The Clerk of Parliament and Ghana branch secretary of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Mr. Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah has officially informed the general public that Ghana’s Parliament is hosting the 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference. Mr. Nsiah said the 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference will be held under the distinguished patronage of the Speaker of Parliament, the Rt Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, who also doubles as the President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and the President of the Ghana Branch of the Association. The Conference will take place from 30th September to 6th October 2023 at the Accra International Conference under the theme: “The Commonwealth Charter 10 years on: Values and Principles for Parliaments to Uphold”.
The conference is aimed at fostering dialogue and cooperation among member countries to address pressing global challenges within the context of Commonwealth Values. The conference will emphasize the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in addressing these challenges and highlight the role of parliaments in shaping policies that benefit their citizens.
The 7-day Conference will be attended by Speakers and Presiding Officers, Parliamentarians, Clerks-to-Parliaments, Parliamentary Staff, and key Stakeholders in the parliamentary governance sector. The Parliament of Ghana expects to host about six hundred (600) delegates, observers and accompanying officials from 56 National Branches (National Legislatures) and 111 Sub-National Branches (State/Provincial Legislatures) across the nine (9) geographic regions of the Commonwealth.
The Clerk also said that this year’s conference will commence officially with an opening ceremony on Wednesday, 4th October, 2023 under the distinguished patronage of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana and Vice-Patron of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. His Excellency the President will be the Keynote Speaker.
According to Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah, the opening ceremony will be followed by workshops to discuss various topics relating to security, human rights, environment, economy, gender and other cross-cutting issues. Host nation’s workshop which will be organized by Ghana deliberate on the topic: Combating the threat of terrorism to Statehood: the Role of Parliament. Mr. Nsiah further said they have invited the Hon. Minister of National Security to lead discussions on the topic. As you are aware, the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin is the President of the Association and will preside over the General Assembly on Thursday, 5th October 2023.
As part of efforts to promote our country by showcasing the natural resource endowments, history, culture, and traditions of Ghana to the international community, some tourist sites have been identified for visit by the delegates on Tuesday, 3rd October, 2023. These are Cape Coast Castle, Kakum National Park, A Cultural durbar at Manhyia Palace, Akosombo Hydroelectric Dam/Boat Cruise to Dodi Island; and Bisa Aberwa Museum. As partners in development, we count on your support and that of all stakeholders to host a successful event that would entrench Ghana’s reputation and standing as a bastion of democracy.
