Presiding Officers and Speakers of Parliament and observer organisations from across the Commonwealth met in South Africa for the 11th G20 Summit of Parliamentary Speakers (P20).  

The South African Parliament hosted the summit in Kleinmond outside Cape Town, from 29 September to 3 October 2025. This gathering of Speakers and Presiding Officers from Group of Twenty (G20) member countries was held under the theme of ‘Harnessing Parliamentary Diplomacy for the Realisation of Global Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’.  

The Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa, Hon. Thokozile Didiza, MP, spoke at the Summit and said: 

“Through our core responsibilities of representation, law-making, budgeting and oversight, we are uniquely positioned to advance the shared objectives outlined in the P20 joint statement. We pass the baton to the United States with a clear mandate for continued action.”

The P20 Presidency will now pass from South Africa to the United States.

Presiding Officers from across the Commonwealth attended the Summit, including from G20 countries like Canada, India, South Africa, the UK and Australia, with Nigeria, Botswana and Namibia taking part as observers as well as representatives of the South African Provincial Legislatures. 

The Summit saw leaders of the world’s most powerful Legislatures commit to a joint statement calling for urgent action on climate change, debt relief for developing nations and a just global energy transition.  

CPA Programmes Manager Clive Barker attended the P20 Summit on behalf of the CPA Secretariat and held bilateral meetings with a number of delegations. 

The P20 Summit was preceded by the 2nd P20 Meeting of Women Parliamentarians and the P20 Young Parliamentarians Conference. The Meeting of Women Parliamentarians was established to facilitate inter-parliamentary dialogue on gender equality and social justice, to elevate the role of women in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and to exchange good practices and legislative innovations that promote women’s empowerment and representation. 

The P20 Summit also came ahead of South Africa being confirmed as the host Branch for the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference and Western Cape hosting the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities Workshop, both due to take place in 2026.

-ENDS- 

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is an international community of 180 Parliaments and Legislatures working together to deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to the highest standards of democratic governance. Founded in 1911, the CPA brings together Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff to identify benchmarks of good governance and implement the enduring values of the Commonwealth. It offers a vast opportunity for Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff to collaborate on issues of mutual interest and to share good practice.