The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Lechesa Tsenoli, is optimistic that the 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) General Assembly will come to a resolution on the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)’s change of status to ‘an international, interparliamentary organisation’. This change will ensure it is recognised as a multilateral organisation that impacts on the world’s decisions while gaining observer status at the United Nations.
The CPA International Executive Committee concluded a two-day meeting today during the 66th CPC taking place this week in Accra in Ghana, where it considered reports from the meetings of the CPA Small Branches, Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) and the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities.
Mr Tsenoli is the regional representative of South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland. He stated that this change of status issue has been on the CPA EXCO agenda for more than 30 years and is now no longer just an Africa mat
ter but is an international associations matter. He hopes that the CPA EXCO will report its progress in these matters and that the conference arrives at some form of a resolution or steps towards a resolution.
The details of the organisation’s change of status will be reported at the General Assembly on Thursday, 5 October 2023. Mr Tsenoli has revealed that some steps have been agreed on what is likely to happen towards the end of the year and in the new year that will talk to the progress parliamentarians expect to see in their work.
He said all regions will now have an opportunity to meet separately to coordinate matters on the agenda for discussion.
In the upcoming three days, the conference is poised to discuss various issues, including:
Combating the threat of terrorism to statehood: the role of Parliament.
Gender quotas in Parliament: a means to an end?
What does sustainable trade mean and economic development mean for small jurisdictions?
Environmental approaches in tackling energy poverty.
20
years of Latimer House principles on the separation of powers: is it working? and
E-parliaments: an effective mechanism for intersectional diversity and equitable public engagement.
The 66th CPC’s overall theme is ‘Commonwealth Charter 10 years on: Values and principles for parliamentarians to uphold’. This guides the conceptual articulation of these sub-themes.
It is expected that post the proceedings of the 66th conference, the resolutions adopted at the General Assembly on various topical issues will be implemented by the respective parliaments in all the nine regions of the Commonwealth.
The Presiding Officers of Parliament, the Speaker of the National Assembly (NA), Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Mr Amos Masondo are leading the high-level delegation of members of Parliament and Members of Provincial Legislatures (MPLs) to the 66th CPC.
The high-level delegation from the South African Parliament includes the Speaker of the NA, Ms Mapisa-Nqa
kula, the Chairperson of the NCOP, Mr Masondo, Deputy Speaker of the NA, Mr Lechesa Tsenoli, Commonwealth Women’s Parliament representative, Ms Winnie Ngwenya, the Chief Whip of the NCOP, Mr Seiso Mohai and CWP delegates, Ms Grace Tseke and Ms Tsholofelo Bodlani. The delegation also includes MPLs from all nine provincial legislatures.
Source: Parliament of South Africa