GEORGE TOWN, 5th September 2024

Image courtesy of the Assistant Clerk, Parliament of the Cayman Islands

A delegation of Parliamentarians from Cayman attended the 46th Commonwealth Parliamentary
Association (CPA) Caribbean, Americas and the Atlantic (CAA) Regional Conference held in
Georgetown, Guyana this week, including former Speaker Hon. Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, MP,
Minister of Sustainability & Climate Resiliency.

Hosted by the National Assembly of the Parliament of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, the
four-day conference began on 2nd September and included numerous seminars and sessions
under the theme of “Democracy: Challenges Facing Modern Parliaments”.

The annual regional conference also included the 14th Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians
(CWP) CAA Regional Conference, the 17th CAA Caribbean Youth Parliament, and the Annual
General Meeting.

Hon. Ebanks-Wilks commented: “As Chairperson of the Youth Parliament Committee, I
thoroughly enjoy accompanying our Youth Delegates. Seeing them work hard to prepare and
watching it come together at the debate is very rewarding. I also enjoyed attending the
Conference of Women Parliamentarians and having the benefit of leaning in and learning from
other females in the profession.”

The CAA Region of the CPA is governed by its own Executive Committee and is comprised of 19
legislatures, including the Cayman Islands, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, and Turks and Caicos.

Half a dozen sessions were held on Parliamentary topics including etiquette, parliamentary
privilege and immunity, paperless parliaments, Hansards, and the role of the Clerk. Assistant
Clerk Ms. Nordra Walcott presented at the conference on the vital function the Clerks serve in
legislatures. “I’m honoured to have had the opportunity to discuss with our regional clerks the
importance of our roles, and to learn about our individual differences across the region,” said
Ms. Walcott.

The always-energetic Youth Parliament debate took place on Thursday, 5th September, and can
be replayed on the Government of Guyana’s YouTube. Two of Cayman’s outstanding Youth
Parliamentarians participated in the debate, including this year’s YP Premier, Ms. Jhenelle
Colquhoon, and YP Leader of the Opposition, Ms. Keira Bodden.

“This year’s debate was on the inclusion of youth leaders in regional decision-making, a topic I
believe is quite important and pressing in our region,” said Ms. Colquhoon. “Overall, I was deeply
enriched and empowered by the presentation of other regional youth, and their influence has
left an indelible mark on my thought processes and personal convictions.”

The debate focused on enhancing governance by including youth in legislative bodies. Ms.
Bodden shared that the regional rebate benefited her “by ensuring that the perspectives and
voices of [her] generation are represented and valued in policy decisions whilst also empowering
[her] peers to become more involved in governance.”

Former Commonwealth Secretary-General and former Foreign Minister of Guyana Sir Shridath
Ramphal passed away just before the start of the conference. The Premier, Hon. Juliana
O’Connor-Connolly commented on his passing in a statement issued by the Government this
week.

The Cayman Islands Branch of the CPA is administered by an Executive Committee and works
closely with other branches across the region to provide Members of Parliament and Parliament
staff with a rich tapestry of resources and networks to develop their skills and understanding of
issues impacting our region and Parliamentary legislatures as a whole.