The 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) was held from 13 to 18 September 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in South Africa. The conference met under the presidency of Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, on the theme of strengthening international law and parliamentary democracy. The Indian parliamentary delegation to the Cape Town meeting was led by Harivansh Narayan Singh, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (as of September 2026).
What Is the Commonwealth?
The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal countries working together on democracy, development and peace. It is home to about 2.7 billion people, includes both large economies and small island states, and takes decisions by consensus among members.
Most members share historical links to the former British Empire and use English as a common working language. The modern Commonwealth began with the London Declaration of 1949, which accepted republics as free and equal members. Any country can now join the group. Gabon and Togo, which joined in 2022, were the most recent entrants.
The values of the group are set out in the Commonwealth Charter. The King, Charles III, is the symbolic Head of the Commonwealth. Day to day work is led by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey (as of September 2026), through the Commonwealth Secretariat, which is headquartered at Marlborough House in London. The Secretariat supports member countries on policy advice, elections, rule of law and sustainable development. Heads of Government meet every two years at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to set the joint agenda.
What Is the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association?
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is a membership body that brings together parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth to strengthen parliamentary democracy. It connects more than 180 national, state, provincial and territorial legislatures, called Branches, and promotes good governance, accountability and cooperation among them.
The CPA was founded on 18 July 1911 as the Empire Parliamentary Association. The first members were Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom. It adopted its present name in 1948 and opened its management to all member Branches. Each Branch is autonomous and raises its own funds. The CPA Headquarters Secretariat is based at Richmond House in the Houses of Parliament in London. The patron of the CPA is Charles III and the Secretary-General is Stephen Twigg (as of September 2026).
The CPA organises its Branches into nine geographical regions. This structure shapes elections, meetings and conference debates.
| CPA Region | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Africa | National and subnational legislatures across Africa, including South Africa |
| Asia | Parliaments across Asia, including Sri Lanka and Pakistan |
| Australia | Federal, state and territory legislatures in Australia |
| British Islands and Mediterranean | United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and Malta |
| Canada | Federal, provincial and territorial legislatures in Canada |
| Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic | Caribbean states, including Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago |
| India | Parliament of India and state and Union Territory legislatures |
| Pacific | New Zealand and Pacific island legislatures |
| South-East Asia | Malaysia, Singapore and neighbouring legislatures |
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) is the flagship annual meeting of the CPA. It gathers Speakers, Presiding Officers, members of parliament, clerks and experts for plenary debates, workshops and governance meetings. Side events include the CPA General Assembly, the CPA Small Branches Conference, the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Conference, the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network meetings and the Society of Clerks at the Table (SoCATT) meetings.
69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Cape Town
The Parliament of South Africa and the CPA South Africa Branch hosted the 69th CPC at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 13 to 18 September 2026. The conference presidency was held by Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, which is the upper house of South Africa’s Parliament. The National Council represents the country’s nine provinces in national lawmaking.
The overarching theme was “Strengthening International Law and Parliamentary Democracy in a Changing World Order: Commonwealth Leadership”. The theme placed parliaments at the centre of defending international law at a time of conflict, geopolitical tension and falling public trust in institutions. Delegates discussed how legislatures can check executive action, protect public money and keep democratic space open for citizens.
The Cape Town programme ran over six days and included the official opening ceremony, CPC plenary sessions, interactive policy workshops, the CPA General Assembly and meetings of the Executive Committee. Separate forums were held for small branches, women parliamentarians, parliamentarians with disabilities and clerks. A youth roundtable and the Emilia Lifaka Memorial Lecture also formed part of the schedule. The workshops covered inclusive trade through inter-parliamentary dialogue, accessible parliaments for persons with disabilities, climate adaptation, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in parliamentary work, human rights and peace, and post-legislative scrutiny.
The 69th CPC followed the 68th CPC in Bridgetown, Barbados, held from 5 to 12 October 2025 on the theme “The Commonwealth: A Global Partner”. That edition drew more than 500 parliamentarians and officials and approved the CPA Strategic Plan for 2026 to 2029.
Indian Delegation at the 69th CPC
The Indian parliamentary delegation to the 69th CPC was led by Harivansh Narayan Singh, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, which is the upper house of India’s Parliament. The core delegation included members from both Houses, along with P. C. Mody, Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha. The members were C. Sadanandan Master from the Rajya Sabha and D. Purandeswari, Vishnu Datt Sharma, Sudheer Gupta, Krishna Prasad Tenneti and Rachna Banerjee from the Lok Sabha, which is the lower house.
India’s presence extended well beyond the national delegation. Thirty-two Presiding Officers and 18 Secretaries from state and Union Territory legislatures also attended as members of the CPA India Region. Their participation showed how Indian states directly engage in Commonwealth parliamentary exchange.
In Cape Town, Harivansh held bilateral meetings with Angela Thokozile Didiza, Speaker of South Africa’s National Assembly, Annelie Lotriet, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, and Poobalan Govender, Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces. The talks focused on parliamentary cooperation and the longstanding ties between India and South Africa. He also met Jagdeo Singh, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago, to discuss closer engagement between the two legislatures.
On the policy front, Purandeswari represented India at the CPA Executive Committee meeting and presented India’s views on governance and future activities of the association. Harivansh addressed the CPA General Assembly on “New Leadership Opportunities for the Commonwealth: Parliamentary Action to Strengthen Democracy and International Law”. Other Indian delegates joined the six main workshops and plenary debates on trade, disability inclusion, climate resilience, AI, peace and scrutiny of laws after they are passed.
Commonwealth Parliamentarian Awards 2026
The Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards were presented at the closing dinner of the 69th CPC. The awards recognise parliamentarians who have made a clear difference to scrutiny, inclusion and democratic practice. The 2026 honours were presented by Christopher Kalila, Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee.
| Award | Recipient | Recognised For |
|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year | Ruth Forrest MLC, Parliament of Tasmania, Australia | Connecting Public Accounts Committees across the Commonwealth and strengthening public accountability as Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Public Accounts since 2021 |
| Parliamentarian Lifetime Achievement Award | Dr Angelo Farrugia, House of Representatives, Malta | Nearly three decades of parliamentary service, including service as Speaker from 2013 to 2026, and leadership on small legislatures and international humanitarian law |
| New Parliamentarian Award | Sugath Wasantha de Silva MP, Parliament of Sri Lanka | Advancing disability rights and inclusive governance as Sri Lanka’s first blind member of parliament, elected in November 2024, and Chair of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities |
| Parliamentary Equality and Diversity Award | Babar Saleem Swati, Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan | Building caucuses for women, minorities, children and young people and embedding equality in parliamentary practice |
Forrest was honoured for linking public accounts committees to share methods for checking public spending and for promoting evidence based scrutiny and inclusive leadership. Farrugia, the first Maltese parliamentarian to receive the lifetime honour, was recognised for protecting the independence of Parliament, serving as the first elected Chairperson of the CPA Small Branches network and leading global work on respect for international humanitarian law. De Silva was recognised for practical reforms, including Sri Lanka’s first national participatory budget consultation with persons with disabilities.
70th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Canada
The Parliament of Canada will host the 70th CPC in Ottawa in 2027. The CPA calendar lists the meeting from 5 to 12 September 2027, alongside the 43rd CPA Small Branches Conference, the 11th Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Conference, meetings on disability inclusion, the CPA General Assembly and clerks meetings. Canada last hosted the CPC in Halifax in 2022 for the 65th edition.
The move from Cape Town to Ottawa keeps the focus on the Cape Town theme. Parliaments are being asked to turn debate into action on international law, climate resilience, AI governance and inclusive lawmaking. Small branches want stronger peer support. Women parliamentarians and parliamentarians with disabilities want full participation in committee work and budgets. Clerks want common standards for scrutiny and digital records.
For India, the Cape Town outcome deepens parliamentary ties with South Africa and the wider Africa Region. It gives state legislatures a direct channel to share scrutiny practices on spending, climate and disability rights. It also keeps India active in shaping CPA rules and plans ahead of the Canada conference.
Key Takeaways
- The 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference was held from 13 to 18 September 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa under the presidency of Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane.
- The 69th CPC theme was “Strengthening International Law and Parliamentary Democracy in a Changing World Order: Commonwealth Leadership”.
- The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, founded in 1911 and headquartered in London, connects more than 180 legislatures across nine regions.
- The Indian delegation to the 69th CPC was led by Harivansh Narayan Singh, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
- Ruth Forrest MLC won the 2026 Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Award, Dr Angelo Farrugia won the Lifetime Achievement Award and Sugath Wasantha de Silva won the New Parliamentarian Award.
- The Parliament of Canada will host the 70th CPC in Ottawa in 2027 from 5 to 12 September 2027.
