It is generally recognised by both knowledgeable experts and laymen alike that democracies today are traversing a difficult phase. The difficulty also arises from the fact that, at a time when the world’s problems are plentiful and appear daunting, global parliamentary cooperation among democracies could be better. It is against this backdrop that the Indian Parliament will get an opportunity to host the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) in New Delhi from January 14 to 16. India’s Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will chair the meeting attended by representatives of 53 Commonwealth countries and 14 autonomous parliaments from different parts of the world. The international conference will be inaugurated by the Indian Prime Minister on January 15.
The conference is confined largely to members of the Commonwealth. But the issues related to Parliament that it is likely to debate have a certain relevance far beyond the Commonwealth. Issues likely to be taken up include the role of Speakers and Presiding Officers in maintaining strong democratic institutions; use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in parliaments; social media and its impact on Members of Parliament; and innovative strategies to enhance public understanding of parliament and citizens’ participation beyond voting.