CPA Library

This Introductory Guide is intended as a resource to guide best-practice approaches around parliamentary security. Our motivation is to aid Parliaments to meet the highest standards in parliamentary management and governance. This guide is designed to provide a strategic-level overview and identify key considerations and actions that can be taken to minimise the risk to Parliaments. You can also view the guide on our ISSUU platform click here >

The Youth Parliament Toolkit contains expert advice on establishing, planning, running and promoting a Youth Parliament with additional case studies and evaluation methods.

The CPwD Disability Inclusion Guidelines provide guidance to Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures on how to enhance and sensitize their communications with persons with disabilities. This version was updated and published in May 2024.

As a result of extensive research and consultation with Parliaments across the world, the ‘Standards for Codes of Conduct for Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Workplace’ provides guidance for Parliaments and Legislatures. With the need for continuous improvement and tackling the additional challenges of harassment, bullying and abuse in the workplace as well as the challenges of new technology and online harms, the CPA Secretariat worked with Deakin University to develop an updated set of Standards for Codes of Conduct.

Following the launch of the new ‘Standards for Codes of Conduct for Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Workplace’ for use by Parliaments and Legislatures, the research report detailing the extensive background research and consultation with Parliaments across the world. The CPA Secretariat worked with Deakin University to develop the updated set of Standards for Codes of Conduct.

This handbook provides a comprehensive overview of disinformation, including its different forms and the various techniques used to spread it. It also covers the basics of AI and synthetic media, including their potential applications and implications for democracy, within and beyond the electoral cycle. You can also view the handbook on our ISSUU platform click here >

This new Handbook for Parliaments in Election Planning is designed to assist Legislatures in planning for an election and the influx of Members of Parliament that follows with examples of best practice from across the Commonwealth.

This Handbook provides recommendations on how to adapt best practices for financial oversight to the resource and size limitations of smaller legislatures.

This Field Guide complements the 'CWP Gender Sensitising Parliaments Guidelines', providing a blueprint for Parliaments interested in undertaking a gender sensitive review and making their institution more inclusive and representative.

These guidelines have been created to help Commonwealth Parliaments to become gender sensitive institutions, providing legislatures with an outline of gender sensitising standards that they can look to achieve. 

The Handbook has been developed in partnership with the British Red Cross to support Parliamentarians in promoting International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and ensuring its effective implementation. 

This case study compilation introduces Workplace Equality & Diversity Networks (WEDNs) and provides examples of their use in Commonwealth Parliaments.

This toolkit provides guidance, advice and education on how to protect and promote the mental health and well-being of Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff.

This Handbook provides guidance to Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures on how to increase public engagement and outreach, to ensure the public get a greater say in how they are governed.

The CWP Anti-Harassment Policy Guidelines support Parliaments across the Commonwealth in the effort to both address and remove all traces of harassment across parliamentary workplaces.

The Toolkit seeks to support parliamentarians from small states and jurisdictions to increase their understanding of Climate Change and how best to ensure adaptation and mitigation strategies are in place domestically and internationally. 

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) has developed a Model Law for Independent Parliaments to help empower Parliaments to take control away from the Executive to ensure it has the administrative, operational and financial resources it needs to function effectively.

This Handbook serves as an information resource on the adoption of lay members into small states and territories' parliamentary systems.

This Commonwealth Day Youth Engagement Handbook serves as a toolkit on how the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s branches can use Commonwealth Day as a means of public outreach and engagement for young people.

Read the essential tips that all newly elected or appointed parliamentarians should become familiar with. 

This is a summary version of the fully revised and updated edition of the CPA Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures.

This is the fully revised and updated version of the CPA Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures including explanatory notes and practical considerations.  

As a result of extensive research and consultation with Parliaments across the world, the ‘Standards for Codes of Conduct for Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Workplace’ provides guidance for Parliaments and Legislatures. With the need for continuous improvement and tackling the additional challenges of harassment, bullying and abuse in the workplace as well as the challenges of new technology and online harms, the CPA Secretariat worked with Deakin University to develop an updated set of Standards for Codes of Conduct.

The Commonwealth Charter is a document of the values and aspirations which unite the Commonwealth. It expresses the commitment of member states to the development of free and democratic societies and the promotion of peace and prosperity to improve the lives of all the people of the Commonwealth. The Charter also acknowledges the role of civil society in supporting the goals and values of the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth Latimer House Principles (officially titled: Commonwealth (Latimer House) Principles on the Three Branches of Government) highlight the importance of the separation of powers between the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary to ensure effective governance and democracy. 

This new report has been developed in collaboration with King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership (GIWL), the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) network to examine ‘Positive Action Measures in Commonwealth Parliaments: Advancing Gender Equality in Politics Across the Commonwealth’. This report also assesses the results of direct interventions for gender equality.

The new research report has been completed by CPA’s Commonwealth Parliamentary Research Service (CPRS) in response to a request from the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) network. This CPRS Research Report was published in August 2025.

The Jersey States Assembly undertook a CWP Gender Sensitive Parliament Self-Assessment. This report shares the final outcomes and recommendations.

The CPA Headquarters Secretariat was approached by the CPA Scotland Branch about an enquiry on the level of support that Legislatures offer to Members, and their staff in the production and delivery of casework/casework services to the public. This CPRS Research Report was published in February 2025.

The Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory was the first CPA Branch to undertake a CWP Gender Sensitive Parliament Self-Assessment. The report shares the final outcomes and recommendations.

This report summarises the findings from the three-day CPA Small Branches Workshop on Disaster Risk Management, hosted in partnership with the Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience at Durham University in May 2023.

This dissertation, written by CWP Co-ordinator Bénite Dibateza, studies the extent to which policy learning as a parliamentary diplomacy activity to achieve gender equality is important for women parliamentarians engaged in the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians network.

Concluding Report of a Review of the Governance, Organisation and Administration of the Anguilla House of Assembly conducted with the support of the CPA in September 2021. 

The outcomes report of the 2019 CPA Small Branches Sustainable Economic Development Workshop, held in Valetta, Malta.

A new report highlights successes in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s Good Governance Project, with funding from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), to further parliamentary democracy and good governance across the Commonwealth.

CPA's general information leaflet provides the latest information on how the CPA is organised, the programmes it delivers and how we share information with our membership and beyond. 

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 sets out its support for our membership of 180 Commonwealth Parliaments as well as how the organisation will advance and develop support to CPA Members through focusing on three core objectives and six cross cutting themes that will be mainstreamed across CPA operations and workstreams.

Read the Constitution of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (updated November 2024).

• Previous versions of the CPA Constitution were adopted by the Association’s General Assembly over the years, including the immediate previous Constitution (as a charitable organisation) which was adopted by the CPA General Assembly at its meeting in Cyprus on 6 September 1993 and amended several times up to 2022. The latest version was updated in 2024. Copies of previous CPA Constitutions are also held in the CPA Archives at the CPA Headquarters Secretariat.

Find out what the CPA achieved in 2025, including information on programmes, partnerships and finances.