VIEW FROM THE CPA CHAIRPERSON
THE CPA SMALL BRANCHES NETWORK AFTER FOUR DECADES OF EXISTENCE Marking the 40th anniversary of the CPA Small Branches network.
Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, Hon. Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, MP, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Cameroon
The CPA Small Branches network, an offshoot of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), was created in 1981. This vibrant network, which seeks to boost cooperation between jurisdictions within the CPA, currently has over 40 Legislatures and over 1,000 Parliamentarians. Governed by a Chairperson elected every three years for a non-renewable one term of office and a Steering Committee of representatives from each of the CPA Regions, the CPA Small Branches network currently represents Commonwealth jurisdictions with populations under 500,000 and operates within the framework of the CPA. With its original mission being to empower small Parliaments to overcome national and global challenges through cooperation, advocacy and the strengthening of parliamentary democracy and good governance, the CPA Small Branches network has now become a force to reckon with within the CPA. Its role cannot be underestimated within the CPA and the world at large. Seven out of the nine CPA Regions are represented in this network.
“With its original mission being to empower small Parliaments to overcome national and global challenges through cooperation, advocacy and the strengthening of parliamentary democracy and good governance, the CPA Small Branches network has now become a force to reckon with within the CPA. Its role cannot be underestimated within the CPA and the world at large. Seven out of the nine CPA Regions are represented in this network.” 6 | The Parliamentarian | 2021: Issue One | 100 years of publishing
2021 marks 40 years of the existence of this network. The network now goes beyond its original purpose to deliver a number of programmes in parliamentary strengthening and a range of relevant thematic areas, all geared towards strengthening the development and resilience in small jurisdictions across the Commonwealth. The CPA Small Branches network usually meets in prelude to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC). Its contribution to global issues is increasingly remarkable. These include climate change, sustainable economic development, the development of the tourism sector, education, integration and equality, renewable energy, energy independence, ocean management, food security, world trade issues, biodiversity, and connecting knowledge with decision-making. Evidently, the CPA Small Branches Climate Change Toolkit launched in 2020 now serves as a guide for Parliamentarians within Small Branches on how to become more effective actors in addressing climate change. As those jurisdictions are at the front line of the climate change crisis, it is essential that Parliamentarians are best equipped to face this urgent and complex issue. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has posted the toolkit on its library thereby justifying its importance. The draft toolkit has also been used as a justification towards the development of Climate Change Policy for the Cayman Islands. Regarding sustainable economic development, over 20 senior Parliamentarians from jurisdictions across the Commonwealth were able to meet in Malta in January 2020 to discuss sustainable ways of boosting their economies. The building of sound economies in the smallest jurisdictions in the Commonwealth, with many examples in the CPA Small Branches network, will obviously contribute to a better world economy. Concerning webinars, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat, through the CPA Small Branches and in partnership with UNESCO, has been able to conduct the first series of webinars for Commonwealth Parliamentarians. This first webinar focused
