The Unofficial British Royal Family Pages

21 Sept 2000 - Speech given by the Queen at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to the United Kingdom, and to Westminster Hall, for your regular Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference. This Hall last year celebrated its 900th anniversary. It has thus been at the heart of the development of parliamentary democracy in this country over the centuries. It is a most appropriate and historic setting for this opening ceremony.

This is the forty-sixth Conference for parliamentarians. I opened it three times before today: in 1961, in 1973 and in 1986. The Association continues to grow and thrive just as the Commonwealth itself continues to attract new members, prepared to commit themselves to the values which the Commonwealth embodies and requires. We have welcomed Namibia, Mozambique and Cameroon and the strong parliamentary tradition continues throughout the Commonwealth,
even though it may from time to time face threats and pressures. From the United Kingdom I am pleased to welcome the CPA branches of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. And I am delighted that the conference programme will enable delegates to visit not only London, but also Scotland and Wales, who are also your hosts this week.

The theme of this conference is 'harnessing global communications to enhance democracy'. I spoke in Durban last year of the Commonwealth being itself a kind of world wide web; and I remember there seeing in the Peoples Centre how the internet has changed the way in which the peoples of the Commonwealth communicate.

But it is converting the energy of that communications revolution into advances in democracy which is the challenge before you this week. I believe that the key here is the way in which new technologies allow politicians both to broadcast their views with greater reach and clarity and, as important, to receive information, opinions and suggestions from the widest range of sources as they deliberate on their policies.

This is where the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association is so important. Your tradition is one which encourages learning from one another. Within your own countries you encourage debate and you encourage the idea of a loyal opposition. And with ever increasing global communications, national parliamentarians now know more about
each other than ever before, and can help and advise each other with greater expertise.

So I welcome you all to the United Kingdom, and I wish you well with your deliberations. It is with great confidence as well as great pleasure that I declare the 46th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference open.