To mark the conclusion of the 110th anniversary of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association this year, the CPA has published a special anniversary book showcasing over 180 Parliament buildings around the Commonwealth and giving an insight into their varied histories.
The Parliament buildings of the CPA Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region that are featured in this new book include St Vincent and the Grenadines, Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda; The Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Bermuda; Cayman Islands; Dominica; Grenada; Guyana; Jamaica; Montserrat; Saint Lucia; St Kitts and Nevis; Nevis Islands; Trinidad and Tobago; Turks and Caicos Islands; and Virgin Islands (BVI).
The book features a special message from the CPA’s Patron, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, who congratulated the Association on its anniversary year. The Queen has visited almost every Parliament building in the Commonwealth during her long reign.
The CPA was founded on 18 July 1911 as the Empire Parliamentary Association by Members of Parliament from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Newfoundland and South Africa. 110 years later, the membership of the CPA, which succeeded the Empire Parliamentary Association in October 1948, has grown to more than 180 Parliaments and Legislatures across the 54 countries of the ‘modern’ Commonwealth. Physically, in their composition and in the way they operate, the Parliaments of today are virtually unrecognisable from the Parliaments of 1911.
This commemorative book features more than 180 Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures at national, state, provincial and territorial levels amongst the CPA’s membership and includes information about each Parliament, as well as over 350 photographs of their buildings and chambers.
The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg said: “Over the decades, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association has experienced a transformation in our membership to a more diverse composition which better reflects the people that we aim to represent. During this time, the Parliament buildings of the Commonwealth have adapted to meet the requirements of the modern world, while, at the same time, maintaining heritage buildings and Parliamentary Chambers. This special 110th-anniversary book showcases their remarkable histories.”
All of the 180 Parliaments and Legislatures in the CPA’s membership will be sent a copy of the book for their Parliamentary libraries. Copies will also be available to purchase from the CPA Headquarters Secretariat.