Pacific nation of Samoa promotes parliamentary reform through CPA Benchmarks self-assessment

A delegation from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Headquarters met with the Parliament of Samoa as part of a CPA Benchmarks Self-Assessment.

The CPA’s Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures provide a framework for excellence in Commonwealth parliamentary and legislative practice and were updated to include the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG16 on strong and sustainable democratic institutions. 

As part of their visit, the CPA delegation met with Hon. Papalii Lio Oloipola Taeu Masipau, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly; Hon. Fiame Naomi Mataafa, Prime Minister of Samoa; Mr Satama Leatisa Uitime Tala, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly and CPA Samoa Branch Secretary; as well as parliamentary staff, Government officials, the Attorney General, the Auditor General and representatives of both Samoan civil society and local media groups.

Speaking about the CPA Democratic Benchmarks self-assessment, Hon. Papalii Lio Oloipola Taeu Masipau, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa said:

"The number of challenges experienced by Samoa since our last General Election in April 2021 has been immense to the point that Parliament’s independence was widely questioned by the public. The CPA Benchmark’s assessment is an important exercise undertaking a review of our Parliament's current practices and procedures. I anticipate that the CPA assessment will shed light on long-held Parliamentary practices and procedures that need to be abolished, reviewed or strengthened so as to reinforce the independence of Parliament, ensure its supremacy, and importantly restore the trust of our citizens on Parliament being the voice of the people."

Above: The CPA team meet with the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa, the Prime Minister, the Samoa Audit Office and visit the Parliament building.

The CPA Benchmarks self-assessment was undertaken by Catherine Vickers, Clerk of the Tasmanian Legislative Council and Fraser McIntosh, Good Governance Project Manager from CPA Headquarters. There is a CPA twinning partnership between the Parliament of Tasmania and the Parliament of Samoa.

UPDATE (June 2024): CPA Benchmarks Report for the Parliament of Samoa

Following the visit, a final Outcomes Report has been published with recommendations for reform to strengthen parliamentary institutions in Samoa. The Outcomes Report will play an important role in developing the effectiveness of the Legislative Assembly and contribute to its implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This CPA Benchmarks assessment was supported with project funding from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) aimed at further parliamentary democracy and good governance across the Commonwealth.

The CPA supports Parliaments to fulfil the outcomes of the self-assessments through CPA Technical Assistance Programmes, which could involve updating the rules of procedures, training for Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff, or developing corporate policies. These project outputs will strengthen parliamentary institutions for improved good governance.

To find out more about this project please email hq.sec@cpahq.org. The CPA's Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures are available to download on the CPA website.

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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.