The 24th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) was officially opened by His Excellency Mr Danny Faure, President of the Republic of the Seychelles on Tuesday, 9th January, 2018 at the Savoy Hotel in Seychelles. He stated that, "this gathering provides an important forum for the sharing of experiences, collaboration and partnership across national parliaments of all independent sovereign states of the Commonwealth.

Geneva, 17 November 2017

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) has elected Hon Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Cameroon and Vice-Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, as Chairperson of the Executive Committee. Hon Lifaka, who is from the Africa Region of the CPA, was elected at the 63rd CPA General Assembly held on 7th November, 2017, in Dhaka, Bangladesh.  She polled 107 votes while her closest rival, Hon Nikki Rattle of the Cook Islands in the Pacific Region, polled 70 votes.

The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, H.E. Sheikh Hasina, MP, Vice-Patron of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association has urged Commonwealth Parliamentarians to uphold democratic principles as she opened the 63rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Prime Minister said: “We, Parliamentarians, being the people’s representatives have the first and foremost obligations to preserve and maintain the faith of the people in democracy and Parliamentary institutions.”