Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to Chair 28th CSPOC in New Delhi from January 14–16
Parliament of India will host the 28th CSPOC Conference in New Delhi from January 14–16, 2026, with PM Narendra Modi inaugurating the event.
The Impressive TimesNew Delhi | January 12, 2026- The Parliament of India will host the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) in New Delhi from January 14 to 16, 2026, bringing together parliamentary leaders from across the Commonwealth.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the conference on January 15, 2026, at 10:30 AM in the historic Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, Parliament House Complex. He will also deliver the keynote address and interact informally with the Speakers and Presiding Officers, followed by a group photograph.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is the Chairperson of the 28th CSPOC and will preside over key sessions of the conference. He had earlier led the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the 25th CSPOC in Ottawa in January 2020 and assumed the Chair of CSPOC after the 27th edition held in Kampala, Uganda, in January 2024.
The Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth was established in 1969 on the initiative of Lucien Lamoureux, then Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada. Canada continues to provide the Secretariat for CSPOC.
CSPOC brings together Speakers and Presiding Officers from 53 national parliaments of Commonwealth countries. While it has no formal affiliation with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), the Commonwealth Secretariat, or the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), its membership mirrors that of the CPA.
The key objectives of CSPOC include:
Promoting impartiality and fairness among Speakers and Presiding Officers
Strengthening parliamentary democracy
Developing parliamentary institutions
The decision to host the 28th CSPOC in India was taken during the 25th CSPOC in Ottawa (January 2020) in consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs. The formal handover took place at the conclusion of the 27th CSPOC in Kampala in January 2024, where Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh represented India.
January 14, 2026: Meeting of the CSPOC Standing Committee at the Red Fort, Delhi, chaired by the Lok Sabha Speaker, followed by a Light and Sound Show and official dinner.
January 15, 2026: Inaugural Ceremony and Opening Plenary at Central Hall, followed by workshop sessions and a cultural programme.
January 16, 2026: Workshop sessions, Special Plenary, Lightning Round, Closing Plenary, and formal conclusion of the conference.
January 17–18, 2026: Post-conference tour to Jaipur, organised with the support of the Government of Rajasthan.
The conference will deliberate on the following key themes:
AI in Parliament: Balancing Innovation, Oversight and Adaptation
Impact of Social Media on Parliamentarians
Enhancing Public Understanding of Parliament and Citizen Participation
Security, Health and Well-being of Members of Parliament and Parliamentary Officials
A Special Plenary Session will focus on the role of Speakers and Presiding Officers in strengthening democratic institutions. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will deliver the keynote address on this theme.
Total Speakers/Presiding Officers: 76
Confirmed participation: 61
Total delegates: 229
Countries represented (including India): 41
Semi-autonomous parliaments represented: 4
Special invitees include:
Tulia Ackson, President, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
Christopher Kalila, Chairperson, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)
India has previously hosted CSPOC in:
1971 (2nd CSPOC)
1986 (8th CSPOC)
2010 (20th CSPOC), inaugurated by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
At the conclusion of the 28th CSPOC on January 16, 2026, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will hand over the Chair of CSPOC to Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the UK House of Commons.
The conference underscores India’s continued leadership in strengthening parliamentary democracy, fostering international cooperation, and promoting democratic values across the Commonwealth.
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