The Honourable Speaker of the House of Assembly of the Virgin Islands, Mrs. Ingrid Moses-Scatliffe will be leading a contingent of delegates to the Bahamas to attend the annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Regional Conference.

The Bahamas Branch of the CPA is hosting the 41^st Conference of the Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region during the period July 22 to 30 under the theme “Modernisation: An Essential Element for the Independence of Parliament and the Deepening of Democracy.” The CPA week-long regional conference will begin with the 9^th Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Conference before it continues with Plenary Sessions, the Annual Regional Executive Committee Meeting, the Regional Annual General Meeting and concludes with the Regional Youth Parliament.

The Speaker will be accompanied by Honourable Alvera Maduro-Caines, Honourable Melvin Turnbull and four Youth Parliamentarians; Marsha Henry, Monet James, Ryshawn Malone and Trevaughn Todman. The VI Youth Parliamentarians will participate in the 12^th Regional Youth Parliament where they will debate the effects of globalisation on small island states in the Americas, the Atlantic and Caribbean region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. The members of the Virgin Islands Youth Parliament will be accompanied by Director of Communications, Mrs. Arliene T. Penn as Liaison Officer.

Mrs. Ingrid Moses-Scatliffe, who served as President of the 40^th CPA Conference said, “After hosting the 40^th Annual CPA Conference in the Virgin Islands in 2015, and with the implementation of the National Youth Policy, that included the creation of the National Youth Parliament, we thought it fitting to include some of our Young Parliamentarians as participants in the 12^th Regional Commonwealth Youth Parliament.”

She added, “Attending a conference such as this will deepen the understanding of parliamentary democracy, not just in seasoned parliamentarians, but in the youth as well, and will help to uphold and advance the democratic practice in the Commonwealth”.

The British Virgin Islands hosted the 40^th Annual Regional Conference of the CPA in 2015 with over 70 Parliamentarians visiting from Member States of that body as delegates and observers.

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association is an organisation made up of parliamentarians from Commonwealth Legislatures. The organisation works to promote the ideals of democracy in its member Parliaments and among member parliamentarians and electors. It does so by enhancing knowledge and understanding of democratic governance.

The CPA is headquartered in London, United Kingdom and the Secretariat is headed by a Secretary General who implements the policies of the Executive Committee, the body that is responsible for the control and management of the business of the Association. The General Assembly which meets at least twice annually is the Association’s supreme authority.

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association is divided into nine commonwealth geographic regions: Africa, Asia, Australia, British Islands and Mediterranean, Canada, India, Pacific, South-East Asia and the Caribbean, America and Atlantic. The Bahamas is an active member of the Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region and last hosted the Regional Conference in the year 2000.

The CPA promotes its democratic deepening objectives through annual Commonwealth Parliamentary conferences, regional conferences, Parliamentary seminars and workshops, Parliamentary symposiums, Parliamentary publications and inter-parliamentary visits.