A delegation from Commonwealth Parliamentary Association International Headquarters met with the Parliament of Jamaica last week as part of a CPA Benchmarks self-assessment. The CPA’s Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures provide a framework for excellence in Commonwealth parliamentary and legislative practice and were updated in 2018 to include the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG16 on strong and sustainable democratic institutions. In recent years, 35 Commonwealth Parliaments have undertaken self-assessments against the updated CPA Benchmarks. The Parliament of Jamaica is now the 36th Commonwealth Legislature to do so.

As part of their visit, the CPA delegation met with the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as well as wider Members and staff from both Houses. The CPA team also held discussions with a range of external stakeholders including representatives of the Jamaican Government, and Jamaica’s Electoral Commission, Attorney-General and Auditor-General offices, as well media personnel.

Speaking about the CPA self-assessment, Senator Hon. Thomas Tavares-Finson, President of the Senate of Jamaica said:

“This self-assessment exercise represents our unwavering commitment to ensuring that our legislative practices meet the highest standards of good governance. It is an opportunity to further strengthen our democracy and better serve the Jamaican people.”

Also speaking about the self-assessment, Hon. Juliet Holness, MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Jamaica said:

“We are proud to engage in this critical exercise, which demonstrates our commitment to accountability and legislative excellence. By adopting key benchmarks, we pave the way for a stronger and more inclusive parliamentary system.”

The CPA Benchmarks self-assessment was undertaken by Brian Caesar, the Clerk of the House at the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago and the CPA’s Good Governance Project Manager, Fraser McIntosh.

Following the visit to Kingston, a Report from the CPA Benchmarks self-assessment will be formulated with Recommendations for reform to strengthen parliamentary institutions in Jamaica. The outcome Report will play an important role in developing the effectiveness of the Parliament of Jamaica and contribute to its implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Stephen Twigg, said:

“Effective Parliaments are the cornerstone of good governance, and the CPA works to ensure that Legislatures can function to their maximum potential. Self-assessment against the CPA Benchmarks ensures that Parliaments can vigorously scrutinise their practices and procedures to become better performing Legislatures. In addition, the CPA Benchmarks self-assessments have strengthened public outreach, engagement and confidence.”

The CPA Benchmarks self-assessment was supported with funding from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The CPA supports Parliaments to fulfil the outcomes of the self-assessments through CPA Technical Assistance Programmes which could involve updating the Legislature’s Rules of Procedure, training for Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff, or developing corporate policies and strategic plans. These project outputs will continue strengthening Legislative institutions for improved good governance across the Commonwealth.

To find out more about this project please email hq.sec@cpahq.org. The CPA's Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures are also available to download from the CPA website.