# Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), previously known as the Empire Parliamentary Association, is an organisation which works to support good governance, democracy and human rights.
In 1989 the patron of the CPA was the Head of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II. The vice-patronship rotates amongst Heads of State and of Government of the Commonwealth nations who host its forthcoming annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference. The Association's supreme authority is the General Assembly, constituted by delegates to the annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference. The business and activities of the CPA are managed by an Executive Committee, which reports to the General Assembly. The CPA's funds are derived from membership fees paid by its branches, as well as from two trust funds and benefactors.
The official publication of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association is The Parliamentarian, the Journal of Commonwealth Parliaments which was first published in January 1920. The organisation administers the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP), a network across the Commonwealth which promotes greater representation for women in Parliament; the CPA Small Branches network, representing parliaments and legislatures with populations below 500,000 people; the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network; and the Commonwealth Youth Parliament, an annual gathering of young people hosted by a Commonwealth Parliament.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) currently has approximately 180 branches and is divided into nine regions: Africa, Asia, Australia, British Islands and Mediterranean, Canada, Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic, India, Pacific, and South-East Asia. The CPA Headquarters Secretariat is based in London.

## History

The CPA was founded as the Empire Parliamentary Association in 1911, with its first branches being Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom, the latter branch administering the Association as a whole. In 1948 the Association changed its name to the current Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and invited all branches to participate in the organisation's administration.

## Officers

The office of Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee is held by Ian Liddell-Grainger of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since August 2022. He was previously Acting Chairperson from April 2021.
Previous CPA Chairpersons have included: Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Cameroon (2017-2021); Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Speaker of Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban of Bangladesh (2014–2017), who succeeded Alan Haselhurst (2011–2014), formerly Chairman of Ways and Means of the UK Parliament.
The position of CPA Vice-Chairperson is currently held by Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, Majority Leader and Member of the Parliament of Ghana.
Since August 2022, the CPA Treasurer is Anurag Sharma (politician), Mmember of the Parliament of India.
Since August 2022, the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians is Zainab Gimba, MP from the House of Representatives (Nigeria). Previous CWP Chairpersons include: Shandana Gulzar Khan, MNA from the National Assembly of Pakistan; Noraini Ahmad, MP from the Parliament of Malaysia; Rebecca Kadaga, MP from the Parliament of Uganda; Alix Boyd Knights, House of Assembly of Dominica; Kashmala Tariq, National Assembly of Pakistan; Lindiwe Maseko, Parliament of South Africa and Gauteng Provincial Legislature.
Since August 2022, the Chairperson for the CPA Small Branches is Joy Burch, MLA and Speaker of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. Previous CPA Small Branches Chairpersons include Niki Rattle, Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands and Angelo Farrugia, Speaker of the Parliament of Malta.
Since August 2022, the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) is Laura Kanushu, MP from the Parliament of Uganda. Previous CPwD Chairpersons include Dennitah Ghati, HSC from the National Assembly (Kenya), and Kevin Murphy (Canadian politician), former Speaker of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia.

## Secretaries-General

The CPA's 8th Secretary-General is Stephen Twigg. He was appointed in August 2020 for a four-year term. Twigg 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 chairing the International Development Select Committee, Minister for Schools and a range of Shadow Front Bench roles.
Previous Secretaries-General have been: Karimulla Akbar Khan, UK/Guyanese Lawyer (2016-2019); William F. Shija, former Minister Tanzania Parliament (2007–2014); Denis Marshall, former Minister New Zealand Parliament (2002–2006); Arthur Donahoe, former Speaker Nova Scotia House of Assembly (1993–2001); David Tonkin, former Premier South Australia (1986–1992); Sir Robin Vandervelt from South Africa (1961–1985); Sir Howard d’Egville (1949–1960).

## Members

Members of the CPA are listed below. Both national and subnational parliaments are included.
| Members | National and Sub-National Parliaments |
| Alderney | States of Alderney |
| Anguilla | Parliament of Anguilla |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda Barbuda Council |
| Australia | Parliament of Australia. Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly Parliament of New South Wales Northern Territory Legislative Assembly Parliament of Queensland Parliament of South Australia Parliament of Tasmania Parliament of Victoria Parliament of Western Australia |
| The Bahamas | Parliament of the Bahamas |
| Bangladesh | Parliament of Bangladesh |
| Barbados | Parliament of Barbados |
| Belize | Parliament of Belize |
| Bermuda | Parliament of Bermuda |
| Botswana | Parliament of Botswana |
| British Virgin Islands | House of Assembly of the British Virgin Islands |
| Cameroon | National Assembly of Cameroon |
| Canada | Parliament of Canada Legislative Assembly of Alberta Legislative Assembly of British Columbia Legislative Assembly of Manitoba Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories Nova Scotia House of Assembly Legislative Assembly of Nunavut Legislative Assembly of Ontario Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island National Assembly of Quebec Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan Yukon Legislative Assembly |
| Cayman Islands | Parliament of the Cayman Islands |
| Cook Islands | Parliament of the Cook Islands |
| Cyprus | House of Representatives of Cyprus |
| Dominica | House of Assembly of Dominica |
| Eswatini | Parliament of Eswatini |
| Falkland Islands | Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands |
| Fiji | Parliament of Fiji |
| Gambia | National Assembly of the Gambia |
| Ghana | Parliament of Ghana |
| Gibraltar | Gibraltar Parliament |
| Grenada | Parliament of Grenada |
| Guernsey | States of Guernsey |
| Guyana | National Assembly of Guyana |
| India | Parliament of India Andhra Pradesh Legislature Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Assam Legislative Assembly Bihar Legislature Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Delhi Legislative Assembly Goa Legislative Assembly Gujarat Legislative Assembly Haryana Legislative Assembly Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Jharkhand Legislative Assembly Karnataka Legislature Kerala Legislative Assembly Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly Maharashtra Legislature Manipur Legislative Assembly Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Mizoram Legislative Assembly Nagaland Legislative Assembly Odisha Legislative Assembly Puducherry Legislative Assembly Punjab Legislative Assembly Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Sikkim Legislative Assembly Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Telangana Legislature Tripura Legislative Assembly Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly Uttar Pradesh Legislature West Bengal Legislative Assembly |
| Isle of Man | High Court of Tynwald |
| Jamaica | Parliament of Jamaica |
| Jersey | States of Jersey |
| Kenya | Parliament of Kenya |
| Kiribati | House of Assembly |
| Lesotho | Parliament of Lesotho |
| Malawi | Parliament of Malawi |
| Malaysia | Parliament of Malaysia Johor State Legislative Assembly Kedah State Legislative Assembly Kelantan State Legislative Assembly Malacca State Legislative Assembly Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly Pahang State Legislative Assembly Penang State Legislative Assembly Perak State Legislative Assembly Perlis State Legislative Assembly Sabah State Legislative Assembly Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Selangor State Legislative Assembly Terengganu State Legislative Assembly |
| Maldives | People's Majlis |
| Malta | Parliament of Malta |
| Mauritius | Parliament of Mauritius |
| Montserrat | Legislative Assembly of Montserrat |
| Mozambique | Parliament of Mozambique |
| Namibia | Parliament of Namibia |
| Nauru | Parliament of Nauru |
| New Zealand | Parliament of New Zealand |
| Nigeria | Parliament of Nigeria Abia State Adamawa State Akwa Ibom State Anambra State Bauchi State Bayelsa State Benue State Borno State Cross River State Delta State Ebonyi State Edo State Ekiti State Enugu State Gombe State Imo State Jigawa State Kaduna State Kano State Katsina State Kebbi State Kogi State Kwara State Lagos State Nasarawa State Niger State Ogun State Ondo State Osun State Oyo State Plateau State Rivers State Sokoto State Taraba State Yobe State Zamfara State |
| Niue | Niue Assembly |
| Pakistan | Parliament of Pakistan Provincial Assembly of Balochistan Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly of the Punjab Provincial Assembly of Sindh |
| Papua New Guinea | Parliament of Papua New Guinea Bougainville House of Representatives |
| Rwanda | Parliament of Rwanda |
| Saint Helena | Legislative Council of Saint Helena |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis. Also known as Saint Christopher and Nevis. | National Assembly Nevis Island Assembly |
| Saint Lucia | Parliament of Saint Lucia |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | House of Assembly of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Samoa | Legislative Assembly of Samoa |
| Seychelles | Parliament of Seychelles |
| Sierra Leone | Parliament of Sierra Leone |
| Singapore | Parliament of Singapore |
| Solomon Islands | National Parliament of the Solomon Islands |
| South Africa | Parliament of South Africa Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature Free State Provincial Legislature Gauteng Provincial Legislature KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature Limpopo Provincial Legislature Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature Northern Cape Provincial Legislature North West Provincial Legislature Western Cape Provincial Parliament |
| Sri Lanka | Parliament of Sri Lanka |
| Tanzania | Parliament of Tanzania Zanzibar House of Representatives |
| Tonga | Legislative Assembly of Tonga |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago Tobago House of Assembly |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | Turks and Caicos Islands House of Assembly |
| Tuvalu | Parliament of Tuvalu |
| Uganda | Parliament of Uganda |
| United Kingdom | Parliament of the United Kingdom Scottish Parliament Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament) Northern Ireland Assembly |
| Vanuatu | Parliament of Vanuatu |
| Zambia | Parliament of Zambia |

## Additional links

* The CPA Secretariat Headquarters CPA HQ – you will also find links to The Parliamentarian, the Journal of Commonwealth Parliaments, published by the CPA. Link to The Parliamentarian
* The Africa Region of the CPA CPA Africa
* The British Islands and Mediterranean Region and UK Branch of the CPA is based in Westminster CPA UK
* The Canadian Region of the CPA CPA Canada
* The Australia Region of the CPA CPA Australia
* The Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region of the CPA CPA CAA
* American Institute of Parliamentarians – similar association for United States.
* See also: Canadian Parliamentary Review