Hon. Charliena White Joined Commonwealth Speakers from the Overseas Territories in Anguilla for discussion on deepening parliamentary democracy

The 2nd Commons and Overseas Territories Speakers’ Conference (COTSC) was held at the Anguilla House of Assembly from 3 to 5 April 2023 on a theme of ‘Deepening Parliamentary Democracy in the British Overseas Territories - A Roadmap to 2030’.

The conference was hosted by the Speaker of the Anguilla House of Assembly, Hon. Barbara Webster-Bourne and was supported by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. Speaker Webster-Bourne is also the CPA Small Branches Vice-Chairperson. Commonwealth Speakers and representatives attended from Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, St Helena, Turks and Caicos and Gibraltar as well as the United Kingdom.

The conference continued the discussions at the inaugural COTSC hosted by Rt Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle, MP, Speaker of the UK House of Commons in the UK last year, where it was noted that well-structured and resourced Legislatures are essential to a vibrant democracy in the Overseas Territories.