Photo credit: Dave Kneen (GovernmentHousePhotos.com), April 2025.

Parliamentary representatives from around the Commonwealth attended the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Small Branches Workshop 2025 from 31 March to 4 April 2025 in Isle of Man, under the theme ‘Strong and Independent Parliaments in Small Jurisdictions’.  

The Chairperson of the CPA Small Branches network, Hon. Valerie Woods (Belize), welcomed delegates with a virtual message saying: 

“As the Chair of the CPA Small Branches network, it is my honour to welcome you all to this significant gathering on Strong and Independent Parliaments in Small Jurisdictions. This workshop serves as a vital platform for small jurisdictions to collaborate, share insights and address the unique challenges we face within the Commonwealth.” 

The Speaker of the Tynwald House of Keys at the Parliament of the Isle of Man who hosted the Workshop, Hon. Juan Watterson, SHK said: 

“It was great to see the enthusiasm in such a diverse group of delegates from all over the Small Branches of the Commonwealth here in the Isle of Man. The Commonwealth, especially our Small Branches Network, is a unique forum that brings together parliamentarians facing similar challenges. Through interactions with experts and each other, we all go away better informed and better equipped to solve problems back home.” 

Delegates heard from political and policy experts and former legislators in a series of sessions focussed on accountability mechanisms, separation of powers, parliamentary financial oversight, the role of Parliament in budgeting and oversight of government and civil society. At the end of the programme, delegates took part in an interactive session focussed on strengthening Parliamentary oversight, where they had the chance to put into practice the principles and lessons they had learned throughout the workshop.

Workshop participants were also given the opportunity to view a sitting of the House of Keys, the directly elected Branch of Tynwald Isle of Man, the oldest continuously operating Parliament in the world. Throughout the Workshop, they received practical lessons drawn from the Isle of Man’s experiences as a smaller jurisdiction. 

Speakers of Parliament from Tuvalu, Isle of Man and St Kitts and Nevis attended the Workshop, as did the Deputy Speakers of Fiji, Australian Capital Territory and the President of the Senate of Saint Lucia. Legislators from Jersey, Guernsey, St Helena, Samoa and Tasmania also attended. 

The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg said: 

“The CPA Small Branches Workshop is a vital platform for empowering smaller Legislatures with the tools, knowledge and networks they need to thrive. This year’s workshop builds on our commitment to strengthen democratic governance and legislative capacity building across the Commonwealth, and we are grateful to the CPA Isle of Man Branch for hosting this event.” 

To find out more about the work of the CPA Small Branches network please click here. 

-ENDS- 

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is an international community of 180 Parliaments at national, state, provincial and territorial level working together to deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to the highest standards of democratic governance.  

The CPA Small Branches network represents the Parliaments in the small jurisdictions of the Commonwealth to identify their particular needs and requirements in parliamentary strengthening, development and cooperation. CPA Small Branches are classified as those jurisdictions (national and sub-national) with populations of up to 1 million inhabitants.