Cape Town has flung open its doors to the Commonwealth, as the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) got underway at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on Sunday, 13 September 2026, bringing Speakers, parliamentarians and governance experts from across the globe to South African soil.
The Parliament of the Republic of South Africa and the South Africa Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association are hosting the week-long gathering, which runs until 19 September under the theme “Strengthening International Law and Parliamentary Democracy in a Changing World Order: Commonwealth Leadership.”
The Commonwealth Comes to the Mother City
Organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), the conference convenes Speakers of Parliament, Members of Parliament, parliamentary officials and governance experts from the CPA’s nine geographical regions: Africa, Asia, Australia, the British Islands and the Mediterranean, Canada, the Caribbean, the Americas and the Atlantic, India, and South Asia.
Established in 1911, the CPA has spent more than a century advancing parliamentary democracy, good governance and cooperation among Commonwealth legislatures, strengthening institutional capacity, promoting knowledge-sharing and fostering collaboration between parliaments.
A Milestone for South Africa’s Parliament
Hosting a conference of this stature is a significant vote of confidence in South Africa and its democratic institutions.
“Hosting the 69th CPC represents an important milestone for South Africa’s Parliament and reinforces the country’s commitment to parliamentary diplomacy and multilateral engagement,” Parliament said, adding that the conference will showcase “Parliament’s constitutional role and South Africa’s contribution to strengthening democratic institutions across the Commonwealth.”
The programme offers a platform for high-level dialogue on global governance, democracy, international law and sustainable development, with a range of high-level meetings, workshops and specialised forums aimed at promoting inclusive, effective and responsive parliamentary governance.
A Full Week Ahead
Monday’s programme features the CPA Small Branches Conference and the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Conference, before the Official Opening Ceremony of the 69th CPC takes place from 5:30 pm.
Beyond the conference halls, the event brings hundreds of international delegates to the Mother City, a welcome boost for Cape Town’s conferencing and tourism economy and another demonstration of South Africa’s proven ability to host world-class international gatherings.
For a week in September, the conversations that shape parliamentary democracy across a third of the world’s population will happen right here at home, and South Africa is ready to lead them.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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