Uganda wraps up 27th CSPOC Conference; India to Host Next

Summary:

• Parliament Speaker Anita Among closed the 27th CSPOC conference in Uganda, expressing gratitude to foreign attendees despite concerns about the country’s anti-gay law, with discussions focusing on climate change, multiparty systems, and the well-being of parliamentarians.

On Saturday afternoon, Parliament Speaker Anita Among officially concluded the 27th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) hosted by Uganda. She expressed gratitude to the 50 foreign speakers and presiding officers who attended, despite unspecified attempts by external forces to encourage a boycott.

At the close of the 4-day meeting in Kampala, Among reiterated her stance on Uganda’s stringent anti-gay law in an interview with Monitor. She addressed concerns about some speakers hesitating to attend due to the law, emphasizing that while Uganda upholds its legislation, it does not harm or reject individuals based on their sexual orientation. According to Among, the country respects its values and traditions.

The conference, which commenced on Wednesday, covered various topics aimed at enhancing cohesion within the CSPOC fraternity. Among highlighted key discussions on climate change and its mitigation, consensus building in multiparty parliamentary systems, and the health and well-being of parliamentarians, along with parliamentary and legislative security.

The final closed plenary session, chaired by Among on Saturday morning, endorsed India as the host for the 28th CSPOC meeting in 2026. India accepted the responsibility.

Established in 1969, CSPOC, initiated by the then Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, Lucien Lamoureux, brings together Speakers and Presiding Officers of National Parliaments from sovereign Commonwealth nations. The conference operates on a two-year cycle, typically convening in January to uphold impartiality among member states and promote knowledge and understanding.

Speakers from a diverse set of countries attended the CSPOC, including Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Singapore, Samoa, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tonga, Uganda, Zambia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Ghana, Grenada, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, India, Kenya, The Kingdom of Eswatini, Lesotho, Malaysia, and Maldives.