New CPA Small Branches Chairperson elected at 40th CPA Small Branches Conference
Newly elected CPA Small Branches Chairperson speaks of the importance of small Legislatures within the Commonwealth coming together to address common challenges and to share experiences of their Parliaments at 40th CPA Small Branches Conference
The newly elected Chairperson of the CPA Small Branches network, Hon. Valerie Woods, Speaker of the National Assembly of Belize pledged that the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) would have a strengthened and renewed focus on assisting Small Branches and their Parliaments and Legislatures.
Above: The new CPA Small Branches Chairperson, Hon. Valerie Woods pictured after her election at the 40th CPA Small Branches Conference in New South Wales. Click here for more images of the Conference.
The Members of the CPA attending the 40th CPA Small Branches Conference elected Hon. Valerie Woods (Belize) as the new CPA Small Branches Chairperson. The role of Chairperson of the CPA Small Branches is an Officer role within the CPA’s governance structure and the new incumbent will sit on the CPA International Executive Committee to bring a voice for the CPA Small Branches to the governing body of the Association.
In her acceptance remarks, the newly elected CPA Small Branches Chairperson expressed her gratitude to the Members of the CPA Small Branches, who have shown great trust in electing her as their Chairperson.
Hon. Valerie Woods, MNA is the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belize. She was first appointed to the National Assembly as a Senator from 2016 to 2019 and was then elected in December 2020 as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
As the Speaker, she has been a lead facilitator on the CPA’s Administrative Review of the Parliament and on the proposed draft changes to the Standing Orders. She is also pursuing her professional development studies in parliamentary service through the CPA Parliamentary Academy and Gender Studies through the Caribbean Institute in Gender and Development (University of the West Indies).
She has also served on the Steering Committee for the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) representing the Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region and as CWP Vice-Chairperson.
The outgoing CPA Small Branches Chairperson is Joy Burch, MLA, Speaker of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly and previous holders were: Hon. Niki Rattle (Cook Islands) and Hon. Angelo Farrugia (Malta).
The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Stephen Twigg said:
“I congratulate Joy Burch, the outgoing CPA Small Branches Chairperson, for the important achievements she has delivered during her term in office. On behalf of the entire CPA membership, we are incredibly grateful to her for the leadership of the CPA Small Branches network. I very much look forward to working with Hon. Valerie Woods, the new CPA Small Branches Chairperson during the next three years and wish her all the very best in this important role.”
Under CPA election rules only delegates from CPA Small Branches to the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference could take part in the vote to elect a new CPA Small Branches Chairperson.
There were three candidates for the position of CPA Small Branches Chairperson: Deputy Adrian Gabriel (Guernsey); Hon. Shane Thompson, MLA, Speaker of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly; and Hon. Valerie Woods, MNA, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belize.
The election of the new CPA Small Branches Chairperson took place at the 40th CPA Small Branches Conference held in New South Wales, Australia as part of the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference.
Of the almost 180 Branches of the CPA, fifty CPA Branches are classified as ‘Small Branches’. The CPA Headquarters Secretariat works closely with Small Branches in all Regions of the CPA to identify their unique needs and requirements in parliamentary strengthening, development and cooperation.
One of the largest gatherings of Commonwealth Parliamentarians, the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference brought together over 700 Parliamentarians, parliamentary staff and decision makers from across the Commonwealth for this unique conference and networking opportunity.
The 67th CPC was the first time that the CPA New South Wales Branch hosted the event and the first time that an Australian State or Territory hosted the CPA annual conference.
During the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, there were also a number of additional conferences and meetings including: 40th CPA Small Branches Conference; 8th Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Conference; meetings of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network; the CPA General Assembly and meetings of the CPA Executive Committee; and the 58th Society of Clerks at the Table (SOCATT) meetings.
During the conference, a number of elections also took place for the Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, the CPA Small Branches Chairperson and the CPA Vice-Chairperson.
-ENDS-
Further information about the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) can be found at the official conference website and also at the 67th CPC Hub.
On social media follow the hashtag #67CPC
Images of the 67th CPC are also available at the CPA's Flickr page.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) organises its annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) to address global political issues and developments in the parliamentary system through conference workshops and sessions for leading Parliamentarians representing Parliaments and Legislatures throughout the Commonwealth.
The CPA is an international community of almost 180 Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures working together to deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to the highest standards of democratic governance.
For media enquiries, please contact communications@cpahq.org.
