Commonwealth Parliamentarians and global experts launch new SDGs course for Parliaments in margins of global UN SDGs Summit

The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Stephen Twigg joined Parliamentarians and global experts to launch a new CPA online course on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the crucial role of Parliaments as institutions in implementing them. The launch event took place at the GF23 Global Futures Conference in the margins of the 2023 UN SDGs Summit in New York, USA.

Convened by the President of the UN General Assembly from 18 to 19 September 2023, the UN SDGs Summit marks the half-way point to the deadline set for achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. This week, world leaders undertook a comprehensive review of the progress on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals as they met for the 78th UN General Assembly.

The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg said:

“With the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development at its midpoint, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association is committed to fostering the values of the Commonwealth and the UN SDGs across our membership and beyond. Whilst our work relates particularly to SDG16, focusing on peace, justice and strong institutions, we are also committed to supporting Parliaments and Parliamentarians to play an active role in the delivery of all SDGs in their own jurisdictions, regionally and on an international level."

Commonwealth Parliamentarians and global experts joined the launch of the new CPA SDGs course in the margins of the Summit.

The Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan and Joint CPA Pakistan Branch President, Hon. Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, spoke at the launch of the new SDGs course to explain the importance of Parliaments’ role in their implementation.

Representatives from the Commonwealth Secretariat, Parliamentarians for the Global Goals (PfGG), Parliamentarians for Global Action, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and UN Women also attended the launch event.

The new CPA online course on the 'Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A Parliament's Role' has been launched as part of the online CPA Parliamentary Academy and it will provide Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff with knowledge of the SDGs. The course will examine parliamentary action on three levels of implementation: local/constituency, national and international implementation and features case studies from across the Commonwealth and beyond.

Find out more about the new CPA SDGs course by clicking here and watch the video below.

Watch this video to find out about the CPA Parliamentary Academy and its new course on the SDGs

The CPA Secretary-General also spoke as part of a panel discussion at the GF23 Global Futures Conference, which was organised by Amanda Ellis from the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory™ at Arizona State University.

The event brought together key stakeholders to discuss steps for governments, corporations and multilateral institutions to act to protect the planet.

Above: (from left to right) Martin Chungong, Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union; Amanda Ellis from the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability; H.E. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, former President of the 73rd UN General Assembly (2018-2019); CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg.

The CPA Secretary-General was a panellist alongside H.E. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, former President of the 73rd UN General Assembly (2018-2019) and Martin Chungong, Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union exploring how global governance through multilateral institutions represents both promise and challenges for local and global communities.

During his visit to New York, the CPA Secretary-General also met with Martin Chungong, Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and Paddy Torsney, Head of the IPU’s New York Office and Permanent Observer to the United Nations to discuss inter-parliamentary co-operation on the SDGs.

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The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association connects, develops, promotes and supports Parliamentarians and their staff to identify benchmarks of good governance and the implementation of the enduring values of the Commonwealth. The CPA is an international community of around 180 Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures working together to deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to the highest standards of democratic governance.

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