Harnessing technology to strengthen democracy

The world is witnessing a digital turn in democracy, and New Delhi should serve as the platform where the Commonwealth forges a consensus on how to navigate this transition

- Om Birla

As the winter mist settles over New Delhi, the historic Samvidhan Sadan is hosting the custodians of the Commonwealth’s parliamentary traditions.

It is with a profound sense of responsibility and pride that I welcome my fellow Speakers and Presiding Officers for the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC).

We meet at a time when the very nature of our work is being reshaped by forces our predecessors could scarcely have imagined. The gavel and the rulebook, which have long represented our authority, must now work alongside algorithms and Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is fitting, therefore, that we have chosen to focus our deliberations on themes that are of contemporary relevance.