Cape Town is hosting the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC). The event is being hosted at the Cape Town International Convention Centre by the Parliament of South Africa.
The event is being attended by 900 parliamentary delegates from across the Commonwealth countries. The aim of the gathering is to facilitate democracy, international law and the future of multilateral cooperation.
The 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) opened on September 13, 2026 and is expected to run for the rest of the week, closing on September 19.
The theme for the event is, “Strengthening International Law and Parliamentary Democracy in a Changing World Order: Commonwealth Leadership.” Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg addressed the gathering on the opening day of the event. This year, the discussion is focussed on growing concerns over geopolitical tensions and weakening international norms.
The featured speaker at the opening ceremony for the event has asserted that this year’s initiative is one of the highest attendance in recent years. The event is also being hosted at a critical time in world history as the nations are facing international pressures.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg, believes that parliamentarians have to move on from debating democratic principles to actively defending democracy, upholding the rule of law and rebuilding trust across borders.
The conference is also historic for the CPA as they have acquired a new international legal status as an inter-parliamentary organization. According to the South African Parliament, the transition has been made with the aim to improve stronger cooperation among member legislatures. The transition will also help give the CPA a stronger collective voice in international forums, including the United Nations.
South African Minister, Maropene Ramokgopa, spoke during the event on behalf of Deputy President of South Africa Paul Mashatile. She urged the attendants of the event to use the conference as a platform to establish concrete commitments.
While speaking at the event, she stressed the need to defend international law consistently. The minister also urged the action to strengthen the role of parliaments in representation and accountability.
Further she advocated for the expanded participation by women, young people and persons with disabilities. Minister Ramokgopa said that parliamentary diplomacy should be utilised for peace and conflict prevention.