CPA Secretary-General visits The Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh

Members of The Scottish Parliament discuss their activities with the CPA and the wider Commonwealth.

The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Stephen Twigg, met with the CPA Scotland Branch President and the Presiding Officer of The Scottish Parliament, Rt Hon. Alison Johnstone, MSP in Edinburgh recently.

At the meeting, which took place on 7 September 2022, the CPA Secretary-General updated the Presiding Officer on key governance decisions taken at the recent 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) in Halifax, Canada.

The Presiding Officer provided an overview of progress on the Gender Audit currently being undertaken at The Scottish Parliament. She highlighted that the audit was examining Gender Sensitivity across all levels of Parliament, with a particular focus on intersectionality within the institution.

Above: The CPA Secretary-General during his visit to the CPA Scotland Branch at The Scottish Parliament (images Scottish Parliament IPRO).

During the visit, the CPA Secretary-General also attended a ‘meet and greet’ session with Members of the Scottish Parliament, highlighting the work of the CPA and answering questions from Members.

At the session, a panel of Members of the Scottish Parliament - Hon. Jeremy Balfour, MSP, Hon. Sarah Boyack, MSP, Hon. Stuart McMillan, MSP and Hon. Martin Whitfield, MSP - discussed their recent participation in CPA events.

These included attending the CPA Executive Committee and CPA General Assembly at the 65th CPC in Canada, thematic discussions at CPC workshops, attending the CPA British Islands and Mediterranean Region conferences and workshops, and participating in CPA Election Observation Missions.

Members expressed their positive experiences in their interactions with CPA activities and encouraged new Members to take advantage of the CPA’s resources, particularly the new CPA Parliamentary Academy online courses.

-ENDS-

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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