20th Conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurates 20th Annual conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association India Region, Shillong, Meghalaya on 29th July 2023. The conference will deliberate on natural disasters and strategies for management with special reference to the northeast region.

The delegates will also hold a discussion on the topic of regional connectivity to bring the northeast region of the country at par with the rest of India.

About CPA

• Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is an association to serve the Parliamentarians of the Commonwealth Countries by providing machinery for regular consultation and exchange of ideas and information among members of Commonwealth Parliaments. 

• The CPA was founded in 1911 as the Empire Parliamentary Association (EPA) and the United Kingdom Branch administered its affairs. Its headquarter is located in London.

• The CPA India Region comprises a total of 31 Legislatures, from Assam in the East to Gujarat in the West. After the Africa Region, India has the largest number of member Branches of the CPA. 

• The CPA India Regional Chairperson is Shri Om Birla, MP, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Parliament of India. 

• The CPA India Regional Secretariat is based within the Lok Sabha at the Parliament of India.

• The current CPA India Regional Secretary is: Mr Utpal Kumar Singh

About Commonwealth

• The British Commonwealth of Nations was the result of the 1926 Balfour Declaration which stipulated that the relationship between Britain and her Dominions was equal in status. This stipulation was formalized officially in Section 4 of the Statute of Westminster in 1931.

• The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal countries.

• Commonwealth Secretariat is in Marlborough House, Pall Mall, St. James's, London, United Kingdom.