VIEW FROM THE CPA SMALL BRANCHES CHAIRPERSON
A COMMON FUTURE: WHAT’S IN IT FOR CPA SMALL BRANCHES? View from the CPA Small Branches Chairperson
Never has there been a more opportune moment This is one of the main areas which will be tackled to make full use of the slogan of this year’s once the Strategic Plan of the CPA Small Branches Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is approved and launched later on this year, following of a ‘Common Future’ and this especially from the CPA Executive Committee meeting in Mauritius. the perspective of the Small Branches. The Building resilience among our States and Branches Commonwealth has so much to celebrate should give us a stronger voice and channel our this year, and it is also very apt that this year’s strength as a team. CHOGM will be held in London, recalling the Furthermore, during the 36th CPA Small Branches first time the Heads of Government of the Conference held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in November Commonwealth met in 1971. The Commonwealth 2017, we were in unanimous agreement that seems to be returning to its roots. security in our respective Branches is very high on Hon. Anġelo Farrugia, What started as the Commonwealth of the agenda, where we as legislators are facing an MP, Chairperson of the Nations has had a lasting impact on the ongoing battle against terrorism, cybercrime and CPA Small Branches and promotion of peace, democracy and human rights, organised crime, both internally and internationally. Speaker of the House of for example in helping to bring about the end to The promotion of diversity and good governance Representatives of the apartheid in South Africa and the end to violence remain a horizontal challenge amongst our Branches. Parliament of Malta. and emergency rule in Pakistan in 2007. It has With regard to the latter, CPA Branches need to be observed over 140 elections in more than 40 in a position to ascertain that any measures taken countries since 1980. The Commonwealth is home to nearly one by the respective governments are such that they are being taken billion of the world’s young people, half of its top 20 emerging cities, to ensure the greater good and not to advance the cause of some almost half of the UN peacekeeping contributions and consistently instead of others. ranks third in the global ‘Index of Economic Freedom’. Another challenge will be that of supporting the growth of Taken together, the Commonwealth’s common legal systems, intra-Commonwealth trade, especially since the United Kingdom language and administrative systems mean that intra-Commonwealth will possibly be facing new economic challenges in the light of the trade benefits from what some have called a ‘Commonwealth upcoming ‘Brexit’ negotiations. The new situation Britain will find itself Advantage’, with trade and investment flows increased by up to 20% in, should be turned into new opportunities for the Commonwealth to and the cost of doing business reduced by up to 19%. strengthen ties and explore new avenues of trade. Four main goals for the CHOGM biennial meeting were set CHOGM 2018 and its fringe activities including the out: “prosperity by boosting intra-Commonwealth trade; security by Commonwealth Parliamentarians’ Forum and the social fora should greater cooperation to tackle global terrorism, organised crime and be a good occasion to network and share experiences. The CPA cybercrime; fairness through promoting greater diversity and good Small Branches have acknowledged the fact that we have made the governance; and sustainability by building resilience among small, first step towards achieving attainable goals and built upon what was developing and vulnerable states to deal with climate change.” I would carried through in previous years in order to gain as much momentum like to look at these from the CPA Small Branches perspective. as larger and often more developed members of the Commonwealth. The CPA Small Branches have already started working towards I cannot discuss the CPA Small Branches within the framework of some of the above aims. The organisers note that the urgent CHOGM 2018 without referring to what has been achieved during need for action on climate change is “particularly relevant for the past CHOGM 2015 which was held in my home-country, Malta. the Commonwealth as 38 of our 53 members are small or other Among the results of the meeting, a Centre of Excellence for the vulnerable states.” organisation’s Small States, based in Valletta has been launched 8 | The Parliamentarian | 2018: Issue One