NIA CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS, September 2, 2026
Nevis is contributing to regional discussions on the future of parliamentary governance as the Nevis Island Assembly participates in the 48th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Conference of the Caribbean, the Americas and the Atlantic Region in Jamaica.
The conference, hosted by the CPA Jamaica Branch at the Moon Palace Resort from August 30 to September 5, is being held under the theme “Strengthening Parliaments in the Digital Age.”
Leading the Nevis delegation is President of the Nevis Island Assembly and representative of the CPA Nevis Branch, the Honourable Michelle Slack-Clarke, who is delivering a presentation on “Maintaining Parliamentary Decorum in the Digital Age.”
Her contribution places Nevis within a wider regional discussion on the changing nature of parliamentary work as legislatures adapt to new technologies while seeking to maintain the standards, traditions and integrity of parliamentary proceedings.
The digital conversation will also extend to the region’s young leaders through the 19th Regional Youth Parliament, which will be held virtually on Thursday, September 3.
The CPA Nevis Branch has nominated Ms. Shevonne Daniel and Mr. KJel Smithen to represent Nevis at the virtual session. They will join young parliamentarians from across the region to examine the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence and its implications for the Caribbean’s digital future.
Under the theme “Youth Leadership in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” participants will debate the motion: “Artificial Intelligence, Regional Dependence and the Caribbean’s Digital Future.”
The virtual format is intended to allow broader participation among young parliamentarians from across the Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region, bringing together emerging leaders for discussion on an issue that is rapidly reshaping societies, economies and governance.
Proceedings are scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 3, with the debate to be broadcast live via the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ) YouTube Channel and the official Jamaica Houses of Parliament portal.
Nevis is participating alongside parliamentary representatives from Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The conference provides another platform for Nevis to engage with fellow legislatures on the evolving demands of parliamentary democracy, particularly as digital technology becomes increasingly embedded in public life.
For the Nevis Island Assembly, that conversation spans both the present and the next generation. While Slack-Clarke is addressing the responsibilities of established parliamentary institutions in the digital age, Daniel and Smithen will bring the perspective of young leaders to a regional debate on artificial intelligence.
Together, their participation places Nevis in a broader conversation about how parliamentary institutions can embrace technological change without losing sight of the principles and standards on which democratic governance is built.
