New Delhi [India], January 15 : Preparations are underway at the Parliament House Complex in the national capital on Thursday as it gears up to host the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC), which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan.
According to an official release, PM Modi will inaugurate the conference at 10:30 am and address the gathering.
The high-level conference will be chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om 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.
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.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Speaker of Namibia and the Montserrat delegation have also arrived at the venue to attend the conference.
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.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is the chairperson of the conference, said that the conference will discuss shared parliamentary values, democratic governance and institutional cooperation.
"The Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, being hosted by India, will have the largest participation," Birla said.
He said that work related to the conference has been done online, and no paper has been used.
In response to queries, he said Pakistan will not participate and that Bangladesh does not have a Speaker at present, with general elections scheduled for next month.
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.