New Delhi [India], January 16 : On the third-day of the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) meeting, Chairperson of the National Council of Namibia, Lukas Sinimbo Muha, expressed his gratitude for the warm hospitality and praised the conference for facilitating knowledge sharing among member countries.
He said, "The hospitality here, from the leadership and the people of India, has been excellent... This is the 28th CSPOC meeting, held in different Commonwealth countries; we last met in Uganda. CSPOC brings speakers and presiding officers together to share good practices and learn from one another... A key topic has been public participation in the legislative process."
Muha highlighted the importance of public participation in the legislative process and the need to regulate artificial intelligence and social media to prevent misuse.
"Our daily duty is to make laws for the public, so we must encourage meaningful public input before laws are enacted and devise strategies to achieve that... We also discussed artificial intelligence and the spread of misinformation via social media... Regions understand and experience these issues differently, so while we promote technology, we must also consider laws and regulations to prevent misuse," he added.
Muha thanked the Indian government for the invitation to the event.
He said, "I thank the Parliament and Government of India for hosting CSPOC, and for the warm reception. We had an opportunity to meet the Prime Minister, and the protocol and arrangements were excellent. Many of us will take these practices home and learn from them."
Jason Keats Matthew Hall, Jamaican High Commissioner to India, emphasised India's status as the world's largest democracy and praised the country's hosting of the conference. He stressed the importance of discussing artificial intelligence and its potential impact on democracy
He said, "It is very significant for India to host such an important meeting, especially given that India is home to the largest democracy, the largest parliament, and the largest political process in the world. It's fitting that it hosts leaders from all across the world, speakers from houses, and administrators. It certainly is a pleasure and honour to have our speaker of the House of Parliament in Jamaica, Juliet Holness, who is here... I hope that over the next few days, they have the opportunity to discuss significant and meaningful subjects related to democracy in the 21st century."
On discussions regarding artificial intelligence, he said, "The one thing that's consistent in human evolution is the ability to do things more easily and quickly, and I believe AI is a manifestation of that technological advancement. People are concerned that it could be misused. I think there's always that potential with anything that you deal with. So it's critical that we discuss it here and formulate a suitable framework to govern, regulate, and manage it in such a way that it redounds to the benefit of the soil."
The 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) is underway in New Delhi, India, and it's a significant event for the country's democratic journey.
The conference, chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, brings together 61 Speakers and Presiding Officers from 42 Commonwealth countries and 4 semi-autonomous parliaments.
The conference is expected to focus on key themes, including the use of artificial intelligence in parliamentary operations, social media's impact on parliamentarians, and innovative strategies to enhance public understanding of parliament and to expand citizen participation beyond voting.