VIEW FROM THE CPA SMALL BRANCHES CHAIRPERSON
PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY IN THE SMALLEST PARLIAMENTS AND LEGISLATURES IN THE COMMONWEALTH Marking the 40th anniversary of the CPA Small Branches network. Chairperson of the CPA Small Branches, Hon. Niki Rattle, Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands* During the year of its 40th anniversary, I am delighted that the achievements of the CPA Small Branches network and its diverse membership can be celebrated in this special edition of The Parliamentarian. The small jurisdictions and legislatures of the Commonwealth have formed a central part in the CPA’s history and since 1981 have found a collective voice through the CPA Small Branches network. Initially as a means to boost cooperation between small jurisdictions within the CPA, the network has continued to grow over the years. In addition to its original remit, the network now delivers a number of programmes in parliamentary strengthening and a range of relevant thematic areas, all towards strengthening the development and resilience in small jurisdictions across the Commonwealth. The progress made by the CPA Small Branches network within the CPA highlights the value and necessity of small jurisdictions working together to tackle common challenges. A cursory scan of the international landscape will reveal the extent to which small jurisdictions are finding voice across a range of fora. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in June 1992 first recognised and defined Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Barbados Programme of Action was then produced in 1994 in order to assist the SIDS in their sustainable development efforts, recognising a range of unique characteristics and vulnerabilities. These include small but growing populations, limited resources, remoteness, susceptibility to natural disasters, vulnerability to external shocks, excessive dependence on international trade, and fragile environments. Their development is also constrained further by high communication, energy and transportation costs, disproportionately expensive public administration and infrastructure and little to no opportunity to create economies of
“The progress made by the CPA Small Branches network within the CPA highlights the value and necessity of small jurisdictions working together to tackle common challenges.” 8 | The Parliamentarian | 2021: Issue One | 100 years of publishing
scale. New and evolving global trends and events, such as climate change and more recently the COVID-19 pandemic have brought these factors into even more sharp relief. Other international bodies have since recognised the distinctiveness of small jurisdictions by forming similar groupings as that of the United Nations’ SIDS. These include the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Small States, the World Bank’s Small States Forum and a host of NGOs, civil society, academic and grassroots organisations engaged in helping these territories address structural and external challenges and make progress on sustainable development. And of course, there is the CPA’s very own CPA Small Branches network, the focus of this special edition of The Parliamentarian. The CPA Small Branches network, does however, represent much more than national level jurisdictions. It also encompasses Crown Dependencies, Overseas Territories and Federal Territories, making the it amongst the most diverse grouping of small jurisdictions in the Commonwealth. Since becoming Chairperson of the CPA Small Branches network in September 2019, I have been proud to see the network grow from strength to strength. One highlight was to participate in and chair the CPA Small Branches Sustainable Economic Development Workshop at the Parliament of Malta in January 2020. Hearing from Small Branch Parliamentarians, it is encouraging to see that such engagements have since influenced progress on policy, legislation and reform within different CPA Small Branches. This is testament to the value of mutual learning, knowledge sharing and connecting Parliamentarians to expertise, such that these initiatives offer. Not only has the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the challenges that small jurisdictions face but it has impacted on the functioning of the CPA Small Branches network. The in-person engagements that have proven so fruitful in facilitating the exchange of experiences, have been postponed or cancelled. The network however, with the support of the CPA Headquarters Secretariat, has shown dexterity in adapting to this new environment. Since last year, the CPA Small Branches Steering Committee was able to meet virtually and pass important business including approving the new CPA Small Branches Strategic Plan 2021 – 2023, among others. New virtual modalities have also
