Jamaican Parliament begins CPA benchmarks self-assessment
/ Our Today
administrator
The Parliament of Jamaica has officially begun the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s (CPA) Recommended Benchmarks Self-Assessment Exercise.
This CPA initiative is a part of its Good Governance Project, which is funded by a grant from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). This exercise underscores Jamaica’s commitment to Vision 2030 National Development Plan, particularly national goals two and six which deal with societal cohesion and effective governance.
The CPA Benchmarks, established to reflect good parliamentary practices across the Commonwealth, have guided reforms in countries such as the Cayman Islands, Fiji, and Eswatini. The Jamaican Parliament’s participation will help identify areas for improvement and support reforms that align with the Commonwealth Charter’s principles.
By evaluating its practices against internationally recognized standards, the Jamaican Parliament seeks to strengthen its legislative processes and foster a more effective and transparent legislature.
Parliamentary leaders comment
Commenting on the move Senate president Tom Tavares-Finson explained that, “This self-assessment exercise represents our unwavering commitment to ensuring that our legislative practices meet the highest standards of good governance. It is an opportunity to further strengthen our democracy and better serve the Jamaican people.”
For her part, speaker of the House of Representatives, Juliet Holness, said, “We are proud to engage in this critical exercise, which demonstrates our commitment to accountability and legislative excellence. By adopting key benchmarks, we pave the way for a stronger and more inclusive parliamentary system.”
A key component of the assessment involves consultations with stakeholders to gather feedback on the respective benchmarks. The Parliament looks forward to the findings and to identifying areas where it can further enhance its legislative processes.
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