The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) was founded in 1911 as the Empire Parliamentary Association, which later became the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in 1948.

The Empire Parliamentary Association was founded at a meeting on 18 July 1911 in what was then House of Commons Committee Room 15 in the Palace of Westminster. As well as Members of the UK Parliament, the meeting was attended by representatives of the Parliaments of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Newfoundland and South Africa.