64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference opens in Uganda with Somaliland participation

Kampala (Somaliland.com) – Over 1,000 delegates are attending in Uganda for the 64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, one of the major gatherings of the 54 nations member bloc.

Ugandan Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda and Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga were at Entebbe International Airport to welcome the delegates.

Somaliland participates this conference for the first time as an observer member. Somaliland delegation is headed by the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives of Republic of Somaliland Mr Ahmed-Yasin Sheikh Ali Ayaanleh, and accompanied by Honorable MPs Mohamed Haji Yusuf Waabeeyo, Mr Abdi-Aziz Ismail, Ahmed Nur Kijandhe and the House’s General-Secretary Mr Abdirizak Saeed Ayaanleh

The one-week-long conference is scheduled between 22 – 29 September, with a series of events planned under the theme “Adaption, Engagement and Evolution of Parliaments in a Rapidly Changing Commonwealth”.

More than 20 Speakers of Parliaments are expected to attend.

This Monday, a segment dedicated to women issues has taken place. Delegates reviewed how far the bloc has gone in supporting women development.

A report to be tabled shows that of the Commonwealth countries, only Rwanda has achieved gender parity in its parliament, with women making up more than 60% of MPs in the lower house.

Just 12 other Commonwealth countries have parliaments where more than 30% of MPs are women.

The parliamentary conference in Uganda will be followed by the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Kigali, Rwanda mid next year.