A 2026 New Year’s message from CPA Secretary General Stephen Twigg
As we welcome the start of 2026, I would like to send my very best wishes to all CPA Branches and partners across the Commonwealth.
The New Year offers a valuable moment to reflect on the strength of our shared community. Across our diverse regions and jurisdictions, the CPA brings together Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff who are united by a commitment to democracy, mutual dialogue and service to the people they represent. In an increasingly complex and challenging global environment, that sense of connection and shared purpose has never been more important.
Over the past year, I have been continually encouraged by the dedication, resilience and collaboration shown by our CPA Branches and partners. Your work - often carried out under demanding and evolving circumstances - has helped strengthen parliamentary institutions, promote inclusive and accountable governance and reinforce the values that lie at the heart of the Commonwealth and the CPA’s mission.
Looking ahead to 2026, I am confident that, together, we can continue to support one another, learn from our shared experiences and find practical and positive ways to respond to the challenges facing our democracies. The CPA Secretariat remains deeply committed to working alongside you to ensure that the Association remains relevant, responsive and supportive of its Members.
The New Year also presents opportunities to refocus objectives, deepen engagement and amplify parliamentary voices – all of which we aim to achieve through our new Strategic Plan 2026-2029, launching next month. As part of this Plan we will place a greater emphasis on annual campaigns, enabling us to spotlight specific issues facing our membership and enhance the mainstreaming of commitments around a particular subject. Through these campaigns, we will more deeply engage with global developments, debates and challenges that are shaping the context in which our member Parliaments operate.
The focus of our 2026 CPA campaign is legislating for the rights of persons with disabilities. We have long been committed to promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, most notably through our Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network and its activities. This year’s campaign provides us with the opportunity to build upon the excellent work of the CPwD network, expand our focus outside of the network and work with our member Parliaments to increase the number of jurisdictions introducing disability legislation in 2026. I look forward to engaging further on this throughout the year and hope that, by the end of 2026, we will have positively contributed to the passage of disability acts within the Commonwealth, serving to uphold and strengthen the rights of persons with disabilities.
Thank you for the energy, trust and goodwill that I know you will bring to the CPA and our activities this year. I send my very best wishes for a happy and successful New Year.
-ENDS-
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is an international community of 180 Parliaments and Legislatures working together to deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to the highest standards of democratic governance. Founded in 1911, the CPA brings together Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff to identify benchmarks of good governance and implement the enduring values of the Commonwealth. It offers a vast opportunity for Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff to collaborate on issues of mutual interest and to share good practice.
