The Commonwealth can learn vital lessons from the unique challenges faced by the smallest Parliaments

Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Stephen Twigg

2021 marks the fortieth anniversary of the CPA Small Branches network. As we reflect on the progress and achievements of the CPA Small Branches over the past four decades, let us consider the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

I am grateful to everyone who took the time to participate in the consultation on the CPA’s next Strategic Plan. We heard from Members of the CPA and from external organisations. An evident strength of the CPA is our diversity – we represent Branches both large and small in all parts of the Commonwealth and, importantly, we include sub-national legislatures as well as national ones.

The CPA Small Branches network embodies our shared commitment to diversity both in providing a voice for smaller jurisdictions within the CPA and in engaging the full range of voices within the network itself. This is reflected in the network’s own Strategic Plan which is a powerful and ambitious document from which the wider CPA can learn as we take forward our planning for the future.

Last summer, the CPA Small Branches network held two online webinars jointly with UNESCO to explore the role of legislators and decision-makers in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) on Agenda 2030 and sustainable development with a particular focus on biodiversity. One webinar was for the Pacific Region and the other for the Caribbean and Indian Ocean.

These webinars were organised with UNESCO’s Small Islands and Indigenous Knowledge Section. They provide an excellent example of how the CPA works with other international organisations to promote our shared values and commitments. There is huge scope for us to do more in partnership with global bodies both within the Commonwealth family and more widely, including other parts of the United Nations.

Many SIDS find themselves in the frontline of the battle against climate change. They are often the most powerful advocates of urgent action to protect the environment and to promote sustainable development. The CPA Small Branches network brings many of the SIDS together with other small jurisdictions to share knowledge and promote best practice. With COP26 being held in Glasgow later this year, there is an opportunity to give a renewed sense of urgency to tackling the climate crisis.

In 2019, the Commonwealth recognised good practice with their first ever Awards for Excellence in SDG Implementation in Small States. Malta received the Award in recognition of its wholeof-government approach to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In January 2020, Malta hosted the CPA Small Branches Workshop on Sustainable Economic Development. Also awarded were Namibia for its alignment of policy at the local level and The Bahamas for creating institutional mechanisms that focus on education, energy reform and improving infrastructure.

Parliamentarians have an important role to play in securing the implementation of the Global Goals. Of course, this responsibility is universally held but I think that many of the CPA’s Small Branches have shown leadership here from which we all have an opportunity to learn. In particular, let me thank Hon. Niki Rattle and Hon. Angelo Farrugia, both have held the position of CPA Small Branches Chairperson and both are the Speakers of their respective Parliaments in the Cook Islands and in Malta. Both are powerful advocates for the CPA Small Branches network both within the CPA and externally.

The past year has been dominated by the impact of the COVID19 pandemic. First and foremost, there is the health impact with the tragic loss of so many lives. It is vitally important that vaccination programmes are available throughout the world. As Anne Gallagher, Director-General of the Commonwealth Foundation has rightly said, the Commonwealth should act as a champion for Small States to ensure that they are not left behind as the vaccines roll out. It is both a question of justice and mutual interest that we address this with seriousness and urgency.

The economic and fiscal effects of the pandemic are being felt globally – in high, medium and low-income countries and by both large and small jurisdictions. Vulnerable communities face the greatest challenges. Many SIDS are highly reliant on income from tourism, so they have been especially hard hit. The CPA will work with other organisations to support Parliamentarians to play a full and productive part in delivering sustainable and equitable development in the difficult months and years ahead. 2021 is also the 110th anniversary of the CPA itself. To mark this milestone, we are planning a range of webinars over the coming months addressing key challenges including Global Health and the Rule of Law. In July, we will hold an online conference looking at the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its implications for Parliaments. The past twelve months have demonstrated the importance of technology and innovation to the work of the CPA itself and to our Members. They have also reminded us that we need to address the digital divide if the benefits of new technology are to be shared widely and be truly accessible to all.

“Parliamentarians have an important role to play in securing the implementation of the Global Goals. Of course, this responsibility is universally held but I think that many of the CPA’s Small Branches have shown leadership here from which we all have an opportunity to learn.”

In the coming months, we will launch the new CPA website and our new CPA Parliamentary Academy. The purpose of both is to ensure that we are supporting our Members, meeting their needs and enabling us all to learn from one another. It is this spirit which drives CPA’s work at every level including our Branches, Regions, Networks, General Assembly, Executive Committee and the Secretariat.

I look forward to meeting CPA Members in person once it becomes safe to travel internationally again. In the meantime, we will continue to adapt. In March, we will hold our CPA Executive Committee meeting virtually for the second time following the success of the first virtual Executive Committee last August. Our Programmes Team will continue to adapt their work building upon the successful virtual Post Election Seminars already conducted and the broad range of other online events held over the past year.

In December 2020, we held the Commonwealth Youth Parliament online for the first time. It was a hugely successful meeting bringing together young people from across the Commonwealth. It is so important that the voices of young people are heard, especially when we consider the impact of the past year on education. Empowering young people is an important priority not just for the CPA but for the Commonwealth as a whole. We will support Parliaments as they engage with young citizens and we will support young Parliamentarians in their work.

Our three CPA networks continue to demonstrate their strength and relevance. I have focussed on the CPA Small Branches network in this article but let me also thank the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) and the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) networks and their respective Chairs, Hon. Shandana Gulzar Khan, MNA (Pakistan) and Hon. Kevin Murphy MLA, Speaker of the House of Assembly in Nova Scotia. I am confident that all three networks will play increasingly influential roles as the CPA plans ahead for 2025 and beyond.

As we move forward together, it will be important that we do so in a spirit of collaboration and partnership with an emphasis on mutual learning. Our CPA Small Branches provide some powerful examples of innovation from which we can learn wider lessons. I am delighted to have this opportunity to wish the CPA Small Branches network a very happy 40th anniversary. May they continue to go from strength to strength.

UPDATE: CPA SMALL BRANCHES CHAIRPERSON: Further to the articles contained in this special issue of The Parliamentarian marking the 40th anniversary of the CPA Small Branches network, the CPA Small Branches Chairperson, Hon. Niki Rattle, has stepped down from her role as Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands and therefore her role as Small Branches Chairperson. On behalf of the entire CPA membership, I would like to thank Niki Rattle for her tireless work on behalf of the CPA Small Branches network in recent years and as a member of the CPA Coordinating Committee and previously as a Pacific Regional Representative on the CPA Executive Committee in supporting the governance of the Association. We wish her all the best for the future. The CPA also welcomes the CPA Small Branches Vice-Chairperson, Joy Burch, MLA, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory who assumes the role of Acting CPA Small Branches Chairperson until the next CPA Small Branches Conference.