New Delhi, 12 January (H.S.): The Indian Parliament will host the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Commonwealth (CSPOC) countries from January 14 to 16 in New Delhi on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the conference at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 15, in the historic Central Hall of Constitution Sadan within the Parliament House complex.

Prime Minister Modi had previously inaugurated the 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) in October 2023, when the Indian Parliament hosted that inter-parliamentary gathering. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla serves as the president of this CSPOC edition.

During a press conference on Monday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced that India is hosting the 28th CSPOC after a 16-year gap, marking the fourth such occasion following events in 1971, 1986, and 2010. The conference executive committee meeting of 15 countries will convene on January 14, followed by the Prime Minister's inauguration on January 15, with separate sessions spanning January 15 and 16.

The entire event will operate on a fully web-based platform, with invitations, discussions, and all proceedings conducted via a dedicated app.

Speaker Birla noted that neither Pakistan nor Bangladesh will participate; Pakistan has declined the invitation, while Bangladesh currently lacks an elected house.

As CSPOC president, Speaker Birla will chair the Standing Committee meeting at 7:30 p.m. on January 14, 2026, in the Sangeet Conference Hall at Delhi's Red Fort. Prior to the session, a special tour of the Red Fort has been arranged for Standing Committee members and approximately 40 parliamentary speakers and presiding officers already in Delhi, followed by a dinner hosted by Speaker Birla within the Red Fort complex.

The inaugural ceremony on January 15 at 10:30 a.m. will unfold in the Central Hall of the historic Constitution Sadan in the Parliament premises. Workshops will address contemporary issues, including the role of artificial intelligence in parliaments, the impact of social media, strategies to enhance citizen participation, and measures for the security, health, and welfare of parliamentarians and parliamentary officials.

On January 16, at the conference's conclusion, CSPOC presidency will be handed over to the next host country.Notably, the decision to host the 28th CSPOC in India was made in January 2020 during the 25th conference in Ottawa, Canada, following consultations with the Ministry of External Affairs.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had led the Indian parliamentary delegation at that event.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar