54 Commonwealth nations for the CPA Conference in Sri Lanka
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- Published on Friday, 07 September 2012 11:20
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Discussions have taken place between the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Secretary General Dr.William A.Shija and the High Commissioner Chris Nonis on the upcoming conference in Colombo where parliamentarians from the entire Commonwealth are due to gather for a week-long meeting which is to be opened formerly on September 11th.
The CPA, headquartered in London, brings together more than 170 parliaments and legislatures throughout the Commonwealth, and is a powerful organisation dedicated to strengthening good parliamentary practice and respect for the institution of Parliament.
Sri Lanka's Speaker of parliament Chamal Rajapaksa MP will be chairing the forthcoming CPA Conference. The cross-party UK parliamentary delegation to the 58th annual conference will be led by Labour MP Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods.
Dr Shija, CPA Secretary-General since 2006, was appreciative of the initiatives and ongoing preparations by the Sri Lanka Government and parliamentary Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa to set the stage for a fruitful and successful meeting, the third to be held in Sri Lanka in nearly 40 years.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be the chief guest at the conference that will discuss a range of issues of common concern from empowering future generations through access to health, education and vocational training to the threat to democracy, peace and security from terrorism.
Dr Nonis said that Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma will also address the conference.
Dr Nonis observed that holding the CPA conference in Colombo is indicative of the new climate of peace and normalcy prevailing in Sri Lanka after the war against terrorism and a sign of the international confidence in Sri Lanka today.
Meanwhile, a Press Conference in this regard will be held this morning (07) at the Sri Lanka Parliament chaired by Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa.
