The Commonwealth Secretariat (Rule of Law Section) – in collaboration with CLGF, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), will host a Marlborough House Dialogue on “Pathways to Democratic Resilience: A Commonwealth Conversation” on Thursday, 18 June 2026. 

The dialogue will explore practical and collective responses to strengthening democratic governance, grounded in the rule of law, parliamentary accountability and inclusive political participation. It will also address how emerging technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping institutional resilience across Commonwealth member states. 

Outcomes from the discussions will help guide the Commonwealth Secretariat’s work on democratic resilience and inform preparations for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda in November 2026.  

Local governance and citizen trust  

As set out in the the CLGF’s Aberdeen Agenda, grassroots democracy and effective local leadership serve as the foundational pillars underpinning national and global democratic resilience.  

At the upcoming event, CLGF Board Member, Councillor Kevin Bentley (Colchester City Councillor, Leader of the Conservative Group and Senior Vice Chairman at the UK Local Government Association), will share key insights on how inclusive and accountable local governance contributes to democratic resilience through fostering citizen trust, effective service delivery and meaningful community participation. 

Event details and registration 

The dialogue will be hybrid. CLGF members and local government representatives are invited to register to join the dialogue to gain a multi-layered institutional view of this topic, and to ensure local government perspectives continue shaping the wider Commonwealth agenda on democracy.  

- Date: Thursday, 18 June 2026  

- Time: 15:00 – 17:00 BST  

- Format: Hybrid (Marlborough House, London / Online) 

Register your participation here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/bfmR1YTMk9.

For more details regarding the event agenda, please view here.

We look forward to welcoming you at the event!