Artificial Intelligence in Parliamentary Work
2024-08-13 | Virtual
Artificial Intelligence in Parliamentary Work
Meeting of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Staff Network on Open Parliament
AGENDA

RESOURCES

Road Map Towards Legislative Openness 2.0
Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence from UNESCO
Use Cases for AI in Parliaments

Diwali
2024-10-31 | Worldwide
Diwali: Festival of Lights
Learn about India’s biggest holiday of the year.

Diwali, or Dipawali, is India‘s biggest and most important holiday of the year. The festival gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness. This festival is as important to Hindus as the Christmas holiday is to Christians.
Over the centuries, Diwali has become a national festival that’s also enjoyed by non-Hindu communities. For instance, in Jainism, Diwali marks the nirvana, or spiritual awakening, of Lord Mahavira on October 15, 527 B.C.; in Sikhism, it honors the day that Guru Hargobind Ji, the Sixth Sikh Guru, was freed from imprisonment. Buddhists in India celebrate Diwali as well.

67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference
2024-11-03 - 2024-11-08 | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Australia
Event Details
Dates: 3 to 8 November 2024
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Hosted by: Parliament of New South Wales and the CPA New South Wales Branch

Overview
The 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) will be hosted by the Parliament of New South Wales and the CPA New South Wales Branch in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia from 3 to 8 November 2024.
During the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, there will also be a number of additional conferences and meetings including:

CPA General Assembly and debate
meetings of the CPA Executive Committee
CPC Workshops and World Café Session
40th CPA Small Branches Conference
8th Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Conference
meetings of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network
58th Society of Clerks at the Table (SoCATT) meeting
presentation of the 2024 Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year awards
the 2nd Emilia Monjowa Lifaka Lecture.

Visit the 67th CPC Hub for all of the latest information and registration details about the conference.
Follow #67CPC for updates on social media.

Invitations, Nominations and Registration

Invitations to the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference are being issued to all eligible CPA Branches from the CPA President on behalf of the host Branch, CPA New South Wales.
Nominations for the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference should be made by each CPA Branch using the Nomination Form.
Registrations for the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference will follow shortly afterwards and in advance of the Conference, all active CPA Branches will be invited to register their delegates for the Conference.

Accessibility
The CPA is committed to inclusivity and accessibility at all its events and programmes. Should you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the CPA Secretariat to discuss this with us.

Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, please contact us at hq.sec@cpahq.org.

International Women's Day 2025
2025-03-08 | Worldwide
Event Details
Date: 8 March 2025
International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognised for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.
The CPA will be celebrating International Women’s Day through several online campaigns recognising the achievements of women in Parliaments across the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) network will be leading the celebrations across the CPA membership.

Commonwealth Day 2025
2025-03-10 | Worldwide
Event Details
Date: 10 March 2025

Overview
Commonwealth Day, held every year on the second Monday of March, is a celebration of unity, diversity and the links of the modern Commonwealth. It is also a time to bring people together for dialogue and reflection upon the designated theme of the year.
Schools, governments, Parliaments and communities across the Commonwealth organise events. The Commonwealth Day Service is organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society and takes place in Westminster Abbey in London, UK.
Governments and Parliaments of Commonwealth member states and Commonwealth organisations can undertake activities, events and discussions on the theme chosen for Commonwealth Day.
Commonwealth Day is an opportunity for 2.4 billion people across the 56 Commonwealth countries to celebrate their shared Commonwealth values.

Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Workshop 2025
2025-04-28 - 2025-05-05 | Nassau, Bahamas, Nassau, Bahamas, Bahamas
Event Details
Dates: 28 April or 5 May 2025 (tbc)
Location: Nassau, The Bahamas
Hosted by: Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) network and the Parliament of The Bahamas

Overview

The CWP Workshop details will be confirmed shortly.

Nomination & Registration
All CPA Branches have been invited to nominate up to two Members to attend this workshop. Nominations will open shortly.
Please note there are a limited number of spaces available. If you are a Member of Parliament from an active CPA Branch and wish to attend this event, please contact your CPA Branch Secretary.
Once the Nomination Form has been received and reviewed, CPA Branch Secretaries will be issued with a notification of the places which have been accepted.
Branch Secretaries will then be asked to complete the registration by completing the Event Registration Form which will include travel itineraries and biographical information.
Should there be any difficulties in registering online, please contact the CPA Headquarters Secretariat via hq.sec@cpahq.org.

Accessibility
The CPA is committed to inclusivity and accessibility at all its events and programmes. Should you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the CPA Secretariat at hq.sec@cpahq.org.

Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding the workshop, please contact Bénite Dibateza, CWP Co-ordinator, at benite.dibateza@cpahq.org.

International Day of Parliamentarism / World Parliament Day 2025
2025-06-30 | Worldwide
Event Details
Date: 30 June 2025
Location: Worldwide

Overview
The International Day of Parliamentarism, also known as World Parliament Day, is celebrated every year on 30 June. It was established in 2018 through a United Nations General Assembly Resolution and is led by the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
Previous themes have focused on public engagement with Parliaments. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16.7 calls for ‘responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.’ Parliaments can contribute to this goal by listening to, educating and sharing information with their citizens and public.
The CPA is committed to supporting better engagement and communication between Parliaments and the public. It has developed an Engagement, Education and Outreach Handbook as a practical resource which Parliaments can reference in their efforts to improve and expand their engagement work.
CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg said:
“World Parliament Day is an opportunity to raise awareness of the contribution that Parliaments make to democracy. It reminds us of the importance of consistently engaging, educating and communicating with the public on the work that Parliaments do. The CPA Engagement, Education and Outreach Handbook supports Parliaments to do this by providing practical methods for strengthening their engagement and outreach work.

International Day of Democracy 2025
2025-09-15 | Worldwide
Event Details
Date: 15 September 2025
Location: Worldwide
The International Day of Democracy provides an opportunity to review the state of democracy in the world.

The mission of the CPA is:
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 work of the CPA supports Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff across its 180 Branches to uphold and strengthen parliamentary democracy, the rule of law, sustainable development and human rights. Through mutual learning, dialogue, co-operation and networking, the CPA seeks to build strong, powerful and effective parliamentary institutions that are able to respond and adapt to the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Effective Parliaments are one of the principal institutions of any functioning democracy. An elected Parliament acts as a representative body of the population and should retain the ability to pass laws, hold the government to account, scrutinise public spending and voice the concerns of citizens.
On International Day of Democracy, the CPA and its Members around the world renew our commitment to safeguard, support and strengthen parliamentary democracy.
If you are holding events for International Day of Democracy then tag @CPA_Secretariat on X/Twitter/Instagram or email details to communications@cpahq.org.

68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference
2025-10-06 - 2025-10-13 | Barbados, Barbados
Event Details
Dates: 6 to 13 October 2025
Location: Barbados
Hosted by: Parliament of Barbados and the CPA Barbados Branch

Overview
The 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) will be hosted by the Parliament of Barbados and the CPA Barbados Branch in Bridgetown, Barbados from 6 to 13 October 2025.
During the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, there will also be a number of additional conferences and meetings including:

CPA General Assembly and debate
meetings of the CPA Executive Committee
CPC Workshops and World Café Session
41st CPA Small Branches Conference
9th Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Conference
meetings of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network
59th Society of Clerks at the Table (SoCATT) meeting
presentation of the 2025 Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year awards
the 3rd Emilia Monjowa Lifaka Lecture.

Follow #68CPC for updates on social media.

Invitations, Nominations and Registration

Invitations to the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference will be issued to all eligible CPA Branches from the CPA President on behalf of the host Branch, CPA Barbados.
Nominations and Registrations for the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference will follow shortly afterwards and in advance of the Conference, all active CPA Branches will be invited to register their delegates for the Conference.

Submissions for CPC Theme and Workshop Topics

CPA Branches are invited to submit proposals for a Theme for the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference and suggestions for Workshop Topics to be held at the event.
Please click here to submit your suggestions. The deadline is Friday 14 March 2025.

Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards
2026-09-06 | Cape Town, South Africa
The Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards aim to recognise and highlight inspirational and active Parliamentarians for excelling in their field.
The awards are open to nominees who are current Parliamentarians across the Commonwealth.* There are four award categories:

Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Award:
This award recognises an outstanding Parliamentarian who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, dedication and commitment to advancing parliamentary democracy and good governance across the Commonwealth.
Parliamentary Equality and Diversity Award:
This award honours a Parliamentarian who has shown significant leadership in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion within their legislature and broader community.
New Parliamentarian Award:
This award is presented to a Commonwealth Parliamentarian in their first term who has demonstrated an impressive record of achievement in their first years as a Parliamentarian and has promoted democracy and good governance within their jurisdiction
Parliamentarian Lifetime Achievement Award:
This award is given to a long-serving Parliamentarian who has made a lasting and significant contribution to parliamentary democracy, demonstrating sustained commitment, leadership and integrity over the course of their career.

*Parliamentarian Lifetime Achievement Award winners can be a former Commonwealth Parliamentarian if they ceased their final term up to one year before the nomination was submitted.

Nominations for the 2026 Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards are now open!
The winners of the 2026 Awards will be announced at the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference due to be held in Cape Town, South Africa in September 2026.
To nominate a Parliamentarian, email hq.sec@cpahq.org outlining how the candidate meets the nomination criteria, found below.

The deadline for nominations is 10 July 2026.

International Day of Democracy 2026
2026-09-15 | International Day
Event Details
Date: 15 September 2026
Location: Worldwide
The International Day of Democracy provides an opportunity to review the state of democracy in the world.

The mission of the CPA is:
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 work of the CPA supports Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff across its 180 Branches to uphold and strengthen parliamentary democracy, the rule of law, sustainable development and human rights. Through mutual learning, dialogue, co-operation and networking, the CPA seeks to build strong, powerful and effective parliamentary institutions that are able to respond and adapt to the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Effective Parliaments are one of the principal institutions of any functioning democracy. An elected Parliament acts as a representative body of the population and should retain the ability to pass laws, hold the government to account, scrutinise public spending and voice the concerns of citizens.
On International Day of Democracy, the CPA and its Members around the world renew our commitment to safeguard, support and strengthen parliamentary democracy.
If you are holding events for International Day of Democracy then tag @CPA_Secretariat on X/Twitter/Instagram or email details to communications@cpahq.org.

28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)
2026-11-01 | Antigua and Barbuda, Antigua and Barbuda
Event Details
Date: 1 to 4 November 2026
Location: Antigua and Barbuda
Theme: ‘Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth’.

Overview
The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Hon. Gaston Browne , and the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon. Shirley Botchwey have announced that the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will be held in Antigua and Barbuda, beginning on 1 November 2026.
The CHOGM 2026 theme will be ‘Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth‘.
The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Hon. Gaston Browne said the theme reflects Antigua and Barbuda’s enduring belief in unity, progress, and equality among nations:
“The theme speaks to a truth we live by in Antigua and Barbuda: when each of us plays our part – in our homes, our communities, and our nations – we all move forward. It echoes our national motto, ‘Each Endeavouring, All Achieving’, reminding us that real progress happens when we work together to build a future where everyone has the chance to thrive. Antigua and Barbuda is proud to open our doors to the Commonwealth in 2026 – to host, to listen, and to lead with purpose.”
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon. Shirley Botchwey said the theme captures the Commonwealth’s modern mission to turn ambition into action:
“This theme captures the spirit of partnership and enterprise that defines the modern Commonwealth. Together, we are building bridges of opportunity between governments and business, between people and ideas, to deliver tangible results for our citizens. As we look to CHOGM 2026, hosted with warmth and pride by Antigua and Barbuda, our focus is clear: to accelerate progress and prosperity through shared investment, innovation and inclusion.”
The programme of high-level side events, Ministers’ meetings and forums – including the Commonwealth Youth Forum, the Commonwealth Women’s Forum, the Commonwealth Business Forum and the Commonwealth People’s Forum – will be held in the lead-up to CHOGM 2026.
During CHOGM 2026, the CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg and a delegation of Commonwealth Parliamentarians will join a number of events, bilateral meetings with key stakeholders and visit the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda.
For more information, please click here to visit the Commonwealth Secretariat website.

Watch a short video below ‘From Apia, Samoa to St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda’
(Video credit: Commonwealth Secretariat)
