CPA Benchmarks report provides the Malawi Parliament with an opportunity for parliamentary reform

A newly published report from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) provides a total of 19 recommendations to strengthen the governance, independence and administration of the Parliament of Malawi, following extensive consultation and assessment.

The Parliament of Malawi worked with the CPA Secretariat to support a self-assessment of the Legislature against the CPA's Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures.

From 27 February to 3 March 2023, two CPA Secretariat staff visited the Parliament of Malawi to undertake consultations with a large cross-section of stakeholders, including the Speaker of Parliament, current and former Members, members of civil society groups, the judiciary, government and parliamentary officials and the media.

The concluding report, which the CPA has now published, proposes a wide range of recommendations including greater financial independence and transparency, updating and greater clarification around legal and procedural matters, stronger leadership from Members on the governance of the House and increased staffing support.

The 30-page outcomes report will also play an important role in developing the effectiveness of the Parliament of Malawi and will contribute to its implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG16 on strong and sustainable democratic institutions.

The Speaker of the Parliament of Malawi and CPA Malawi Branch President, Rt Hon. Catherine Gotani Hara, MP said:

“Working with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Secretariat on the CPA Benchmarks self-assessment has given us the opportunity to scrutinize our parliamentary procedures and the recommendations in the outcomes report will help us to further examine the reforms outlined in the Parliament of Malawi’s 2021-2026 Strategic Plan.”

The CPA’s Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures provide a framework for excellence in Commonwealth parliamentary and legislative practice. The CPA Benchmarks, which were adopted by the CPA’s 180 Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures, provide a minimum standard and a guide on how a Parliament should be constituted and how it should function. They play an important role in developing the effectiveness of parliamentary institutions. In recent years, a number of Commonwealth Parliaments have completed a CPA Benchmarks assessment, with further assessments planned for 2023-2024.

To read the full CPA report for Malawi please click here.

-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.

For media enquiries, please contact communications@cpahq.org.