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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC), 2026 at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan.
Upon his arrival, the Prime Minister was greeted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh Narayan Singh. The high-level conference will be chaired by Birla and will feature 61 Speakers and Presiding Officers from 42 Commonwealth countries, along with representatives from four semi-autonomous parliaments, underscoring the event's global scale and significance. Delegations from several countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, will also participate in the high-level gathering. Other parties include the Deputy Speaker of Namibia, delegations from Trinidad and Tobago, Tonga, Cameroon, and Malaysia, and representatives from the Australian High Commission, led by High Commissioner Philip Green. According to the release, CSPOC will deliberate on a range of contemporary parliamentary issues to strengthen democratic institutions and modern legislative practices. Key themes include the evolving role of Speakers and Presiding Officers, technological innovation in parliamentary functioning, and enhancing citizen engagement with democratic processes. Among the major topics scheduled for discussion are "AI in Parliament: Balancing Innovation, Oversight and Adaptation", to be led by Malaysia; "Social Media and its Impact on Parliamentarians", to be presented by Sri Lanka; and "Innovative Strategies to Enhance Public Understanding of Parliament and Citizen Participation Beyond Voting", with contributions from Nigeria and South Africa. Other sessions will focus on the security, health and well-being of Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff, as well as a special plenary discussion on the role of Speakers and Presiding Officers in maintaining strong democratic institutions. Earlier on Wednesday, Birla chaired a Standing Committee meeting ahead of the 28th CSPOC. CSPOC is being hosted by the Parliament of India from January 14 to 16, and it will be the largest in terms of participation. The 27th edition of CSPOC was hosted by Uganda in January 2024, and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh, and the Leader of IPD at that conference had taken over from Uganda as the host of the 28th edition of CSPOC, to be held in India in 2026. (ANI)
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