Om Birla to lead Indian delegation at Commonwealth conference in Barbados

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will lead a delegation of presiding officers from India to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) in Barbados in October which will have a session on financial transparency in elections.

Birla on Sunday evening chaired a meeting of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies from across India to brief them about various aspects of the conference.

The 68th CPC is scheduled to be held from October 5-12 at Bridgetown, according to a statement issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

The Indian delegation will comprise Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh and presiding officers and secretaries of state and Union Territory legislatures from across the country.

Birla will address the General Assembly of the CPC on the theme of 'The Commonwealth: A Global Partner'.

In addition, members of Indian Parliamentary Delegation will be taking part in seven thematic workshops, including on 'Strengthening our Institutions to Support Democracy', 'Leveraging Technology: Enhancing Democracy through Digital Transformations and Tackling the Digital Divide', 'A Look Ahead to CHOGM 2026: Championing the Human Factor from a Gender and Accessibility Lens', and 'Building Trust and Transparency in Democracy: Financial Transparency in Parliaments and Elections'.

In addition to the General Assembly and workshops, there will be a Youth Roundtable on the subject 'Staying Safe and Free to Thrive: Empowering Young People to Overcome Modern Challenges - From Gang Violence to Cyber-Bullying', the statement said.