A delegation from the National Assembly of Seychelles participated in one of the largest annual assembly of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians that took place between the 20th to 26th August, 2022. The 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) hosted by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Canada Region in Halifax, Canada, was attended by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Gervais Henrie as the Head of delegation, Hon. Kelly Samynadin a Member of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP), Hon. Churchill Gill, a Member of the CPA Steering Committee for Small Branches and Mrs. Tania Isaac, a Member of the CPA Society of Clerks at the Table.
The 65th CPC was due to be held in August 2021 but the decision to postpone the annual conference was the result of ongoing travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 global pandemic and the quarantine restrictions in place between different countries.
The theme of this year’s assembly was “inclusive, Accessible, Accountable and Strong Parliaments: The Cornerstone of Democracy and Essential for Development” and Hon. Henrie, the Deputy Speaker presented a Paper on the “Role of Parliaments to achieving sustainable development”.
The following positions were vacant, with elections held for new terms in Office at this gathering: the Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee; the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Committee; the Chairperson/ Vice Chairperson of the CPA Small Branches; the CPA Vice-Chairperson; and the CPA Treasurer.
Hon. Samynadin attended the meeting of Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians whereby they discussed combating abuse and harassment in Parliament, financial empowerment of women and promoting gender-sensitive parliaments.
Seychelles took a leadership role in the CPA Small Branches Steering Committee by Hon. Churchill Gill being elected as Vice Chairperson. He chaired a workshop on ‘Financial Scrutiny and Oversight: How can small parliaments ensure effective accountability?’ and presented the Seychelles experience.
The Clerk, Mrs Tania Isaac attended a session with other Clerks of Parliament around the Commonwealth whereby they discussed the functions and challenges of their respective legislatures and exchanged best practices.
The aim of the CPA’s annual Conference is to offer its Members the opportunity to benefit from professional development, supportive learning and the sharing of best practices with colleagues from Commonwealth Parliaments together with the participation of leading international organisations.
