The theme of the 2026 Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (Cape Town, South Africa, September 2026) was “Strengthening International Law and Parliamentary Democracy in a Changing World Order: Commonwealth Leadership.”
As many of you know, the Global Parliamentary Water Network and its Chairman — Honorable Silas Aogon, Member of Parliament in Uganda — hosted an event at this Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference. It was well attended and broadcast live on South Africa Parliament TV. The quality of the Questions and Answers with Members of Parliament from across the globe was particularly high. Please see the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s write-up of the event in their Concluding Statement here (pages 46–47).
The opening lines:
“The side event, convened by the Global Parliamentary Water Network, considered the role of Legislatures in strengthening water security through legislation, budget allocation, oversight and cross-party cooperation. The central message was that water insecurity is not solely a technical challenge requiring engineering solutions, but also a governance challenge that demands sustained political leadership, adequate financing and effective accountability.”
— Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, 69th CPC Concluding Statement