CPA Chairperson meets key stakeholders during Commonwealth Week 2025

The Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, Hon. Dr Christopher Kalila, MP (Zambia) has marked Commonwealth Day 2025 in London, UK and met with key stakeholders during his first official visit to the CPA Headquarters.

To mark Commonwealth Day on 10 March 2025, the CPA Chairperson attended the traditional multi-faith Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in London along with the Commonwealth Secretary-General and High Commissioners. The CPA Chairperson also released a video message in which he said:

“As we celebrate Commonwealth Day 2025, we recognise the work of Commonwealth Parliaments and Parliamentarians in promoting our democratic values and principles. The Commonwealth family is strongest when connected through friendship and common purpose and our diversity is our greatest strength.”

The CPA Chairperson and the CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg also attended the ceremonial raising of the Commonwealth flag and commemorative event at the UK Parliament hosted by the Speaker of the UK House of Commons, Rt Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle, MP along with representatives from across the Commonwealth. The CPA Chairperson gave a reading from the Bible’s First Book of Corinthians as part of the ceremony.

During Commonwealth Week, the CPA Chairperson and the CPA Secretary-General were received at Buckingham Palace by the Patron of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, His Majesty King Charles III, who is also the Head of the Commonwealth.

The CPA Chairperson met with the Commonwealth Secretary-General-Elect, Hon. Shirley Botchwey to discuss the priorities of the work undertaken by the Commonwealth Secretariat in partnership with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

At Westminster, the CPA Chairperson and the CPA Secretary-General met with the CPA UK Branch Chairperson, Hon. Kate Osamor, MP and members of the CPA UK Executive Committee to discuss the Branch’s key projects on modern slavery, trade, security and Public Accounts Committees. The CPA Chairperson also addressed delegates from Commonwealth Legislatures attending the 73rd Westminster Seminar about the priorities for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

The CPA Chairperson, accompanied by the CPA Secretary-General, met with Baroness Chapman of Darlington, the UK Minister for International Development, Latin America and Caribbean and Rupert Dewey, Head of the Commonwealth Unit at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association is undertaking a number of projects with the UK FCDO including the CPA Benchmarks self-assessment project which provides support to Parliaments in the Caribbean, African, Asian and Pacific Regions to measure and improve their Legislative practices in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the CPA Democratic Benchmarks.

The CPA Chairperson, who is also a medical doctor and takes a great interest in medical issues, met with UK Parliamentarians, Lord Herbert, Chair of the Global TB Caucus and Hon. Danny Chambers, MP who works with Campaigns in Global Health.

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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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