This meeting has brought together parliamentary leaders from across the African continent, with the National Assembly of Seychelles serving as the host.

The meeting serves as a vital platform for parliamentary leaders to engage in discussions on governance, legislative development and regional cooperation. It is also an opportunity to address the pressing socio-political challenges that the continent faces, and to foster deeper collaboration among the Commonwealth nations in Africa.

In her opening remarks, Catherine Gotani Hara, the chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee and Speaker of the Parliament of Malawi, ex pressed her satisfaction at the record attendance of members, which she attributed to the unwavering commitment to the mission and vision of the CPA Africa Region.

Speaker Gotani Hara emphasised the importance of collaboration among the delegates, calling for constructive engagement that adheres to the princi ples of openness, mutual respect and tolerance.

“Your presence today underscores our significance of our shared objectives and dedication to advancing parliamentary democracy across Africa.”

She also spoke about the upcoming 54th Annual Regional Conference, which will be held in The Gambia in August 2025, stating the success of the event would depend largely on the quality of deliberations held during the EXCO meeting.

Furthermore, Speaker Gotani Hara acknowledged the participation of Dr Christopher Kalila MP, the newly elected chairperson of the CPA International Executive Committee, who was attending his first major regional engagement in Sydney, Australia in November 2024. Speaker Gotani Hara congratulated Dr. Kalila and expressed confidence that his leadership would continue to drive the CPA’s core mission of promoting inclusive democracy.

For his part, Dr. Kalila gave a comprehensive update on recent developments within the organization, sharing significance milestones, including the passage of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the International Committee of the Red Cross Status Act 2025 by the UK Parliament.

 “This legislation marked a crucial turning point in the CPA’s history, fulfilling a longstanding goals of securing the CPA’s legal status as a non-charity international organisation, which would allow the association to play a more prominent role on the global stage,” he stated.

Dr. Kalila spoke about the changes this new status would bring, including the ability to strengthen the CPA’s role within the Commonwealth itself, seek permanent observer status at the United Nations, and explore new partnerships with inter-parliamentary organisations worldwide.

He also outlined plans to increase and diversify the CPA’s income, thus expanding the organisation’s range of activities.

´Our goals is to reposition CPA to reflect the changing global landscape,” Dr Kalila remarked, emphasising that the new legal status would pave the way for the organisation to expand its work on critical issues like climate change, food insecurity, conflict resolution and global helth. This new era for the CPA, according to Dr. Kalila, is one that would make the organisation even more responsive to the needs of the 21st century.

Roger Mancienne, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Seychelles, also addressed the gathering. He acknowledged the challenges Seychelles had faced in the past, including the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic and his commitments to the Southern African Development Community Parlia mentary Forum (SADC PF).

 “Despite these challenges, the Seychelles Parlia ment has remained actively engaged with the CPA, with the deputy Speaker, Gervais Henrie, represent ing the country at the Executive Committee meeting. Peace and security, human rights, economic development and environmental preservation are issues that resonate deeply within Africa. These concerns are not just global challenges but have specific implications for Africa. In our mission to ensure democracy and good governance, these situations are of concerns to us all.” he affirmed.

Deputy Speaker Henrie also noted that being a member of CPA brings many advantages to Seychelles. “The mission of CPA is to promote and protect the interests and perspectives of CPA Africa Regional Parliaments and countries into the Commonwealth and beyond, and to promote gender equality, emancipation of women, and respect for human rights, freedoms, democracy and good governance. We do have annual regional conference, but we are too small to organise such event, so as the 7th cohort of the National Assembly, we wanted to host the EXCO meeting.”

As delegates gathered from across Africa, it was clear that the CPA Africa Region is committed to playing an active role in addressing the challenges facing the continent while contributing to global parliamentary democracy.