Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities network meet at 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Canada and elect a new CPwD Chairperson
23 August 2022
The Regional Champions of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network have met at the 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
The meeting was chaired by the CPA Canada Regional Champion, Hon. Carla Qualtrough, PC, MP, Minister of Employment, Workforce, Development and Disability Inclusion from the Parliament of Canada.
During the meeting, Hon. Laura Kanushu, MP (CPwD Africa Regional Champion) from the Parliament of Uganda was elected as the new CPwD Chairperson and Senator Paul Richards (CPwD Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Regional Champion) from the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago was elected as CPwD Vice-Chairperson.
The new CPwD Chairperson is a Ugandan lawyer and legislator, who represents people with disabilities in the Parliament of Uganda. She is also an Executive Member of the Uganda Women’s Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) advocating for people with disabilities.
Also attending the CPwD meeting were: Hon. Paul Maynard, MP (CPwD British Islands and Mediterranean Regional Champion) from the Parliament of the United Kingdom; Hon. Viam Pillay, MP (CPwD Pacific Regional Champion) from Parliament of Fiji; with Hon. Liesl Tesch, MP (CPwD Australia Regional Champion) from the Parliament of New South Wales joining remotely.
The first Chairperson of the CPwD, Hon. Kevin Murphy, former Speaker of the Nova Scotia Legislature also attended the meeting.
The CPwD network was established by the CPA to support Parliamentarians with disabilities to be more effective in their roles and to help improve awareness of disability issues amongst all Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff.
The CPwD Regional Champions represent each of the CPA’s nine Regions and promote the rights of Commonwealth Parliamentarians with disabilities in their respective Regions and represent disability interests within the CPA.
To find out more about the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network, please click here.
CPwD Regional Champions meet in Canada
CPwD Regional Champions meet in Canada
CPwD Regional Champions meet in Canada
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Further information about the 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) can be found at the official conference website www.65cpc.ca and also at the 65th CPC Hub.
On social media follow the hashtag #65CPC
Images of the 65th 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 around 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.
