The Commonwealth can come together to solve our greatest global challenges

As Commonwealth Parliamentarians gather in Barbados for the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, the CPA Secretary-General reflects on the crucial role that they can play

Stephen Twigg is the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and a former UK MP.

The 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference takes place in Barbados from 5 to 12 October 2025.

Article posted on 07/10/2025. This article was published in The Nation Barbados on 07/10/2025.  

This is not the first time that the Parliament of Barbados will host the annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC).

When the CPC was last in Barbados in 1989, discussions focused on the Commonwealth’s role in sanctions against South Africa under apartheid and the impact of the ‘fall of the Berlin Wall’ on global politics.

1989 also marked progress in women’s participation in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association with the establishment of an informal group called the ‘Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians’ initiated by Senator Norma Cox Astwood (Bermuda) which would later be constituted as the CWP network of the CPA. Today, many Caribbean Parliaments are led by female Speakers and Presiding Officers, and record numbers of women have been elected.

Extracts from the CPA Archives: 35th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Barbados in 1989 - read about the events and debates that took place when the CPC was last held in Bridgetown in 1989.

The CPA organises its annual conference to address global issues and developments in the parliamentary system and brings together Parliamentarians from throughout the Commonwealth.

This week, discussions will include strengthening our Parliaments to support democracy, leveraging technology and AI to transform our Parliaments, examining the impact of climate change on global health and building trust in Legislatures.

The democratic process is alive and well in many parts of the Commonwealth – as demonstrated last year with one of the highest numbers of elections taking place worldwide including the largest democratic election in the world in India right through to elections in small states like the Solomon Islands.

However, we cannot be complacent, and democracy needs to thrive to survive. The 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Barbados comes against the backdrop of international conflict, global economic uncertainty, cross-border security threats, the effects of climate change, especially on small and vulnerable jurisdictions, and pressures on the shared values of democracy, good governance and inclusivity.

As one of the largest gatherings of Commonwealth Parliamentarians, this year’s conference will address the theme of 'The Commonwealth – A Global Partner'.

The Commonwealth offers the opportunity to bring together MPs and key stakeholders to share and exchange ideas and best practices, re-enforcing the fact that we live in an inter-connected world and have a shared responsibility to address our common challenges.

Read about the CPA and the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth has a special place in the international community and is widely recognised for its convening power in bringing together nations and territories of vastly different sizes, populations and development. The CPA Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region has always played a huge role in the Commonwealth and continues to champion its role in global politics.

In Barbados this week, we will also look ahead to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) due to be hosted in Antigua and Barbuda next year – another Caribbean nation hosting a global event that will see discussions on climate protection and ocean management, protecting human rights and promoting equality for all Commonwealth citizens, as well as supporting our young people, who make up 60% of the Commonwealth’s 2.7 billion people.

The CPA has a long history since its establishment some 114 years ago. Indeed, the Parliament of Barbados pre-dates the CPA having been established on 26 June 1639, one of the oldest Legislatures in the Commonwealth.

At the CPA, we recognise aspects of the Commonwealth’s more painful history and the importance of discussing inequality and righting the wrongs of our colonial past as we come together.

Reparations and Reconciliation: Unpacking the Commonwealth’s Divided Legacy - Parliamentarians have been discussing the Commonwealth’s colonial legacy and how best to address these issues for the future. This CPA blog article explores these issues and the discussions taking place.

The Commonwealth can position itself strongly and unequivocally beside its citizens and help to tackle the inequalities that cause so much poverty and injustice in our societies. Parliaments have a duty to represent the people they serve. One way that they fulfil this responsibility is by being inclusive, accountable, open and transparent public institutions.

Another key priority is the fight against climate change and Small Island Developing States in the Caribbean have been powerful voices within the Commonwealth as they find themselves in the frontline of the battle to avert a climate disaster as sea levels rise and extreme weather events increase. The Commonwealth helps to amplify the voices of those who need the most urgent action to protect the environment and to promote sustainable development.

The CPA also represents different groups within the parliamentary community and our three CPA networks – the CPA Small Branches representing jurisdictions with populations under one million people, the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) promoting gender equality in Parliaments and the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) supporting disability representation as well as accessible Parliaments – all aim to provide an additional platform for these voices and common interests to be heard throughout the Commonwealth.

Each of the almost 180 Parliaments within the CPA membership is a unique institution reflecting its own historical evolution and the CPA represents Legislatures at the national, state, provincial and territorial level.

What all Parliaments have in common is a capacity to strengthen democracy by acting as powerful agents of change. Success here is most likely if MPs and parliamentary staff have the necessary support to carry out their parliamentary and constitutional responsibilities. Parliamentarians have an important responsibility to hold governments to account as well as ensuring that legislation and budgets are scrutinised.

That is why the CPA’s annual conference in Barbados this week offers an important opportunity for Parliamentarians to benefit from mutual learning and the sharing of best practices with colleagues from across the Commonwealth to become more effective Members.

Let us hope that we can work together across the Commonwealth, and beyond, to learn lessons from each other and dedicate ourselves again to meeting the many challenges faced by Parliaments and citizens alike.

Above: The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg visits a school in Tonga to speak about democracy and the Commonwealth.

For further information about the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference please visit the 68th CPC Hub.

For further information about the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association please visit www.cpahq.org or email hq.sec@cpahq.org.