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11
Mar 24
72nd Westminster Seminar on Effective Parliaments
30
Oct 23
Knowledge Exchange Programme on Parliamentary Practice and Procedure
15
Oct 23
Advanced Parliamentary Development Residency Programme
Recent Past CPA Events
Below are details of recent CPA workshops, conferences, and events, attended by Members of Parliament and/or staff of the Parliament Management Commission.
The 66th CPC including the 39th CPA Small Branches Conference; 66th CPA General Assembly; meetings of the CPA Executive Committee and the 57th General Meeting of the Society of Clerks-at-the-Table (SoCATT); and Conference Workshops was held at the Accra International Conference Center (AICC) in Accra from 30th September to 6th October, 2023.
The 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) was hosted by the Parliament of Ghana and the CPA Ghana Branch in Accra, Ghana, from 30 September to 6 October 2023. The Conference’s theme was ‘The Commonwealth Charter 10 years on: Values and Principles for Parliaments to Uphold’.
Attended by Hon. W. McKeeva Bush, JP, MP, and by Mrs. Zena Merren-Chin, Clerk & Chief Officer, the annual conference was an exemplary opportunity for Cayman’s Parliamentarians and staff to meet with and learn from colleagues across the Commonwealth, including the Small Branches, Women of Parliament, and the General Assembly.Location
Accra , Ghana
Days
7
Website
cpahq.org/66-cpc
The 45th Annual Conference of Caribbean, Americas, and Atlantic Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association took place in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos on 21st – 28th July 2023, and was attended by several Members and the Assistant Clerk.
The 45th Annual Conference of the Caribbean, Americas and the Atlantic Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) took place in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands, on 21st – 28th July 2023, and was attended by the Rt. Hon. Sir Lyndsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons (UK) and the Hon. Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, MP, Speaker of the Parliament of the Cayman Islands. Under the theme of “building a resilient region in the face of global challenges,” the week-long annual general meeting was attended by eight representatives from the Cayman Islands, including two Youth Parliamentarians who took part in a formal debate with other Youth Parliamentarians across the represented regions on the topic of “urging regional leaders to engage the voices of the youth to build resilience in the face of global challenges.” Also in attendance were: Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, MP, Deputy Premier; Hon. Johany Ebanks, MP; Mr. Christopher Saunders, MP; Hon. Dr. W. McKeeva Bush, MP; and Ms. Nordra Walcott, Assistant Clerk. The Youth Parliamentarians were Mr. Amani Ebanks and Mr. Alex Harris, who won a “Best Debater” award for the 2022-2023 Youth Parliament session. The aims of the 45th regional conference are to promote knowledge and co-operation between parliamentary legislatures in the region, to encourage the study of good parliamentary practices, and to enhance awareness of the regional community. Within the conference there was also the 13th Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Conference, a Youth Parliament debate, and a meeting of the Executive Committee of the region. The annual Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Conference (CWP) marked the launch of the 45th Annual General Meeting, with the Deputy Premier, Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, JP, MP, and the Speaker, Hon. Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, MP, representing the Cayman Islands. Sessions included discussions on the critical role of women in democratic governance, youth crime, the CWP constitution, and roundtable discussions on the experiences of current female parliamentarians. “The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Conference sparked a number of innovative ideas for how I can empower women in my community for the next women’s month” said the Speaker. “More women should be encouraged to enter into leadership roles in politics, so I intend to give women an opportunity to learn how to debate by spending the day at Parliament with myself and other female politicians.” Following the CWP sessions, delegates held sessions on biodiversity and food security preparedness, adapting to climate change, preparing for national disasters, promoting democracy, crime and security, banking standards, and health care. Mr. Christopher Saunders, MP, was a panelist for the session on banking standards, and provided delegates with best practices from Cayman’s financial management and legislation. A strong contingent of nearly two-dozen youth parliamentarians gathered on 26th July for the 16th Regional Youth Parliament. The two Caymanian delegates were selected for the top two positions, with Mr. Amani Ebanks as the YP Premier, and Mr. Alex Harris as the YP Leader of the Opposition.
The Cayman Islands’ Youth Parliamentarians (YP) led both the Government and Opposition sides of the 16th Regional Youth Parliament held in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands on Wednesday, 26th July.
Over twenty YPs from across the region participated in the lively debate, with the two Caymanian delegates having been selected to lead the top spots. Mr. Amani Ebanks was selected to be the Premier of the Government and led the Government Motion urging all leaders across the Caribbean, Americas, and the Atlantic, to engage the voices of the youth. Across the aisle, Mr. Alex Harris was selected to be the Leader of the Opposition and capably challenged the YP Government Motion.
“I was delighted and immensely proud to see Cayman’s YPs appointed to such prominent and well-earned positions,” said the Speaker, Hon. Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, who accompanied the YPs to the conference. “It was inspiring to hear them debate so passionately about how Parliaments can be more inclusive of the concerns collectively shared by the youth across the region.”The YP debate was part of the 45th Annual Conference of the Caribbean, Americas and the Atlantic Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), a larger week-long conference highlighting various parliamentary concerns and best practices on the theme of resiliency. The debate functioned similarly to official Parliament debates and previous Youth Parliament debates. Members moved and seconded motions, prepared and delivered short speeches, and rose on Points of Order and Elucidation, all with the end goal of making the motion duly pass or fail.
Mr. Amani Ebanks, the Honourable YP Premier, addressed the House about the importance of empowering the youth, and involving them in the decision-making processes that shape their own lives and the future of the region. He referenced the poem ‘Our Deepest Fear’ by Marianne Williamson to touch on the fact that the youth doubt themselves. “Too often,” he said, “the visions and dreams of our youth stop at their doorstep or within the shores that they know; […] our youths need to know and believe that their voices work.” Mr. Ebanks has served two terms in the Cayman Islands Youth Parliament, first as the Attorney General and subsequently as the Minister of Tourism and Transport.
Mr. Alex Harris, the Honourable YP Leader of the Opposition, delivered a passionate speech in which he professed the strength, empowerment, and involvement of the youth and critiqued the government for downplaying them. Mr. Harris, who won an award for best debater at the Cayman Islands’ YP debate in March of this year, said that the government was “painting a narrative that today’s young people are helpless victims who simply cannot succeed without intervention.” He added that “our youth have never been anything but strong,” and suggested that the Government, instead of moving motions to include the youth, should simply take the initiative to include them. At the end of the debate, the motion to urge regional leaders to engage the voices of youth passed with nine “ayes” and seven “no’s”.
Mr. Christopher Saunders, MP, also attended the conference and witnessed the young debaters perform at the televised conference. “I am very pleased and very impressed with the performance and conduct of Alex and Amani,” he said. “They took the time to prepare and represented Cayman with poise, audacity, and professionalism, and it was my pleasure to watch these fine young men play such a leadership role in YP.” He added that he couldn’t recall “there ever being a situation where the leadership of both the Government and Opposition was from the same island.”
Ms. Nordra Walcott, Assistant Clerk for the Parliament, works closely with the YPs each year, overseeing the organisation of the programme and supporting the debaters as they develop their arguments. “I have worked with Messrs Ebanks and Harris in their preparation for the Regional YP,” said Ms. Walcott, “and I am immensely proud of them for debating the Government Motion so passionately, and for being dedicated, hard-working young Caymanians, lending their voices in advocating for youth and being leaders on both sides of the aisle.”
Hon. Ebanks-Wilks noted that more and more of Cayman’s capable young people will engage with politics and be encouraged to seek legislative representation if the age limit was increased. “A lot of the leaders I’ve spoken with have been discussing how to do more to promote our young leaders,” she shared. “As the Chair of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (Cayman Islands Branch) Youth Parliament organizing committee,” added Hon. Ebanks-Wilks, “this exercise has encouraged me to have further discussions with the committee to look at new ways of offering debating opportunities to our youth who no longer meet the age criteria of the YP programme.”
The Speaker noted that the Parliament frequently engages with past YPs, such as through internships. Mr. Jelani Hanson and Mr. Christopher Sanchez, who have each served two terms in the Cayman Islands YP, are both currently working at the Parliament, developing research and writing skills and learning the internal operations of parliamentary legislatures.
“The way to offer more opportunities for our future parliamentarians is through the YP programme,” the Speaker affirmed. “It provides them with enormous tools and skills to become engaged with their society, develop their network, and show them how to speak to the issues that matter most to our country.”
The Speaker of Parliament, Honourable Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, and former Premier Hon. Sir Alden McLaughlin, attended the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s (CPA) Small Branches Workshop on Disaster Risk Management in London to gain additional skills that will aid the Parliament in preparing for and responding to natural disasters.
The three-day workshop brought together 25 Parliamentarians from over a dozen countries, as well as six expert specialists from the Institute for Hazard, Risk and Resilience at Durham University and The City of London Corporation. Participants discussed the impact of disasters on their communities, from hurricanes to the pandemic, and best practices using up-to-date research.
Twenty professional development sessions took place on a wide range of themes: accountability and transparency during and after disaster management, parliamentary practices and legislation, supporting diverse communities, the use of technology in risk management, the economic impact of preparation and recovery, and the significance of effective preparations.
“I thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to engage with several academics and experts,” commented Hon. Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, Speaker of the Cayman Islands Parliament. “In particular, I valued the session on understanding vulnerable communities and their capacities, as well as the session on making decisions quickly during disasters and the role of Parliament in the decision-making process.”
Hon. Sir Alden McLaughlin served as a panelist for the afternoon session on 24th May, and gave a presentation on “Democracy and Disasters”. The former Premier spoke on the importance of parliamentary resilience and ensuring that legislatures have a strong democratic process for responding in a timely manner to disasters. Providing case studies from Cayman’s past, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the catastrophic Hurricane Ivan, Hon. Sir McLaughlin outlined the efficacy of Cayman’s emergency legislation and the rigorous processes that are in place across the Government for responding to crises.
“Participating in this CPA workshop made me proud of the Cayman Islands,” said Hon. Sir McLaughlin. “We are one of the only CPA Small Branches Overseas Territories that already has the legislative infrastructure in place to effectively manage disasters without declaring a state of emergency.”
Several Acts exist in the Cayman Islands that address the environment and disaster management, including the Disaster Preparedness and Hazard Management Act (2019). This legislation established the National Emergency Notification System, a National Disaster Fund, emergency shelters, and a National Mitigation Plan.
The Auditor General of the Cayman Islands recently issued two public interest reports that review the country’s sustainability performance and economic impact of the pandemic. Such analysis displays the proactive nature of the government’s systems and the constitution as methods of continually improving and preparing for the financial and legislative requirements of the future.
The CPA’s Small Branches network represents Commonwealth jurisdictions with populations under one million persons, and seeks to empower these Parliaments through cooperation and advocacy.
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