New Zealand congratulates CPA Executive Committee Chairperson
The New Zealand Parliament congratulates Rt Hon Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury MP, Speaker of the Jatiyo Sangshad -
Bangladesh Parliament - on her election to the post of Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth
Parliamentary Association (CPA).
Chaudhury was elected at the 60th CPA Conference held in Yaoundé, Cameroon 2 -10 October 2014, at which Speaker Rt Hon
David Carter MP and Lindsay Tisch MP were present.
The Chairperson is the executive head of the CPA, an organisation which connects, develops, promotes and supports
Parliamentarians and their staff to identify benchmarks of good governance and the implementation of the values of the
Commonwealth.
Chaudhury is the 21st Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee since the position was established in 1967. She is the
first to hail from Bangladesh.
“The New Zealand Parliament welcomes Speaker Chaudhury to this significant role and wishes her every success in
confronting the many challenges facing the organisation and moving it into a new phase,” said Rt Hon David Carter,
Speaker of the House of Representatives. “She brings with her an excellent academic and leadership record and strong
contribution to human rights and gender empowerment. I know that we have chosen the right person for the job.”
“I also offer our best wishes to Rt Hon Sir Alan Haselhurst MP, a Member of the United Kingdom House of Commons, who has
been Chairperson since 2011.”
Chaudhury has been elected for a three-year term.
ENDS