PM Modi inaugurates largest-ever Commonwealth speakers conference, highlights importance of Global South

The three-day event -- January 14-16, chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, has attracted a record 61 Speakers and Presiding Officers from 42 Commonwealth countries and four semi-autonomous parliaments, making it the largest gathering in the forum's history. Discussions focus on key contemporary issues like AI (artificial intelligence) in parliamentary operations, social media's impact on legislators, citizen engagement beyond elections, and the security and well-being of MPs and staff.

In his address, PM Modi highlighted India's initiatives to foster parliamentary cooperation, stating, "We have started a regional initiative to create a user-friendly system with the help of resources related to Parliament, and this is giving our Parliament a better opportunity to understand and engage with its members.

"I have had the opportunity to address this institution in many member countries, and wherever I went, I learned a great deal. I have been immediately sharing every best practice with the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. I am confident that this conference will further enrich our shared experiences."

Underscoring the pivotal role of presiding officers, PM Modi added, "The role of both Presiding Officers and Speakers is very important; their job is to connect people with a significant role in the country's democratic process. They are doing this work admirably."

Turning to global challenges, he noted India's G20 presidency achievements, saying, "During our G20 presidency, we fulfilled our commitments in the climate and growth sectors. We constantly tried to invite all our colleagues, and we also strive to ensure that India's experience benefits the Commonwealth and the region, which are undergoing unprecedented transformation. It is time to build for the Global South. India is strongly raising the interests of the Global South on every global platform, ensuring that whatever innovations we make benefit the entire Global South. We are also creating an open-source platform so that our partner countries in the Global South can also develop such systems."

PM Modi invoked India's cultural ethos, saying, "The whole world is our family; this is our culture, and this culture has been given to us by our democracy." He recalled India's humanitarian efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying, "When the world was grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, the crisis was not insignificant. India supplied medicines and vaccines to more than 150 countries."

Celebrating India's democratic scale, he remarked, "India, as the world's largest democracy, truly demonstrates the scale and consideration of democracy. India's general elections held in 2024 were the largest democratic exercise in human history. Nearly 980 million citizens were registered to vote; this number is larger than the population of some continents. More than 8,000 candidates and over 700 political parties participated in the elections. The elections also saw record participation by women voters. Today, Indian women are not only participating but are also leading the way. The President of India is a woman. Women hold 50 per cent of leadership positions in local governance. Indian democracy is also rich in diversity; many languages are spoken. There are over 900 television channels. India has a long tradition of debate, dialogue, and collective decision-making. India is called the mother of democracy and democratic values."

The Prime Minister also highlighted that India is the fourth-largest economy and leads several countries on many fronts, citing achievements like being the fastest-growing major economy, the world's largest digital payment system (UPI), second-largest steel producer, third-largest startup ecosystem and aviation market, and fourth-largest rail network.

PM Modi pointed out that this is the fourth time India is hosting the CSPOC, with the theme “Effective Delivery of Parliamentary Democracy.” He recalled early doubts about India’s ability to sustain democracy in such a diverse nation and stressed that diversity has become its strength. He underlined India’s achievements as the fastest-growing major economy, the largest digital payment system through UPI, and a global leader in vaccine production, steel, start-ups, aviation, railways, and agriculture.

He emphasised that democracy in India means last-mile delivery, highlighting welfare measures that have lifted 25 crore people out of poverty.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, in his remarks, praised PM Modi's leadership. He said, "Under your visionary leadership, India is becoming the world's fastest-growing economy due to the new policies being implemented. Your leadership is providing decisive solutions to the challenges we face, and the world is looking to you for guidance."

Speaker Birla also addressed the conference's theme of "effective delivery of parliamentary democracy," stressing ethical AI use, combating misinformation, and enhancing transparency through technology. "I hope that in this conference, we will have in-depth discussions on important issues and take concrete policy decisions to prepare a roadmap for the ideal use of AI and social media in democratic institutions," he said.

The event, following India's previous hosting in 1970-71, 1986, and 2010, reaffirms the Commonwealth's commitment to impartiality and innovation. Founded in 1969, CSPOC serves as a platform for over 2.6 billion people, with India home to half. As discussions unfold, the conference aims to forge solutions for resilient, inclusive parliaments in a rapidly evolving world.

The event was attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Inter Parliamentary Union President Dr Tulia Ackson, and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Chairperson Dr Christopher Kalila, among other dignitaries.