CPA provides technical assistance to the National Assembly of The Gambia for the first Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Headquarters visited The Gambia from 26 to 29 March 2024 to provide technical assistance in the drafting of the National Assembly's first Code of Conduct for Members.

The CPA Gambia Branch President, Rt Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta, MP, Speaker of the National Assembly welcomed the CPA delegation of Eve Sampson, Clerk at the UK House of Commons, Michael Torrence, Clerk at the UK House of Lords and Avni Kondhia, Programmes Officer at CPA Headquarters.

The CPA team’s programme included meetings with the Speaker, Members of the Committee of Privileges and Ethics, Members of the National Assembly and Clerks of the Assembly.

Speaking about the project, the Speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia said:

“Enhancing public trust in our Parliament and its Members is of vital importance and so we are delighted to be working with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in the development of our first Code of Conduct for Members. The CPA has led the way in parliamentary strengthening through the development of the 'Benchmarks for Codes of Conduct' and the updated 'Standards for Codes of Conduct for MPs and the Parliamentary Workplace' and in the implementation the good governance values of the Commonwealth. We look forward to developing these Codes of Conduct for the National Assembly of The Gambia.”

In recent years, the CPA Gambia Branch has worked closely with the CPA Headquarters on a self-assessment against the CPA’s Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures for the National Assembly and the CPA’s Model Law for Parliaments was utilised in the revised Standing Orders for the National Assembly.

The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg also visited the National Assembly of The Gambia in June 2023, the first visit by a CPA Secretary-General since the CPA Gambia Branch re-joined the Association in 2019.

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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.

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