Ghana’s Parliament to Host 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference

Parliament is set to host the extraordinary 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) from September 30th to October 6th, 2023 at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Accra. 

The 66th Commonwealth conference will be held under the theme “The Commonwealth Charter 10 Years on Values and Principles for Parliaments to Uphold.”

The conference is expected to bring together over 600 delegates and observers including Speakers of parliaments, Clerks to Parliaments, parliamentary leaders, legislators, staff of Parliament, and key stakeholders worldwide for a week of discussions, workshops, and committee meetings, among others.

Briefing members of the Parliamentary Press Corps in Accra on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, the Clerk to Ghana’s Parliament and Secretary to the Ghana Chapter of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Mr. Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah, said the Commonwealth Conference is very significant for the country to showcase its democratic credentials.

“The 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference aims to foster dialogue and cooperation among member countries to address pressing global challenges within the context of Commonwealth Values. We will highlight the crucial role of parliaments in shaping policies that benefit citizens and the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in addressing these challenges,” he stated.

 According to him, the CPA was founded in 1911 as the Empire Parliamentary Association and later transformed into the CPA in 1948, boasting 181 national and sub-branches across the Commonwealth’s nine regions. 

This year’s conference marks the 17th time the CPA Africa Region has hosted the CPC.

He said, as part of planned activities, the seven-day conference is expected to receive delegates, observers, and officials from 56 National Branches (National Legislatures) and 111 Sub-National Branches (State/Provincial Legislatures) across the Commonwealth.

Mr.  Nsiah said all activities would run in tandem with other conferences, meetings, and workshops, including the 66th CPA General Assembly meetings of the CPA Executive Committee, the 39th CPA Small Branches Conference, gatherings of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians, and more.

He said the official opening ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, October 4th, 2023, where President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Vice-Patron of the CPA would deliver the keynote address to the General Assembly.