and support Parliamentarians and their staff to identify benchmarks of good governance, and implement the enduring values of the Commonwealth.

It collaborates with Parliaments and other organisations, including the intergovernmental community, to achieve its Purpose.
The CPA brings Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff together to exchange ideas among themselves and with experts in various fields, to identify good practices and new policy options which they can adopt or adapt in the governance of their societies.
Commonwealth Heads of Government have recognised the Parliaments and Legislatures of the Commonwealth as essential elements in the exercise of democratic governance, and have endorsed the efforts of the Association as the parliamentary partner of the Commonwealth’s governmental and non- governmental sectors.
The CPA’s activities focus on the Commonwealth’s commitment to its fundamental political values, including: just and honest government, the alleviation of poverty, fundamental human rights, international peace and order, global economic development, the rule of law, equal rights and representation for all citizens of both genders, the separation of powers among the three branches of government and the right to participate in free and democratic political processes.
66 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 2015 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Appendix 2: Financial Statements 2020 The Financial Statements show how the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) revenues were generated and expended during 2020.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 67 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND REVIEW Governing Document: The CPA has its own constitution ‘Constitution of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’ as adopted by the General Assembly of the Association at its meeting in Cyprus on 6 September 1993 and amended by the General Assembly of the Association from time-to-time.
Induction and Training of new Trustees: The CPA Headquarters Secretariat organises induction sessions for new Trustees.

New Trustees also receive recent data on the operations of the CPA, including financial reports and minutes of immediate past meetings.

The CPA Headquarters Secretariat updates Trustees on recent Charity legislation/ developments at their bi-annual meetings.
Statement of Trustees Responsibilities: Trustees, working through the Executive Committee, are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The law applicable to charities in England and Wales, requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the Charity and of the income and expenditure of the Charity for that period.

In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to: • Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently.
• Observe the methods and principles in Accounting and Reporting by Charities Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

• Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.

• State whether applicable United Kingdom accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements.
• Prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Charity will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable it to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the applicable Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations, and the provisions of the Charity’s Constitution and Trust Deeds.
They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and, hence, for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Website: The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the Charity and financial information included on the Charity’s website.

Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
Recruitment and Appointment of new Trustees: Members of the Executive Committee act as the Trustees of the Charity.

The General Assembly elects new Trustees on the advice of the Regions of the CPA.

All Trustees are unpaid.

Organisational Structure: The CPA Secretary-General is responsible for the day-to-day management of the CPA.

During 2020, he and previously the Acting CPA Secretary-General were supported by two Directors: Finance Director and Director of Operations.
The CPA Secretary-General makes decisions on operational matters, in consultation with the SMT.

The CPA Secretary-General reports to the Executive Committee, and annually to the General Assembly on the operations of the CPA Headquarters Secretariat.

The Executive Committee meets twice a year, and reports to the General Assembly.

Certain aspects of the work of the Executive Committee are undertaken between meetings by the Co-ordinating Committee.
The Sub-Committees of the Executive Committee meet on the margins during its meetings.

These are the Audit Committee, Planning and Review Sub-Committee, and Finance Sub-Committee.

CPA Branches: The CPA is composed of Branches that have been admitted as Members to the Association.

Each Branch is autonomous, raises its own finances and pays an annual subscription to the Association’s International Headquarters.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Headquarters Secretariat is the International Headquarters for the Association.

It has close links with the approx.

180 member Branches on a day-to-day working level.

Income raised by the Association’s Headquarters Secretariat is used to pay for the CPA’s programmes of work and for the meetings and conferences of its Members.

The annual subscription is determined at meetings of the General Assembly.
Risk Management: The Trustees are responsible for risk management.

Risks identified by the Senior Management Team (SMT) are reviewed, assessed and appropriate action incorporated as part of operational delivery.

During 2020, the main risks and uncertainties facing the Association were: • restricted opportunities to grow or diversify income.

• significant reliance on membership fees, and the timely payment of subscriptions.
• the challenge of ensuring that membership remains a worthwhile proposition for the CPA’s Branches.

• investment in the infra-structure that helps ensure the CPA Headquarters Secretariat is run efficiently and is pro-active in communications with its membership.

• new or unexpected pressures on the CPA Headquarters Secretariat or Programme costs.

• governance, given the CPA’s status as a UK Charity with both UK and international Trustees.
• the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on activities, its staff and its membership.

68 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Appropriate systems and/or actions have been developed to identify and mitigate risk.

These systems or actions include: • expanding the Association’s revenue streams by reviewing its membership categories.
• maximising the Association’s investment returns within an agreed risk appetite framework.

• actively seeking hosts for the Association’s events to achieve a reduced cost burden on reserves.

• financial governance-related policies (i.e.

use of credit cards, funding policy to support Branch programme delivery, cash handling, etc).

• a proposed programme of internal audits to cover areas as agreed by the Audit Subcommittee the Association.

• Audit Subcommittee oversight.


• staff handbook detailing HR policies, practices and procedures.

• extensive support for staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• a wide range of programmes to support Members carried out virtually as well as regular virtual governance meetings.

• business and financial risk management plan (risk register) which details the nature of risk (i.e.

external, fraud, governance, operational, liquidity and security) likelihood of occurrence, controls in place and the risk holder.
• appropriate insurance cover (management liability: Trustees’ liability, employment practices liability and legal liability; office cover: employer’s liability, public liability, business interruption, and office contents; health and life).

• establishment of an expert group to consider options for longer term organisational status.

Pay-Setting Policy for Key Management Personnel: The Trustees have an established pay-setting policy for the Charity’s key management personnel and other staff.
It is based on an approved pay band.

Progression from one spine point to another within a given band is on the basis of satisfactory performance.

The Trustees adopted the pay band on the recommendation of independent pay review consultants.

In addition, for staff at the top of their pay band, one off payments are awarded dependent on performance.

FINANCIAL REVIEW The total revenue for the financial year under review was £2,636,145 (2019: £2,835,653).
Of this, the Association’s core funding streams were from Branch Membership fees (90%) and financial investments (7%) with the balance coming from other sources such as subscriptions for The Parliamentarian and partnership income.

There was no Plenary Conference (Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference) held in 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting travel restrictions caused significant disruption in the deployment of CPA programmes, leading to a shift to online delivery.
Hence, this has resulted in a surplus of £1,221,807.

In 2019, the Plenary Conference was held in Kampala, Uganda and this together with additional costs incurred in human resource planning resulted in a deficit of £746,818.

Total revenue decreased by £199,508 when compared to the year ended 31 December 2019.

Membership income decreased by £67,548, and income from Investments decreased by £47,640.
The CPA also received £54,606 in income from the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) to fund Commonwealth Partnership for Democracy (CP4D) programmes compared to £137,196 the previous year.

Total operating costs during this reporting period were £1,548,711 (2019: £3,582,471), made up of the costs of raising funds, totalling £49,726 (3%), and direct charitable activities totalling £1,498,985 (97%).

In 2019, these were £51,670 (1%) and £3,530,801 (99%) respectively.
The decrease in total operating costs reported was due to no CPA Plenary Conference occurring in 2020, reduced legal and governance costs and a significant reduction in travel costs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
At the end of the financial year, the Association’s unrestricted reserves amounted to £2,372,927 (2019: £1,398,851) with free reserves, after deducting the value of tangible assets, amounting to £2,245,602 (2019: £1,336,812) which is in excess of the target in the reserves policy.

In addition to the General Reserves, both the Working Capital Trust Fund and the Conference Assistance Trust Fund (managed by Trustees under separate Trust Deeds), had total funds of £7,947,728 (2019: £7,699,997).
Income from each Trust Fund is used for the benefit of the Members in support of the wider objectives of the Association.

Financial Strategy: The Trustees agreed on the CPA financial strategy in South Africa in August 2013.

The issues addressed included reserve levels, income generation, and financial and administrative control policies for the Association.

Trustees have kept the strategy under review and in particular to ensure that it meets the wider strategic objectives of the CPA.
The revised Strategic Plan covering the period 2018 – 2021 has further reinforced and informed the existing Financial Strategy.

Reserves Policy: In 2018, the Reserves Policy of the Association was reviewed and the Trustees agreed a change in policy to one that better addresses the likely risks and financial pressures faced by the CPA in the medium to long-term.

Trustees have accordingly agreed a policy to retain unrestricted reserves at between 3 to 6 months planned operating expenditure.
As at December 2020, the Association held unrestricted reserves of £2,372,927.

The Trustees note that this is significantly in excess of the required amount in the reserves policy.

This figure will be kept under review and the Trustees will consider the scope for releasing funds from these reserves to meet the strategic priorities of the CPA.
As a result of CPA’s plans agreed by the Trustees for 2020 it was anticipated that unrestricted reserves would have begun to move to within the range implied by the Reserves policy but as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic this has not occurred.

However, it is expected that once travel restrictions are weakened, that the full range of physical activities including Plenary Conferences which will take place, will reduce the level of reserves in future.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 69 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Investment Policy: The CPA has investments in two trust funds under the guidance and supervision of the funds’ Trustees.

Under the trust deeds, the funds’ Trustees are mandated as the CPA Secretary-General, the Association’s Treasurer and another member of the CPA, who is not a member of the Executive Committee (listed on page 86).
The purposes of these funds are to promote knowledge and education about the constitutional legislatures within a parliamentary democratic framework, arrange study group meetings, seminars and conferences, and provide facilities for the exchange of visits between Members of the Branches of the CPA.

The Trustees have the power to invest in such stocks, shares and investments as they see fit.
The policy is to adopt a cautious- to-moderate risk investment strategy aimed at maximising income and capital growth.

Within this strategy, the Trustees have set a target of exceeding the average market performance for a similar fund, based on the market value of the portfolio.

The Trustees have a formal Investment Policy Statement that: • Defines and assigns the responsibilities of all parties.

• Establishes a clear understanding of the investment goals and objectives of Fund(s) assets.
• Offers guidance and limitations to investment advisors and/ or managers regarding the investment of Fund(s) assets.

• Establishes a basis for evaluating investment results.

• Provides guidelines on managing Fund(s) assets in accordance with prudent, ethical and environmental considerations, the Trust Deeds of the Fund(s), and the Trustee Act 2000.

Close Brothers Asset Management have been appointed to manage the trust funds.

The Trustees met four times in 2020 to review the funds’ performance.
Investment Performance: The value of the Association’s listed investments decreased by £86,645 (1%) from £7,367,936 at 31 December 2019 to £7,281,291 as at the end of the reporting period.

The Charity holds no unlisted funds.

The target total return on the Trustees’ portfolio of investments, within an agreed level of risk appetite, is 6% from 1 January 2020.

This is equally apportioned between annual investment income (3%) and long-term capital appreciation (3%).
At the Trustees’ meeting in November 2020, the Trustees have approved the Socially Responsible Portfolio proposed by Close Brothers with an annual forecasted yield of 2.1%.

The targeted total return of the Trustees’ portfolio remained at 6%.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the stock markets have experienced significant volatility and future major fluctuations remain a distinct possibility.
The Trustees will continue to monitor the performance of the investments and it is encouraging to note that the portfolio recovered very well in latter months of the year from the significant market falls experienced in the earlier part.

Fundraising: Following the implementation of the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016, the Trustees have reviewed its fundraising activities and confirms that it complies with the regulation.
There were no fundraising activities and the Association did not make use of any external fundraisers.

Plans for Future Periods: The current Strategic Plan, covering the period from 2018 – 2021, was agreed by Trustees in the first quarter of 2018.
The CPA will continue to pursue its key aims of holding conferences and seminars; disseminating information on Parliamentarians and political issues; organising international exchanges among Members and officials of Parliaments and Legislatures; and assisting newly emerging Commonwealth democracies.

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic all activities of the CPA were reviewed and activities have continued remotely with staff working from home with the appropriate support and guidance.
Operational plans, related budgets and forecasts have all been reviewed and updated for the years 2020 - 2022.

The CPA Headquarters Secretariat continuously strives to ensure that it can serve its membership to the highest possible standards as well as remaining a relevant and valuable service.
To that effect, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat continues to review its programme, Communications and outreach activities and delivery methodology to ensure it can continue to provide a full-spectrum service whilst the COVID-19 global pandemic remains in place.

With the likelihood that COVID-19 will continue to impact on countries for a number of years, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat will be considering in-depth its future performance and outputs.
As part of that process, the CPA will be reviewing if it is doing everything possible within the conditions and resources of the Association to provide support to its Members and Branches.

For example, moving to providing long-term online services, the development of remote resources and platforms as well as harnessing technology for maximum impact.
The impact on revenue, which relates predominantly to Membership fees, is not expected to be significant overall as the CPA will ensure Members continue to receive a full range of services and support, which, in the current climate may well be even more valuable than in the past.

However, it is likely some Branches may take longer to pay their fees than in the past as a result of restricted working arrangements currently in place as a result of COVID-19.
A new Strategic Plan is being prepared to cover 2022 -2025.

This plan is being produced after wide ranging consultations have taken place, both internally and externally to ensure it meets the needs of the membership.

Operational costs may well reduce compared to historic figures as a result of a reduction in overseas travel in the short to medium term.
Following the above review, and despite future plans still being, to a degree, uncertain as a result of COVID-19, the Trustees consider that the Association’s assets, and in particular, liquid funds are adequate to meet its annual obligations in the next two years.

Auditors: Buzzacott LLP, Registered Auditors, have indicated their willingness to continue in office and it is proposed that they be re-appointed auditors for the ensuing year.
70 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 The CPA Executive Committee approved this report on 26 March 2021.

Signed on behalf of the CPA Executive Committee: • Hon.
Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, MP, Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee • Stephen Twigg, Secretary-General Independent Auditor’s Report to the Trustees of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Opinion: We have audited the financial statements of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association for the year ended 31 December 2020 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA), the Balance Sheet, the Statement of Cash Flows and the related notes to the financial statements, including a summary of accounting policies.
The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland’ (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion, the financial statements: • give a true and fair view of the state of the Charity’s affairs as at 31 December 2020 and of its income and expenditure for the year then ended; • have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and • have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.
Basis for opinion: We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law.

Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report.
We are independent of the Charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Conclusions relating to going concern: In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information: The Trustees are responsible for the other information.

The other information comprises the information included in the Annual Report and Performance Review 2020, and the Annual Report and financial statements, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon.

Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.
If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information.

If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.
Matters on which we are required to report by exception: We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities Act 2011 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: • the information given in the trustees’ annual report is inconsistent in any material respect with the financial statements; or • sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or • the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or • we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
Responsibilities of Trustees: As explained more fully in the Trustees’ responsibilities statement, the Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are responsible for assessing the Charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to liquidate the Charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements: Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion.
Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 71 There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above.

The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance.
Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the trustees and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.

Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities.

This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report: This report is made solely to the Charity’s Trustees, as a body, in accordance with section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and with regulations made under section 154 of that Act.
Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Charity’s Trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Charity and the Charity’s Trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Statutory Auditor: Buzzacott LLP, 130 Wood Street, London, EC2V 6DL.
16 April 2021 Buzzacott LLP is eligible to act as an auditor in terms of section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.. CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists.

Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non- compliance with laws and regulations.

We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud.

The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below.
Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was as follows: • the engagement partner ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non- compliance with applicable laws and regulations; and • we obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that are applicable to the charity and determined that the most significant frameworks which are directly relevant to specific assertions in the financial statements are those that relate to the reporting framework (Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011) and those that relate to data protection (General Data Protection Regulation).
We assessed the susceptibility of the charity’s financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by: • making enquiries of management as to their knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud; and • considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations.
To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we: • performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships; • tested journal entries to identify unusual transactions; and • assessed whether judgements and assumptions made in determining the accounting estimate for the provision for bad debts were indicative of potential bias.
In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to: • reading the minutes of meetings of those charged with governance; and • enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation and claims.
72 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Statement of Financial Activities for the year ending 31 December 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Income from: Investments Charitable activities - Branch membership fees - Subscriptions for The Parliamentarian - Partnership income Other income Total income Expenditure on: Raising funds - Investment Management Costs Charitable activities - Parliamentary Benchmarking and Development - Public Outreach - Communications and Publishing Total expenditure Net income/(expenditure) before gains on investments Net gains on investments Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds Balance brought forward on 1 January 2020 Balance carried forward on 31 December 2020 2 3 6 12 17 17 Unrestricted funds £ Restricted funds £ Total 2020 £ Restated Total 2019 £ 29,063 167,625 196,688 244,328 2,381,673 2,849 - 329 - - 54,606 - 2,381,673 2,849 54,606 329 2,449,221 4,665 137,196 243 2,413,914 222,231 2,636,145 2,835,653 - 49,726 49,726 51,670 1,087,165 65,589 287,084 59,147 - 1,146,312 65,589 2,844,367 342,463 - 287,084 343,971 1,439,838 108,873 1,548,711 3,582,471 974,076 113,358 1,087,434 (746,818) - 974,076 134,373 247,731 134,373 843,035 1,221,807 96,217 1,398,851 7,699,997 9,098,848 9,002,631 2,372,927 7,947,728 10,320,655 9,098,848 All recognised gains and losses have been included in the Statement of Financial Activities.
All activities are continuing.
Note Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 73 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Balance sheet as at 31 December 2020 Note 2020 £ 2020 £ 2019 £ 2019 £ Fixed asset Tangible assets Investments Totals Current assets Debtors Short term deposit Cash at bank and in hand Totals Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Net current assets Net assets Funds Unrestricted General fund Restricted Conference assistance fund Working capital fund Totals 127,325 7,281,291 7,408,616 62,039 7,367,936 7,429,975 703,111 2,973,681 284,152 3,960,944 (1,048,905) 115,377 2,262,623 637,070 3,015,070 (1,346,197) 2,912,039 10,320,655 1,668,873 9,098,848 2,372,927 1,398,851 5,109,405 2,838,323 10,320,655 4,961,528 2,738,469 9,098,848 The Financial Statements were approved, and authorised for distribution, by the CPA Executive Committee on 26 March 2021 and signed on its behalf by: Hon.
Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, MP Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee Stephen Twigg CPA Secretary-General 74 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Cash flow statement for the year ending 31 December 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Cash flows from operating activities Cash flows from investing activities - Interest and dividends - Purchase of property, plant and equipment - Purchase of investments - Proceeds from the sale of investments - Movement in investment cash account Net cash provided by investing activities Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period 2020 £ 36,219 196,688 (95,785) (1,809,746) 2,046,922 (16,158) 321,921 358,140 2019 £ 212,249 244,328 (84,139) (2,163,556) 2,028,190 151,650 176,473 388,722 Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period 2,899,693 2,510,971 Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period 3,257,833 2,899,693 Notes to the cash flow statement Reconciliation of Net Movement in Funds to Net Cash Flow from Operating Activities - Net movement in funds - Depreciation charges - (Increase)/Decrease in debtors - (Decrease)/Increase in creditors - Interest and Dividends - (Gains) on investments Net cash provided by operating activities Analysis of Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash at bank and in hand Short term deposits Totals 2020 £ 2019 £ 1,221,807 30,499 (587,734) (297,292) (196,688) (134,373) 96,217 22,497 458,802 722,096 (244,328) (843,035) 36,219 212,249 2020 £ 2019 £ 284,152 637,070 2,973,681 2,262,623 3,257,833 2,899,693 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 75 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Notes to the financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2020 1.
Summary of Accounting Policies (a) Basis of accounting The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in these notes to the financial statements.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), Charities SORP (FRS102), and the Charities Act 2011.
The financial statements have been prepared to give a ‘true and fair’ view and have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a ‘true and fair view’.
This departure has involved following Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) rather than the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice effective from 1 April 2005 which has since been withdrawn.

The financial statements are presented in sterling and are rounded to the nearest pound.
The Charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.

(b) Income recognition All membership fee income is recognised once the Charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount of income receivable can be measured reliably.

In the event of Branch suspension, we stop recognising its income.
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably when notification is received of the interest paid or payable by the bank.

Dividends are recognised when notification is received of the dividend due.

(f) Employee benefits • Short term benefits: Short term benefits including holiday pay are recognised as an expense in the period in which the service is received.

• Employee termination benefits: Termination benefits are accrued in line with FRS 102.
(g) Fund accounting Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the Charity.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by the charity’s funding partners.

Note 17 sets out the aim and use of each restricted fund.
(h) Operating leases Rentals payable under operating leases, where substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership remain with the lessor, are charged to the SOFA in the year in which they fall due.

(i) Subventions to CPA Branches CPA Branches’ outstanding travel claims are accrued at the end of the financial year.

If after one year from the date of accrual such claims have not been made, the accrued amounts are written back.
(j) Foreign exchange Balances denominated in foreign currencies are translated into pounds sterling at the rate of exchange prevailing at the balance sheet date.

Financial transactions are translated at the rate of exchange prevailing on the date the transaction is processed.

(c) Expenditure recognition Liabilities are recognised as expenditure when there is a legal or constructive commitment, it is probable that settlement will be required, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis.

(d) Allocation of support and governance costs Support costs are allocated between governance costs and other support costs.

Governance costs comprise all costs involving the public accountability of the Charity and its compliance with regulation and good practice.

These costs include costs related to statutory audit and legal fees together with an apportionment of overhead and support costs.
(k) Fixed asset investments Investments are a form of basic financial instrument and are recognised initially at their transaction value and measured subsequently at their fair value as at the balance sheet date using the closing quoted market price.

The SOFA includes the net gains and losses arising on revaluation and disposals throughout the year.

(l) Tangible fixed assets and depreciation All assets costing more than £350 are capitalised and valued at historical cost.
Depreciation is charged on IT and other equipment on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful life of three years from the year of acquisition.

(e) Pension costs The CPA Headquarters Secretariat operates a defined contribution pension scheme for the benefit of its employees.

The net assets of the fund are held separately from those of the Charity.

Contributions payable are charged to the SOFA in the year in which they are incurred.
(m) Realised gains and losses All gains and losses are taken to the Statement of Financial Activities as they arise.

Realised gains and losses on investments are calculated as the difference between sales proceeds and their opening carrying value or their purchase value if acquired subsequent to the first day of the financial 76 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 year.
Unrealised gains and losses are calculated as the difference between the fair value at the year end and their carrying value.

Realised and unrealised investment gains and losses are combined in the Statement of Financial Activities.

(n) Stocks Stocks are not included in the balance sheet and costs are written off as incurred.

(o) Debtors Branch fees and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due, less any provision for bad or doubtful amount.
Such provisions are specific and applied in a consistent manner based on a debts aging and other factors affecting potential recoverability such as the status of the branch.

Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
(p) Creditors and provisions Creditors and provisions are recognised where the Charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that probably will result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably.

Creditors and provisions are recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
(q) Cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents in the cash flow statement comprise cash in hand, balances with banks, investments in money market instruments representing short-term, highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash.

(r) Going concern and COVID-19 pandemic The Trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern.
With respect to the next reporting period, the most significant areas of uncertainty that affect the charity’s assets relates to the COVID-19 pandemic and the level of investment return and the performance of the investment markets (see the investment policy and the risk management sections of the Trustees’ annual report for more information).
Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, all activities of the CPA have been examined and activities have continued remotely with staff working from home with the appropriate support and guidance.

Operational plans, related budgets and forecasts have all been reviewed and updated for the years 2020- 2022.
Following the above review, and despite future plans still being, to a degree, uncertain as a result of COVID-19, the Trustees consider that the Association’s assets, and in particular, liquid funds are adequate to meet its annual obligations in the next two years.

Whilst changes to and timing of activities have had to take place the financial impact on the CPA has been limited.
The impact on revenue, which relates predominantly to Membership fees, is not expected to be significant overall as the CPA will ensure members continue to receive a full range of services and support, which, in the current climate may well be even more valuable than in the past.

However, it is likely some Branches may take longer to pay their fees than in the past as a result of restricted working arrangements currently in place as a result of COVID-19.
Operational costs may well reduce compared to historic figures as a result of a reduction in overseas travel in the short to medium term.

As a result of the above review of the charity’s financial position, reserves levels and future plans, the Trustees are of the view that the charity remains a going concern in respect to a period of one year from the date of approval of these financial statements, notwithstanding the uncertainties outlined above.
(s) Judgements and estimates Judgements made by the Trustees, in the application of these accounting policies that have significant effect on the financial statements and estimates with a significant risk of material adjustment in the next reporting period are deemed to be in relation to the valuation of investments and the provision for doubtful debts.

The CPA Headquarters Secretariat is currently hosted by the UK Parliament on the Parliamentary Estate.
The Trustees do not believe that the value of this benefit, although a Gift in Kind, can be measured with sufficient accuracy.

In addition to the above, the full impact following the recent emergence of the global coronavirus pandemic is still unknown.

It is therefore not currently possible to evaluate all the potential implications for the CPA’s activities, members, suppliers and the wider economy.

Estimates used in the financial statements, are subject to a greater degree of uncertainty and volatility.
As set out in these accounting policies under ‘going concern and COVID-19 pandemic’, the Trustees have considered the impact of the pandemic on the charity and have concluded that it is appropriate for the CPA to continue to prepare its financial statements on the going concern basis.

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 77 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Notes to the financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2020 (continued) 2.
Investment Income Unrestricted funds 2020 £ Restricted funds 2020 £ Total 2020 £ Unrestricted funds 2019 £ Restricted funds 2019 £ Total 2019 £ Dividends – equities Interest – fixed interest securities Interest on cash and money market deposits - - 29,063 143,396 20,469 3,760 143,396 20,469 32,823 - - 26,854 176,659 37,130 3,685 176,659 37,130 30,539 29,063 167,625 196,688 26,854 217,474 244,328 Investment income consists of dividend & interest received from investments, bank interest and interest earned on term deposits.
3.

Partnership Income Westminster Foundation for Democracy – Commonwealth Partnership for Democracy (CP4D) Project 4.
Staff Costs Salaries and wages Redundancy costs Social security costs Pension costs Totals Note 5 Total 2020 £ Total 2019 £ 54,606 54,606 137,196 137,196 Total 2020 £ Restated Total 2019 £ 747,439 - 68,973 44,080 860,492 734,678 115,751 77,590 57,821 985,840 The Benefits-in-kind payments of £19,221 (2019: £15,502) cover qualifying employees’ relocation, home leave, health & travel insurance and death-in-service expenses to the Association.
These payments are covered by a PAYE Settlement Agreement with HM Customs and Excise.

The average number of staff employed during the year was: Management Charitable activities Totals Key management personnel Secretary-General Acting Secretary-General Deputy Secretary-General and Director of Operations Finance Director Totals 2020 No.

3 15 2019 No.
3 15 2019 No.

3 14 18 2020 £ 49,127 70,303 35,692 52,216 207,338 17 2019 £ 168,927 33,201 58,183 51,461 311,772 The key management personnel comprised members of the Senior Management Team (SMT).

The SMT is made up of the CPA Secretary-General, Acting Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General & Director of Operations and Finance Director.

78 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 4.
Staff Costs (continued) Staff receiving emoluments in excess of £60,000, (exclusive of pension contributions paid by the CPA Headquarters Secretariat), during the year were as follows: £60,000 - £70,000 £70,000 - £80,000 £90,000 - £100,000 £130,000 - £140,000 Totals Total 2020 No.

2 - 1 - Total 2019 No.

1 1 - 1 3 3 All of the employees whose emoluments were greater than £60,000 are part of the personal pension scheme and the CPA Headquarters Secretariat paid £9,691 (2019: £26,702) for these employees.
A total of £42,250 was paid to 8 Parliaments of Members of the Executive Committee for their travel and accommodation to Coordinating Committee meetings (2019: £308,048 to 38 Parliaments of Members of the Executive Committee).

None of the Executive Committee Members received remuneration or benefits from employment with the CPA (2019: none).

5.
5.

Pension scheme The CPA Headquarters Secretariat’s Personal Pension Scheme (“Scheme”) for employees is with Scottish Widows, which commenced on 1st August 2010 (previously with Clerical Medical).

The Scheme is funded by contributions from Scheme members and the CPA Headquarters Secretariat.

The Scheme is operated on a Personal Pension Scheme basis and is not a defined benefits final salaries arrangement.
Contributions are invested with Scottish Widows under the pension rules to produce the maximum fund of monies at retirement for each individual member.

Members can contribute towards the cost of their benefits at rates between the range of 2-15% of annual salary.

The CPA Headquarters Secretariat pays 16%.

In 2017, in response to the UK Pension Act 2008, CPA Headquarters Secretariat registered for automatic enrolment.
From April 2017, staff members can contribute towards the cost of their benefits at rates of 3% of annual salary.

The CPA Headquarters Secretariat pays 5%.

Total Premiums paid Less: Contributions from employees Employer Contributions Total 2020 £ Total 2018 £ 71,872 (27,792) 44,080 71,496 (13,675) 57,821 6.
Total Expenditure Cost of generating funds Investment management costs Note Direct costs 2020 £ 49,726 Support costs 2020 £ Total 2020 £ Direct costs 2019 £ Support costs 2019 £ Total 2019 £ - 49,726 51,670 - 51,670 Cost of charitable activities - Parliamentary Benchmarking and Development - Public Outreach - Communications and Publishing 8 9 10 Totals 563,296 23,127 583,016 42,462 1,146,312 65,589 1,629,352 120,730 1,215,015 221,733 2,844,367 342,463 120,822 166,262 287,084 167,764 176,207 343,971 756,971 791,740 (Note 6a) 1,548,711 1,969,516 1,612,955 (Note 6a) 3,582,471 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 79 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Notes to the financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2020 (continued) 6a.
Allocation of Support Costs (2020) Cost of charitable activities - Parliamentary Benchmarking and Development - Public Outreach - Communications and Publishing Staff costs £ (Note 4) HR costs £ IT support costs £ Facilities £ Depreciation £ Governance £ Total 2020 £ 345,807 25,186 43,377 3,159 38,875 2,831 38,160 2,779 22,459 1,636 94,338 6,871 583,016 42,462 98,616 12,370 11,086 10,882 6,405 26,903 166,262 Totals 469,609 58,906 52,792 51,821 30,500 128,112 791,740 6a.
Allocation of Support Costs (2019 Restated) Cost of charitable activities - Parliamentary Benchmarking and Development - Public Outreach - Communications and Publishing Staff costs £ (Note 4) HR costs £ IT support costs £ Facilities £ Depreciation £ Governance £ Total 2019 £ 362,801 66,209 116,804 21,316 40,252 7,346 204,376 37,297 52,616 16,939 5,838 29,640 16,947 3,093 2,457 473,835 86,472 1,215,015 221,733 68,717 176,207 Totals 481,626 155,059 53,436 271,313 22,497 629,024 1,612,955 Support costs are allocated between activities based on the proportion of direct expenditure attributable to each activity.
7.
Governance Costs classified as governance relate to the general running of the Charity and included operations of the Board of Trustees and those addressing constitutional, audit and other statutory matters, and are made up of the following: - External Auditor’s remuneration - Statutory audit - Other services - Working group for programmes review - Co-ordinating Committee meetings - Legal & professional fees - Consultants’ fees - Officers travel - Overseas travel Totals 2020 £ 17,640 - - 40,316 17,753 48,934 2,521 948 128,112 2019 £ (Restated) 15,600 2,520 36,952 39,272 394,588 89,750 17,598 32,744 629,024 80 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 8.
Parliamentary Benchmarking and Development - CPA Post-Election Seminars - CPA Technical Assistance Programmes - Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) - CPA Small Branches Network (inc workshops) - Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) Network - Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meetings (CHOGM) - CPA Parliamentary Fundamentals Course - CPA Masterclasses - Commonwealth Partnership for Democracy (CP4D) - CPA Regional Conferences - CPA Annual Parliamentary Conference and Mid-year Executive Committee - Direct staff costs Totals 9.
Public Outreach - Commonwealth Day - Commonwealth Youth Parliament - CPA Roadshows for Schools and Universities - Direct staff costs Totals 10.
Communications and Publishing The Parliamentarian Printing Distribution Fees to contributors Subtotals - Annual Report - CPA website - Books, periodicals and information - Direct staff costs Totals CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 2020 £ 4,513 - 16,551 131 (4,332) 21 177,354 7,380 65,544 (9,461) 16,489 289,106 2019 £ (Restated) (1,283) (50,839) 52,387 33,957 13,696 - 230,838 (950) 137,196 48,015 786,518 379,817 563,296 1,629,352 2020 £ - 1,943 128 21,056 23,127 2020 £ 15,678 14,498 2,325 32,501 - 5,484 391 82,446 120,822 2019 £ (Restated) 14,653 36,531 232 69,314 120,730 2019 £ (Restated) 46,169 53,245 2,400 101,814 3,000 7,867 - 55,083 167,764 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 81 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Notes to the financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2020 (continued) 11.
Tangible Assets Tangible fixed assets comprise of computer and office equipment.

2020 £ 2019 £ Cost - At 1 January - Additions - Eliminated on disposal At 31 December Depreciation - At 1 January - Charge for the year - Eliminated on disposal At 31 December Net book value at 31 December 12.
Investments - Market value at 1 January -Additions - Disposal Proceeds - Investment cash account movement - Realised gains - Unrealised (losses)/gains Market value at 31 December Historic cost value at 31 December 85,137 95,785 (998) 179,924 23,098 30,499 (998) 52,599 127,325 14,323 84,139 (13,325) 85,137 13,926 22,497 (13,325) 23,098 62,039 2020 £ 2019 £ 7,367,936 1,809,746 (2,046,922) 16,158 (175,717) 310,090 6,541,185 2,163,556 (2,028,190) (151,650) (91,217) 934,252 7,281,291 7,367,936 6,079,241 6,475,129 The total unrealised gains at 31 December 2020 constitute movements on the revaluation and are as follows: Unrealised gains included above: On investments Total unrealised gains at 31 December Reconciliation of movements in unrealised (losses)/gains: Unrealised gains/(losses) at 1 January (Less): in respect to disposal in the year Add: net gains arising on revaluation in the year 2020 £ 1,202,050 1,202,050 892,807 (847) 310,090 2018 £ 892,807 892,807 (41,249) (196) 934,252 Total unrealised gains at 31 December 1,202,050 892,807 82 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Analysis of investment assets Fixed interest securities £ Equities £ Cash £ Total £ 2020 2019 1,112,082 5,976,522 192,687 7,281,291 1,382,781 5,808,625 176,530 7,367,936 The underlying assets contained within the various funds invested in by the Charity are recognised on a listed stock exchange.
13.

Debtors - Branch fees Less: Provision for doubtful debts Net branch fees - Staff advances - Other debtors and prepayments Totals 14.

Short term deposit investment Close Brothers business notice account and term deposit Totals 15.
Creditors: Amounts Falling Due Within One Year Note - Trade creditors - General accruals - Parliamentary Benchmarking and Development accruals - Tax and social security - Deferred income Totals 16 2020 £ 2019 £ 1,172,279 (740,515) 804,015 (768,554) 431,764 2,300 269,047 703,111 35,461 4,320 75,596 115,377 2020 £ 2019 £ 2,973,681 2,262,623 2,973,681 2,262,623 2020 £ 26,531 101,984 43,000 41,404 835,986 2019 £ 142,791 381,664 159,712 90,288 571,742 1,048,905 1,346,197 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 83 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Notes to the financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2020 (continued) 16.
Deferred income Branch fees - 2020 Totals for 2020 At 1 Jan 2020 £ 571,742 571,9742 At 1 Jan 2019 £ Released to income £ Deferred in the year £ At 31 Dec 2020 £ (571,742) (571,742) 835,986 835,986 835,986 835,986 Released to income £ Deferred in the year £ At 31 Dec 2019 £ Branch fees - 2019 Totals for 2019 62,965 62,965 (62,965) (62,965) 571,742 571,742 571,742 571,742 This primarily represents 2021 memberships received in 2020.
They are treated as deferred income, and will be released as income in 2021 in line with the membership period.

17.
Movement in funds Unrestricted funds - General reserve At 1 Jan 2020 £ Income £ Expenditure £ Gains (Losses)/ Transfers £ At 31 Dec 2020 £ 1,398,851 2,413,914 (1,439,838) - 2,372,927 Restricted Funds - Westminster Foundation for Democracy - Conference Assistance Fund (CAF) - Working Capital Fund (WCF) - 4,961,528 2,738,469 54,606 107,478 60,147 (54,606) (39,285) (14,982) - 79,684 54,689 - 5,109,405 2,838,323 Total restricted funds 7,699,997 222,231 (108,873) 134,373 7,947,728 Total funds 9,098,848 2,636,145 (1,548,711) 134,373 10,320,655 Unrestricted funds - General reserve Total unrestricted funds Restricted Funds - Westminster Foundation for Democracy - Conference Assistance Fund (CAF) - Working Capital Fund (WCF) Total restricted funds Total funds At 1 Jan 2019 £ Income £ Expenditure £ Gains (Losses)/ Transfers £ At 31 Dec 2019 £ 2,003,078 2,480,983 (3,085,210) - 1,398,851 - 4,548,272 2,451,281 137,196 141,149 76,325 (137,196) (272,124) (87,941) - 544,231 298,804 - 4,961,528 2,738,469 6,999,553 354,670 (497,261) 843,035 7,699,997 9,002,631 2,835,653 (3,582,471) 843,035 9,098,848 84 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Unrestricted funds • The general reserve represents the accumulated surplus which is available for spending on CPA’s objectives.
In 2018, to better addresses the likely risks and financial pressures faced by the CPA in the medium to long-term, the Trustees have accordingly agreed a policy to retain all unrestricted reserves at between 3 to 6 months planned operating expenditure.
Restricted funds • Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD): The object of the fund is to work with Parliaments in Commonwealth Member States across Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia to improve representation of women, young people with disabilities and the LGBT+ community in the democratic process.
• Conference Assistance Fund (CAF): The object of the fund is to advance the charitable purposes of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association as directed by the Trust Deed by applying the income or such parts of the capital as the Trustees may deem fit which are to provide financial aid and assistance to assist Branches to organise, constitute and hold plenary conferences and to assist Branches to facilitate the attendance of Regional Representative(s) and/or delegates at plenary conferences.
Expenditure is restricted to fulfilling these aims.

• Working Capital Fund (WCF): The object of the fund is to advance the charitable purposes of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association as directed by the Trust Deed by applying the income or such parts of the capital as the Trustees may deem fit which are to provide financial aid to host Branches and Parliamentary officials to organise educational seminars in accordance with the objects of the Association on parliamentary practice and procedure.
Expenditure is restricted to fulfilling these aims.

18.
Analysis of net assets between funds Unrestricted Funds 2020 £ Restricted Funds 2020 £ Total Funds 2020 £ Unrestricted Funds 2019 £ Restricted Funds 2019 £ Total Funds 2019 £ Tangible fixed assets Fixed asset investment Current assets Current liabilities 127,325 - 3,281,293 (1,035,691) - 7,281,291 679,651 (13,214) 127,325 7,281,291 3,960,944 (1,048,905) 62,039 - 2,617,302 (1,280,490) - 7,367,936 397,768 (65,707) 62,039 7,367,936 3,015,070 (1,346,197) Totals 2,372,927 7,947,728 10,320,655 1,398,851 7,699,997 9,098,848 19.
Related parties’ transaction Other than transactions with key management personnel as disclosed in note 4, there have been no related party transactions in the reporting period that require disclosure.

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 85 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Notes to the financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2020 (continued) 20.
Comparative Statement of Financial Activities Year ending 31 December 2019 Income from: Investments Charitable activities Branch membership fees Subscriptions for The Parliamentarian Partnership income Other income Total income Expenditure on: Raising funds Investment Management Costs Charitable activities Parliamentary Benchmarking and Development Public Outreach Communications and Publishing Note Unrestricted funds £ Restricted funds £ Total 2019 £ 2 3 26,854 217,474 244,328 2,449,221 4,665 - 243 - - 137,196 - 2,449,221 4,665 137,196 243 2,480,983 354,670 2,835,653 - 2,398,776 342,463 343,971 51,670 445,591 - - 51,670 2,844,367 342,463 343,971 Total expenditure 6 3,085,210 497,261 3,582,471 Net (expenditure)/income before gains/(losses) on investments Net gains/(losses) on investments Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds Balance brought forward on 1 January 2019 Balance carried forward on 31 December 2019 (604,227) (142,591) (746,818) - 843,035 843,035 (604,227) 700,444 96,217 2,003,078 6,999,553 9,002,631 1,398,851 7,699,997 9,098,848 12 17 17 21.
Post balance sheet events As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the stock markets have experienced significant volatility and future major fluctuations remain a distinct possibility.

The Trustees will continue to monitor the performance of the investments.
86 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Professional Advisers • External Auditors - Buzzacott LLP, 130 Wood Street, London, EC2V 6DL, United Kingdom E: enquiries@buzzacott.co.uk • Internal Auditors - Crowe Clark Whitehill LLP, St. Bride’s House, 10 Salisbury Square, London EC4Y 8EH, United Kingdom • Bank - National Westminster Bank plc, Westminster Branch, 57 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0HN, United Kingdom • Investment Managers - Close Brothers Asset Management, 10 Exchange Square, Primrose Street, London, EC2AR 2BY, United Kingdom • Legal Advisers - Bates Wells & Braithwaite London LLP, 10 Queen Street Place, London, EC4R 1BE, United Kingdom Trustees of CPA Trust Funds.
During 2020.

Hon.

Datuk Shamsul Iskander Md.
Akin, MP, Federal Parliament of Malaysia CPA Treasurer Mr Robin Swann MLA Northern Ireland Trustee (until July 2020) Deputy Lyndon Trott Guernsey Trustee (from July 2020) Mr Jarvis Matiya Acting CPA Secretary- General (until July 2020) Mr Stephen Twigg CPA Secretary-General (from August 2020) Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 | 87 CPA ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 88 | Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report and Performance Review 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 2014 Published by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).
Registered Charity Number 263147.

Editor: editor@cpahq.org Main photography by CPA Headquarters Secretariat Additional images provided by CPA Branches and partner organisations including the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Published May 2021 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association CPA Headquarters Secretariat Richmond House Houses of Parliament London SW1A 0AA United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0)20 7799 1460 Email: hq.sec@cpahq.org Website: www.cpahq.org Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Annual Report 2014 | 89 COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2020 Young citizens from seventeen different time zones across the Commonwealth participated in a week-long Virtual Commonwealth Youth Parliament in December 2020, organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, giving them the opportunity to experience parliamentary democracy, meet other young leaders and discuss urgent global issues.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).

Registered Charity Number 263147.

CPA Annual Report published in May 2021.

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association CPA Headquarters Secretariat Richmond House Houses of Parliament London SW1A 0AA United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0)20 7799 1460 Email: hq.sec@cpahq.org Website: www.cpahq.org Twitter @CPA_Secretariat Facebook.com/CPAHQ