Parl delegation led by RS Dy chairman departs for Uganda to attend CSPOC

A delegation of the Indian Parliament led by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh departed for Uganda on Wednesday to attend the 27th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC), set to be held in Kampala from January 4-6, Parliament Sources told ANI.

This conference is held every two years in which the Presiding Officers of more than 30 Commonwealth parliaments discuss issues of common concern and share experiences and best practices for tackling the challenges before their legislatures.

"Harivansh as the presiding officer from India will have the honour of addressing the Special Session on "Building Consensus in Parliamentary business". Besides, he will participate in all the 5 discussions to present India's views and suggestions" Parliament Sources told ANI

Sources further told ANI that Harivansh will take over from Uganda as the next 28th Conference will be held in India in 2026. Secretary-General Rajya Sabha PC Mody and other senior officials are accompanying the delegation.

The Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth brings together the Speakers and Presiding Officers of the national parliaments of the independent sovereign states of the Commonwealth.

It was created in 1969 as an initiative of the then Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, Lucien Lamoureux. Since its inception, Canada has provided CSPOC with a secretariat to support its activities.

The Conference is an independent group and has no formal affiliation with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Commonwealth Secretariat or the Commonwealth Heads of Government.

CSPOC operates on a two-year cycle, holding a conference of the full membership every two years, usually early in January, and a meeting of the Standing Committee at the same time in the intervening year.

The Conference aims to maintain, foster, and encourage impartiality and fairness on the part of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Parliaments; Promote knowledge and understanding of parliamentary democracy in its various forms; and Develop parliamentary institutions.