House Speaker Valerie Woods Attends High-Level Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Meetings in London

Speaker of the House Valerie Woods this week participated in high-level meetings of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in London, as part of her role as Chair of the CPA Small Branches.  According to an official press release from the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly, Woods, who also serves as a member of the CPA Coordinating Committee, met with the CPA Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General, the Chair of the CPA, and staff of the CPA Secretariat at the Association’s headquarters in the United Kingdom. The series of meetings included briefings on the CPA’s current work programme and a review of its newly launched Strategic Plan. Committee members also engaged representatives from the Commonwealth Secretariat, the CPA UK Branch, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to explore partnership opportunities aimed at strengthening Commonwealth parliaments. While in London, Speaker Woods also held courtesy meetings with Belize’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Her Excellency Cherie Nisbet, along with members of the High Commission staff.   The CPA’s work focuses on strengthening parliamentary democracy, building the capacity of legislators, and promoting good governance across the Commonwealth. The Small Branches network, currently chaired by Woods, comprises fifty-one parliamentary jurisdictions with populations of up to one million people. Speaker Woods is scheduled to return to Belize tomorrow.  Officials note that the cost of her participation in the London meetings was covered by the CPA.