PM Modi welcomes international delegates at 28th Commonwealth speakers conference

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 in New Delhi.

India hosts high-profile international parliamentary gathering

The inauguration was the start of an important international parliamentary event that India was to host, and it was bringing together the leaders from legislatures of the Commonwealth.

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When the Prime Minister reached the venue, he was greeted cordially by Speaker of Lok Sabha Om Birla, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh Narayan Singh. Their presence underlined the significance of the conference for India’s parliamentary and diplomatic engagement.

Wide participation from Commonwealth legislatures

The conference of high-ranking officials is being overseen by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and is witnessing the participation of 61 Speakers and Presiding Officers from 42 Commonwealth countries.

Furthermore, delegates from four semi-autonomous parliaments are also in attendance, which makes it one of the largest CSPOC meetings that has ever taken place.

The broad participation signifies the global importance of the event and India’s increasingly prominent role in promoting democratic communication between countries.

Delegations from key Commonwealth nations attend

Among the participating delegations, the prominent Commonwealth nations such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia send their representatives. Others are the Deputy Speaker of Namibia, representatives from Trinidad and Tobago, Tonga, Cameroon, and Malaysia, and even the Australian High Commission under the leadership of High Commissioner Philip Green joining in on the talks.

An official release states that the conference will focus on various parliamentary issues of contemporary concerns that facilitate the strengthening of democratic institutions and the improving of modern legislative practices.

The anticipate discussions will create a venue for the sharing of experiences, challenges, and good practices among parliamentary leaders.

Key discussions on technology and parliamentary reforms

The conference will revolve around such topics as the changing role of Speakers and Presiding Officers, the incorporation of technology in parliament, and the methods of making the public more interested in participating in the democratic process. Malaysia, for instance, will be in charge of one of the major discussions titled “AI in Parliament: Balancing Innovation, Oversight and Adaptation.” Meanwhile, a session on “Social Media and Its Impact on Parliamentarians” conducted by Sri Lanka will also be fundamental.

Moreover, a separate discussion “Innovative Strategies to Enhance Public Understanding of Parliament and Citizen Participation Beyond Voting,” will include inputs from Nigeria and South Africa. All these sessions intend to navigate how parliaments can be more accessible, transparent, and relevant to citizens even in the midst of a fast-paced digital world.

The conference will also have other sessions dealing with the security, health, and well-being of Members of Parliament and the staff of the parliament. There will be a special plenary discussion on the role of Speakers and Presiding Officers in preserving strong and effective democratic institutions.

Before the conference, Om Birla presided over a Standing Committee meeting on Wednesday to look into the arrangements for the event. The CSPOC is organized by the Parliament of India for the period from January 14 to 16 and is anticipated to be the largest one based on participation.

The previous, 27th CSPOC edition took place in Uganda in January 2024. India was officially given the responsibility of holding the 28th edition during that conference, which is now set for 2026.