The British Irish Parliamentary Assembly was originally established in 1990 as the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body with representatives from the Houses of Parliament and the Houses of the Oireachtas. In 2001 the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, the Northern Ireland Assembly, Tynwald Court and the States of Guernsey and Jersey joined and in 2008 the organisation was renamed.

The Hon Juan Watterson SHK is the Tynwald member of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly and Mr John Wannenburgh MHK​ is the Associate Member.

The assembly meets bi-annually at different venues in Britain and Ireland. In November 2010 the Assembly held its 41st Plenary Conference in the Isle of Man. Members engage in non-legislative parliamentary activities and have four Committees which meet more frequently.

Visit the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly website for more information about the organisation and its work.

The CPA is an Association of Commonwealth Parliamentarians who, irrespective of gender, race, religion or culture, are united by community of interest, respect for the rule of law and individual rights and freedoms, and by pursuit of the positive ideals of parliamentary democracy. The Association is composed of Branches formed in Legislatures in Commonwealth countries which subscribe to parliamentary democracy.  

The Branches are divided into nine Commonwealth regions each of which is represented on the CPA Executive Committee. The Isle of Man Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association was formed in 1937. It is a member of the British Islands and Mediterranean Region.

All Members of Tynwald are entitled to become a Member of the Isle of Man Branch. Former Members of Tynwald or other Legislatures may become Associate Members. In common with most Branches the Isle of Man Branch is run by an Executive Committee.

Isle of Man Branch Executive Committee

The Hon J P Watterson SHK (Branch Joint President and Committee Chair)

The Hon L D Skelly MLC, President of Tynwald (Branch Joint President)

The Hon A L Cannan MHK, Chief Minister (Branch Vice President)  

Mrs T M August-Phillips MLC

Mr R E Callister MHK

Mrs C A Corlett MHK

Mr T M Crookall MHK

Mrs S L Maltby MHK

Mr S C Rodan OBE (Associate Member)

Officers of the Isle of Man Branch

Secretary: Jonathan King, Clerk of Tynwald

Assistant Secretary: Joann Corkish, Deputy Clerk of Tynwald

Contact

Tel: 01624 685500

E-mail: enquiries@tynwald.org.im

More information about the IOM Branch of the CPA can be found here: Tynwald - Isle of Man Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

The Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth was originally established in 1969, an initiative of the then Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, the Honourable Lucien Lamoureux.

The Conference is an independent group with no affiliation to any other Commonwealth organisation.  Both the President of Tynwald, The Hon Juan Paul Watterson BA FCA CMgr FCMI, and the Speaker of the House of Keys, attend Conference meetings.

The Conference meets every two years, usually in January, with a Standing Committee meeting in the alternate years. In January 2011 the Isle of Man hosted the Standing Committee meeting. Jersey are the hosts for the 2015 Standing Committee meeting.

Visit the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers Conference website for more information about the organisation its work.

The Crown Dependencies Network is a small network for parliamentarians held under the aegis of the CPA and open to all Members. Its aim is to give opportunities for politicians from the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man to network, learn from each other, and enhance their understanding of the political systems and principal issues affecting each jurisdiction.

In-person sessions are held annually enabling parliamentarians to:

• build networks across the Crown Dependencies
• share information about, and debate, common issues and problems
• enable individual parliamentarians to meet with politicians and officials in other jurisdictions on matters of political interest to them.

Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) is an executive Non-departmental Public Body sponsored by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

WFD is the UK public body dedicated to strengthening democracy and open societies around the world.

https://www.wfd.org/

The Parliamentary and Assembly Procedural Officers Network is a network of officials working for Parliaments and Assemblies in the British Islands and Ireland and whose role involves delivering or managing procedural advice to members and the effective conduct of plenary and committee business.​ It is constituted of officers from the following jurisdictions: the House of Commons and the House of Lords, Westminster; the London Assembly; the Houses of the Oireachtas, Dublin; the Northern Ireland Assembly, Belfast; the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh; the Welsh Parliament, Cardiff; the States of Deliberation, Guernsey; the States Assembly, Jersey; and Tynwald, the Isle of Man.​

PAPON aims, through regular conferences and by other means, to: 

• facilitate and encourage the sharing of experience and best practice
• improve inter-parliamentary understanding and engagement
• enhance professional development at all levels.​ 

Website: http://papon.org.uk/​ 

As a British Crown dependency, the Isle of Man cannot become an individual member of the Commonwealth. However, the UK’s membership of the Commonwealth includes the Isle of Man, and this allows the Island to become involved in a range of Commonwealth activities and organizations.

The Isle of Man supports the aims and objectives of the Commonwealth and this is demonstrated clearly in the range of Commonwealth bodies and activities that the Island has become involved in. The Isle of Man has separate membership of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), the Commonwealth Games Federation, and the Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrators. The Isle of Man has also formed parts of the UK delegations to certain meetings such as the Commonwealth of Finance Ministers. Through these activities, the Island is able to promote good governance, democracy, and international friendship, and is also able to benefit from the trade and business links that are cultivated throughout the Commonwealth. 

Good Governance through the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

The Commonwealth charter emphasizes the community as a force for good throughout the world, and the CPA is a major means to this end. The CPA promotes good governance, the rule of the law, and an adherence to prevailing international standards. Tynwald is a longstanding member of the CPA, and this has served to enhance the reputation of the Island as a respectable international citizen with a jurisdiction that supports good governance and strong parliamentary democracy. The Island has offered advice and assistance to new democracies in setting up their own systems of government and in making innovations in parliamentary practice. 

International friendship and the Commonwealth Games

The Isle of Man is a member of the Commonwealth Games Federation and it consequently participates in the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games. The event plays a major role in sustaining international goodwill and friendship, and it gives athletes in the Isle of Man the chance to compete on an international stage. The Isle of Man hosted the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2011, which serves to highlight the extent to which the Island has become involved in Commonwealth activities. 

Trade, economic development, and environmental sustainability

The Commonwealth has no formal trade agreements but the Island benefits from the contact that are developed throughout the Commonwealth for trading. For example, in 2011 the Isle of Man Government held an event in London entitled “Doing Business in the Commonwealth”, which was attended by representatives of various Commonwealth countries. The event provided an opportunity for the Isle of Man Government to forge contacts and prospects for closer co-operation and economic benefit with the Commonwealth Business Council. The event allowed representatives of the Island to remind larger nations that small economies can still be valuable to them. The Island is also a member of the Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrators, which allows the Island to receive shared knowledge on effective tax administrations that promote sustainable development and good government. 

The Isle of Man Government, in conjunction with the Commonwealth Secretariat, the World Bank, the Small States Network for Economic Development and Oxford University, has also sponsored the Small States Financial Management Programme. Participants in the programme are drawn from officials within finance ministries, central banks, and regulatory bodies in small developing countries. They benefit from access to some of the best practitioners and academics in the world, during an innovative two-week learning experience where they have the opportunity to share their own countries’ ambitions and challenges and to consider possible solutions. 

Along with economic developments, the Isle of Man has also dedicated itself towards the aims of the Commonwealth to protect the environment and promote sustainability. The Island is associated with the Commonwealth Environmental Investment Platform (CEIP), which helps to assist environmental SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises) in Commonwealth nations share knowledge, increase international awareness, and facilitate trade and investment in environmental and sustainable technologies. In 2014 the Island launched the Manx Cleantech Hub as part of a growing network of hubs across the Commonwealth that seeks to promote these technologies.

For further reading see:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmfaff/writev/commonwealth/com21.htm

http://www.manx.net/isle-of-man-news/3349/island-reaches-out-to-commonwealth-businesses

http://mch.im/

The Clerk of Tynwald's Office offers a parliamentary training service which has been particularly successful for parliamentary personnel from small and developing jurisdictions. The training programme can be tailored to meet the needs of the individuals attending and will combine both theoretical instruction and practical experience of working in a parliamentary setting. Previous delegates have spent between two and five working days with our office. For longer programmes we are usually able to arrange one or more days for cultural activities. 

Click the link below to look at some sample programmes for an idea of the type of activities available:

• 2 day programme
• 5 day programme

There is no charge for the training programme. Delegates simply cover their travel and subsistance expenses. Those who complete the programme will receive a certificate setting out the areas covered during the training.

For further information please contact the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald via email: enquiries@tynwald.org.im or telephone +44 (0) 1624 685500.