The Sierra Leone Parliamentary Delegation headed by the Rt.Hon.Speaker of Parliament Hon.Segepoh Solomon Thomas participated in the 88th Executive Committee Meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Africa Region, held in Mahe, Seychelles from 25th-29th March, 2025.
In a virtual address, Chairperson of CPA Executive Committee and Speaker of the Parliament of Malawi, Rt. Hon. Catherine Gotani Hara welcomed participants and encouraged them to strengthen and promote the cause of CPA, Africa Region by enhancing parliamentary democracy, promoting human rights, and good governance.
Delivering his remarks, Chairperson of the Executive Committee, CPA International, Hon. Dr. Christopher Kalila updated participants about the transitioning process regarding the legal status of CPA from a registered charitable organisation to an international one with a larger scope aimed at getting an observer status at the UN and revenue mobilisation aimed at investing in the health sector such as immunisation among others. He thanked Africans for electing him in Sydney, Australia, last year and called on branches to make significant inputs in respect of making the new vision of CPA International, which awaits a secondary legislation to give effect to its new legal status and commended his predecessors who had worked tirelessly for the realisation of same.
In his remarks, the President of CPA Africa Region and Speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia, Rt. Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta told participants that he had secured funds from the government and constituted a committee in Banjul, The Gambia, for a successful hosting of the 54th CPA Africa Regional Conference, later in August this year. He also spoke on deepening democracy and good governance in the Africa Region.
Making his official address, the Speaker of the Parliament of Seychelles, the Rt. Hon. Roger Mancienne welcomed participants to the serene environment of Seychelles and spoke on the need to strengthen and deepen parliamentary democracy, promoting and protecting human rights in the Africa Region, through good governance. He also said that countries that are not part of the CPA Africa region and are affected by conflicts should be considered for purposes of regional cooperation and development.
In the margin of the meetings, Hon. Bernadette Wuyatta Songa, President of the Sierra Leone Parliamentary Female Caucus, presented an update on progressive steps that have been taken by the Caucus, including the development of a strategic plan and the challenges of attaining the 30% women’s participation in the absence of the system of proportional representation.
The Clerk of Sierra Leone Parliament and Chairman of the Society of Clerks-at-the-Table (SoCATT) Africa Region, Hon. Paran Umar Tarawally, in the margin of the meetings, appealed to the Executive Committee of CPA Africa Region to grant an observer status and duty waiver to the SoCATT Africa Region. SoCATT Africa Region is made up of Clerks of Parliament who provide procedural and technical support to Speakers of Parliament.
Hon. Abdul Sulaiman Marray-Conteh, Vice Chairperson of CPA Africa Region and Chairman of the Legislative Committee in Parliament, chaired one of the sessions during the course of the Executive Committee Meeting.
The Rt.Hon.Speaker led a historic campaign for the inclusion of Clerks or accompanying officers to be included in CPA Africa Executive Committee meetings as observers, a campaign which eventually succeeded.
The Sierra Leone Parliamentary Delegation to Seychelles for purposes of the meetings included Rt.Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, Speaker of Sierra Leone Parliament, Hon. Abdul Sulaiman Marray-Conteh, Hon. Bernadette Wuyatta Songa, Hon. Brima Mansaray, Hon. Paran Umar Tarawally, Sheku Lamin Turay, Hannah Sankoh, and Edward Lebbie, Secretary to the Sierra Leone Parliamentary Delegation for the 88th CPA EXCOM Meeting