Lok Sabha Secretariat
azadi ka amrit mahotsav

28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) New Delhi, 14-16 January 2026

प्रविष्टि तिथि: 12 JAN 2026 6:15PM by PIB Delhi

New Delhi, 12 January 2026:  Parliament of India is hosting the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) at New Delhi from 14-16 January 2026

.Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, has kindly agreed to inaugurate this Conference on 15 January 2026 in the historic Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, Parliament House Complex, New Delhi at 1030 AM.

Hon’ble Prime Minister had also inaugurated the 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers (P20) Summit, the last inter-parliamentary conference that the Parliament of India had hosted in October 2023.

Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla is the Chairperson of this Conference.

Overview of CSPOC

The Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Commonwealth (CSPOC) was created in 1969 as an initiative of then Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, the Honourable Lucien Lamoureux.

Since its inception, Canada has provided CSPOC with a secretariat to support its activities.

CSPOC brings together Speakers and Presiding Officers of 53 national parliaments (list enclosed) of sovereign states of the Commonwealth.

CSPOC is an independent group with no formal affiliation with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), the Commonwealth Secretariat or the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM). However, its membership is the same as that of CPA.

The stated aims of this Conference are 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.

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 the intervening year.

 

 

Decision to host 28th CSPOC in India

 

The decision to host the 28th CSPOC in India was taken, in consultation with MEA, during 25th CSPOC held in Ottawa from 5 to 9 January 2020. Shri Om Birla, Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha had led an Indian Parliamentary Delegation (IPD) to this conference. 

 

It was at the conclusion of the previous conference, 27th edition of CSPOC hosted by the Parliament of Uganda at Kampala from 4-6 January 2024, that Shri Harivansh, Hon’ble Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha and leader of IPD to that conference, had taken over from Uganda as the host of 28th edition of CSPOC to be held in India in 2026.

 

Programme of 28th CSPOC

Details of the Programme are as under:   

Standing Committee Meeting – 14 January 2026

The Standing Committee oversees CSPOC activities. It is composed of 15 members, with 5 members constituting a quorum.

As the Chairperson of the 28th CSPOC, Lok Sabha Speaker will be chairing the meeting of CSPOC Standing Committee on 14 January 2026 at the Sangeeti Conference Hall in Red Fort in Delhi at 7.30 pm.

Before the meeting, there will be a show around of Red Fort for the Speakers and Presiding Officers who form part of the Standing Committee and those who would have reached Delhi by then (about 40 of them).

A light and sound programme has been arranged for them at the Red Fort.

Following the Standing Committee Meeting, Lok Sabha Speaker will host a dinner in their honour at the Red Fort premises at 7.30 pm.

Inauguration of 28th CSPOC – 15 January 2026

The inaugural Ceremony of the 28th CSPOC will be held at the historic Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, Parliament House Complex, New Delhi at 1030 AM.

Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, has kindly agreed to inaugurate this conference and deliver the keynote address on this occasion. Following the inaugural ceremony, Hon’ble Prime Minister will interact informally with the Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth and Automatous Parliaments and there will be a group photo of Speakers and Presiding Officers with Hon’ble Prime Minister.

Topics of the Conference

 

The 28th CSPOC will focus on the following agenda topics:

 

Topics for the four workshop sessions 

  • AI in Parliament: Balancing innovation, Oversight and Adaptation.
  • Social media and its impact on Parliamentarians.
  • Innovative strategies to enhance public understanding of Parliament and citizen’s participation beyond voting.
  • Security, Health and wellbeing of Members of Parliament and parliamentary officials.

 

On 15 January 2026, the first two topics will be discussed.

 

On 16 January 2026, the remaining two topics will be discussed.

 

Topics for the Special Plenary Session

 

The Role of Speakers and Presiding Officers in maintaining strong democratic institutions.

 

Apart from the chairing the Plenary Meetings on 15 and 16 January 2026, Lok Sabha Speaker will also have the opportunity to chair the Lightning Round, Special Plenary and the Closing Plenary. He will also deliver the keynote Address on the topic of Special Plenary: The Role of Speakers and Presiding Officers in maintaining strong democratic institutions.

 

Previous CSPOC in India

The Parliament of India has, so far, hosted CSPOC thrice:

    • 2nd CSPOC in New Delhi in 1971.

 

    • 8th CSPOC in New Delhi from 6 to 8 January 1986.

 

    • 20th CSPOC in New Delhi from 4 to 8 January 2010. Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi was the venue of 20th edition of CSPOC from 4-8 January 2010.Dr. Manmohan Singh, the then Prime Minister of India, had inaugurated the 2010 CSPOC and delivered the keynote address.

Reception of Delegates

Arrangements have been made for the welcome of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Commonwealth and Autonomous Parliaments and the accompanying delegates and upon their arrival in Delhi. They will be accorded traditional welcome in accordance with our motto of Atithi Devo Bhav.

 

Chairperson of CSPOC

 

At the conclusion of each Conference, when the venue of the next Conference has been agreed upon, the Speaker or Presiding Officer hosting that Conference shall assume the Chair of the Standing Committee.

 

Accordingly, Lok Sabha Speaker has been the Chairperson of CSPOC since the end of 27th CSPOC in Uganda in January 2024.

 

At the end of the 28th CSPOC in Delhi on 16 January 2026, Lok Sabha Speaker will hand over the Chair of CSPOC will hand over the Chair to The Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the UK House of Commons.

 

 

CSPOC Participants

 

CSPOC is attended by Speakers and Presiding Officers of Parliaments of 53 Commonwealth countries (list enclosed).

 

These include 23 Bicameral Parliaments and 30 Unicameral Parliaments.

    • Total number of Speakers/Presiding Officers - 76
    • Total number of Clerks/Secretaries General - 71

 

Other participants usually include Presiding Officers of 14 semi-autonomous parliaments, Secretary General, CPA and accompanying officials. The 14 semi-autonomous parliaments that are regularly invited as observers to each CSPOC are: Alderney, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Montserrat, Niue, St Helena South Atlantic, and Turks and Caicos.

 

 

Lok Sabha Speaker chairs CSPOC Standing Committee Meeting at Guernsey, January 2025

 

As the host of the 28th CSPOC, Lok Sabha Speaker had the honour of  chairing the Standing Committee meeting held in Guernsey on 10 January 2025.

 

The purpose of this meeting was to finalize the dates and agenda topics of the 28th CSPOC to be held in India in January 2026. 

 

Dates of 28th CSPOC

 

In keeping with the practice of hosting CSPOC in the month of January, the 28th CSPOC is being hosted by the Parliament of India from 14-16 January 2026.

The inauguration ceremony of 28th CSPOC will be held on Thursday, 15 January 2026.

The Conference will broadly consist of the following meetings:

  • Day 1- Arrivals and meeting of the Standing Committee (consists of 15 Presiding Officers), Wednesday, 14 January 2026.

 

  • Day 2 - Inaugural ceremony followed by the Opening Plenary for Workshop Topics A and B, followed by the parallel Workshop Sessions on Topics A and B, Cultural Programme and Banquet Dinner hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker for visiting Speakers and Presiding Officers and other invitees, Thursday, 15 January 2026.

 

  • Day 3 - Opening Plenary for Workshop Topics C and D followed by the parallel Workshop Sessions on Topics C and D, Lunch hosted by Vice President of India, A Lightning Round, Special Plenary Session and the Closing Plenary, Friday, 16 January 2026.

 

  • Day 4 & 5 - post-conference tour to Jaipur, 17-18 January 2026.

 

  • Return to Delhi on 18 January 2026 and departure of delegations to their respective countries.

 

Venue of 28th CSPOC

 

  • Parliament House Complex, New Delhi.

 

  • Inaugural Ceremony and the Plenaries will take place at the historic Central Hall of the Samvidhan Sadan.

 

  • Workshop Sessions will be held at the Lok Sabha Chamber, Rajya Sabha Chamber and Chamber of Princes in the Samvidhan Sadan.

 

  • The CSPOC Standing Committee Meeting on 14 January is slated to be held in the premises of Red Fort in Delhi followed by a dinner. Prior to the Standing Committee meeting, the Speakers and Presiding Officers who are Members of Standing Committee and others who would be in Delhi by that time will have a tour of Red Fort and they will also witness the Light & Sound Programme there.

 

Special Invitees to 28th CSPOC

 

  • Hon. Dr. Tulia Ackson, President of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

 

  • Hon. Dr. Christopher Kalila, Chairperson, Commonwealth-Parliamentary Association        

 

Post-conference tour to Jaipur

As part of the CSPOC tradition, a post-conference tour to Jaipur will be organised for the visiting delegates on 17-18 January 2026.

Lok Sabha Speaker has  made elaborate arrangements for delegates with the support of the Government of Rajasthan.

The delegates will travel to Jaipur by Air on 17 January and return to Delhi on 18 January.

28th CSPOC at a glance in numbers (as on 6 January 2026)

  • Total number of Speakers and Presiding Officers from CSPOC countries and Autonomous Parliaments who have confirmed their participation: 59
  • Including Lok Sabha Speaker and Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha: 61
  • Of the 61 Speakers and Presiding Officers who have confirmed their participation, 44 are Speakers and 15 are Deputy Speakers.
  • Of the 44 Speakers, 41 Speakers are from CSPOC Countries and 4 from Speakers from Autonomous Parliaments.
  • Total number of CSPOC Countries represented including India: 41 - Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Belize, Botswana, Cameroon, Canada, Dominica, Fiji, Guyana, Ghana, Grenada, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St. Lucia, Tanzania, The Bahamas, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, Zambia.
  • Number of Semi-autonomous Parliaments represented: 4 - Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Montserrat
  • Special Invitees - confirmed participation

o Hon. Dr. Tulia Ackson, President of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

o Hon. Dr. Christopher Kalila, Chairperson, Commonwealth-Parliamentary Association (CPA)

  • CSPOC Countries not represented
  1. Barbados
  2. Bermuda
  3. Cyprus
  4. New Zealand
  5. Uganda
  6. Saint Vincent and Grenadines
  7. Vanuatu
  8. Eswatini
  • Confirmation awaited from CSPOC Countries
    1. Samoa
  • Semi-Autonomous Parliaments not represented
  1. British Virgin Islands
  2. Falkland Islands
  3. Gibraltar
  4. Niue
  5. St. Helena
  • Confirmation awaited from Semi-Autonomous Parliaments
  1. Alderney
  2. Anguilla
  3. Cayman Islands
  4. Cook Islands
  5. Turks and Caicos        
  • Total number of delegates - 229
  • Number of Secretaries-General - 40
  • MPs – 11
  • Diplomats – 8
  • Accompanying Officials- 96
  • Delegates who have opted for post-conference tour – 184

Last Inter-parliamentary conference hosted by Parliament of India

  • The 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) in October 2023 was the last inter-parliamentary conference hosted by the Parliament of India.

 

  • It was inaugurated by Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.

 

  • Yashobhoomi at Dwarka, New Delhi was its venue.

 

  • To put it in context, P20 had participation from 20 G20 Members plus 8 invitee countries. The CSPOC has 53 Commonwealth countries plus 14 Autonomous Parliaments.

 

CSPOC Member Parliaments

 

 

AFRICA REGION

(18 Countries)

  • BOTSWANA
  • CAMEROON
  • GHANA
  • KENYA
  • KINGDOM OF ESWATINI
  • LESOTHO
  • MALAWI
  • MAURITIUS
  • MOZAMBIQUE
  • NAMIBIA
  • NIGERIA
  • RWANDA
  • SEYCHELLES
  • SIERRA LEONE
  • SOUTH AFRICA
  • TANZANIA
  • UGANDA
  • ZAMBIA

 

ASIA REGION

(4 Countries)

 

  • BANGLADESH

· MALDIVES

· PAKISTAN

  • SRI LANKA

 

AUSTRALIA/NEWZEALAND REGION

 (2 Countries)

 

  • AUSTRALIA
  • NEW ZEALAND

 

BRITISH ISLES AND MEDITERRANEAN REGION

(3 Countries)

 

  • CYPRUS

· MALTA

  • UNITED KINGDOM

 

CANADA REGION

(1 Country)

  • Canada

 

CARIBBEAN, AMERICA AND ATLANTIC REGION

(13 Countries)

 

  • ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA

· BAHAMAS

· BARBADOS

· BELIZE

· BERMUDA

· DOMINICA

· GRENADA

· GUYANA

· JAMAICA

· SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS

· SAINT LUCIA

· SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

  • TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

 

PACIFIC REGION

(9 Countries)

 

  • FIJI ISLANDS

· KIRIBATI

· NAURU

· PAPUA NEW GUINEA

· SAMOA

· SOLOMON ISLANDS

· TONGA

· TUVALU

  • VANUATU

 

SOUTHEAST ASIA REGION

(2 Countries)

 

  • MALAYSIA
  • SINGAPORE

 

INDIA REGION

  • INDIA

 

 

 

***

AM


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