CPA British Islands and Mediterranean Regional Representatives attended meetings of the Executive Committee during the 2025 Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Barbados.  CPA Secretary-General Stephen Twigg noted the service and thanked Member of the Scottish Parliament Stuart McMillan as he completed his term on the Executive Committee.  Natasha Asghar MS (Wales) has now joined the Committee alongside Deputy Mary Le Hegarat (Jersey) and Rt Hon. David Mundell MP (UK).  

CPA BIMR’s Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities Champion, Jeremy Balfour MS (Scotland) attended meetings with his fellow disability champions which included the election of a new chair – Senator Hon. Isaiah Jacob (Malaysia).  At a community outreach event in Bridgetown they discussed how effective community engagement can shape more inclusive public policy.  Jeremy Balfour stated his intention to establish a BIMR CPwD working group.  

Deputy Adrian Gabriel (Guernsey) was re-elected as Vice-Chair of the Small Branches network, and substituted for the Chair – who was unable to attend CPC - in meetings including of the Coordinating Committee, Executive Committee, Small Branches Steering Committee and General Assembly. 

Guernsey’s Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller was elected Vice-Chair of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians’ Steering Committee for the coming year.  As well as deputising for the new CWP Chair Hon. Catherine Fife MPP (Ontario Canada), as Vice-Chair she will sit on the editorial Board for the Parliamentarian and lead the Committee which considers applications for CWP regional strengthening funds. 

Members from the region actively participated throughout the Small Branches, Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians and Commonwealth Parliamentary conferences. 

Panellists and chairs included:

• Natasha Asghar MS (Wales) in the Workshop on National Parliaments vs Provincial, Territorial and Devolved Legislatures: Protecting and Preserving the Separation of Powers
• Aristos Damianou, MP (Cyprus) in The Role of the Commonwealth in Good Governance, Multilateralism and International Relations
• Chris Webb MP (UK) and Deputy Tom Rylatt (Guernsey) in the Youth Roundtable on Staying Safe and Free to Thrive: Empowering Young People to Overcome Modern Challenges - From Gang Violence to Cyber-Bullying
• Deputy Speaker David Aguis MP (Malta) and Deputy Adrian Gabriel (Guernsey) in Human Rights and the Legacy of Colonial Laws
• Deputy Raluca Kovaks (Jersey) in Good Practices and Strategies to Realising Gender-Sensitive Parliaments across the Commonwealth
• Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller (Guernsey) in ‘Debate Not Hate’: Not Accepting Abuse as an Outcome of Free Speech 
• Roz McCall MSP (Scotland) in joint Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians and Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities Workshop on Overcoming the Barriers to the involvement of Women with Disabilities in Politics

Five parliamentarians from the region from Cyprus, Jersey, Guernsey, Malta and the UK contributed to the General Assembly topical debate on The Commonwealth – A Global Partner. 

Hon. James Evans, MS from the Senedd was awarded the 2025 New Parliamentarian Award in recognition of his contribution to promoting parliamentary democracy in his first term and through his work with multiple Parliamentary Committees. 

At the General Assembly Sark was formally admitted to CPA and so becomes the 14th member legislature in the CPA British Islands and Mediterranean Region.   From now on representatives from the Chief of Pleas (Sark’s Legislature Assembly) will participate in regional activities, including the 2026 Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Conference in Belfast hosted by CPA Northern Ireland and the full Regional Conference hosted by CPA Gibraltar in June. 

BIMR representatives attending the 2025 Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference