India to host 28th Commonwealth Speakers’ Conference
PM to inaugurate the meeting •Focus on AI & social media in Parliaments
New Delhi: India will host the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) in New Delhi from Wednesday. The three-day Conference will bring together Speakers and Presiding Officers from over 60 Commonwealth countries and semi-autonomous Parliaments.
Addressing the media in New Delhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that on the first day, the meeting of the Executive Council will be held. He informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Conference on January 15. Birla said various sessions will be held during the Conference on topics, including Use of Artificial Intelligence in Parliament, the sharing of best practices and innovative ideas among the participants, social media’s impact on Parliamentarians, enhancing public understanding of Parliament and security, health and wellbeing of MPs.
“India is honoured to host the 28th CSPOC at a time when Parliaments worldwide are grappling with new challenges and opportunities posed by technology, changing public expectations and concerns relating to the security and well-being of legislators,” Birla said. “The focus this year will be on the application of artificial intelligence and social media in parliamentary functioning, while preserving the core democratic values of transparency, accountability and impartiality,” he said.
PM Modi will inaugurate the conference on January 15 at 10.30 AM and deliver the keynote address.
Following the inaugural session, the Prime Minister will interact informally with the Speakers and Presiding Officers of Commonwealth and autonomous parliaments and participate in a group photograph. Modi had earlier inaugurated the 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20) hosted by India in October 2023, the last major inter-parliamentary conference held in the country.
CSPOC, established in 1969 on the initiative of the then Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons, Lucien Lamoureux, is an independent forum that brings together Speakers and Presiding Officers of the 53 national parliaments of Commonwealth countries. While it has no formal affiliation with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), the Commonwealth Secretariat or the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), its membership mirrors that of the CPA. Canada has provided the secretariat for CSPOC since its inception.
The stated aims of the conference are to uphold impartiality and fairness among Presiding Officers, promote understanding of parliamentary democracy in its various forms, and support the development of strong parliamentary institutions. The conference operates on a two-year cycle, with a full membership conference held every alternate year.
The decision to host the 28th CSPOC in India was taken during the 25th conference in Ottawa in January 2020, in consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs. The formal handover to India took place at the conclusion of the 27th CSPOC in Kampala, Uganda, in January 2024, when Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh led the Indian parliamentary delegation.
As Chairperson of CSPOC since January 2024, Om Birla will preside over the Standing Committee meeting on January 14 at the Red Fort in Delhi. The Standing Committee, comprising 15 members, oversees CSPOC’s activities. Ahead of the meeting, visiting Speakers and Presiding Officers will be given a guided tour of the Red Fort and attend a light-and-sound programme, followed by a dinner hosted by the Lok Sabha Speaker.
The formal inauguration and plenary sessions will take place at the Central Hall of the Samvidhan Sadan, while workshop sessions will be held in the Lok Sabha Chamber, Rajya Sabha Chamber and the Chamber of Princes.
The conference agenda includes four workshop themes: AI in Parliament: Balancing innovation, oversight and adaptation; social media and its impact on parliamentarians; Innovative strategies to enhance public understanding of Parliament and citizen participation beyond voting; Security, health and well-being of Members of Parliament and parliamentary officials.
The first two topics will be discussed on January 15, while the remaining sessions will be held on January 16. A special plenary session will focus on 'The role of Speakers and Presiding Officers in maintaining strong democratic institutions,' with Birla delivering the keynote address.
