Speakers and Presiding Officers from across the Commonwealth have met in Kampala, Uganda for the 27th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) which took place from 3 to 6 January 2024.

Thirty-three Speakers and Presiding Officers from more than 25 Commonwealth Parliaments were hosted by the Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, Rt Hon. Anita Annet Among and the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Thomas Tayebwa. The Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda said:

“Your presence here at the 27th CSPOC is a testament to our commitment to the continuity and prosperity of the Commonwealth. It humbles us that many of you have travelled from land far and wide, for several hours to come and attend this conference.”

The President of the Republic of Uganda, H.E. Yoweri K. Museveni opened the conference, whose aim is to strengthen parliamentary institutions by bringing together Speakers and Presiding Officers from across the Commonwealth.

The biennial conference focused on the topics of the environment and climate change, diverse and inclusive Parliaments, security for Parliaments and the role of Speakers and Presiding Officers. The conference was an opportunity to share best practice on Parliamentarians as effective legislators and representatives.

The Deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Jarvis Matiya, attended the 27th CSPOC and met with many Speakers and Presiding Officers during the conference, as well as having the opportunity to update Members on recent CPA initiatives, including new courses for the CPA Parliamentary Academy.

Speakers and Presiding Officers attended the conference from many jurisdictions including: Barbados;  Botswana; Cameroon; Dominica; Eswatini; Ghana; Grenada; Guyana; India; Kenya; Lesotho; Malaysia; Maldives; Mauritius; Mozambique; Namibia; Nigeria; Pakistan; Rwanda; Samoa; Singapore; South Africa; Sri Lanka; Tanzania; Tonga; Trinidad and Tobago; Uganda; and Zambia. Speakers also attended from South Sudan and the East African Legislative Assembly.

• The CSPOC conference brings together the Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Parliaments and Legislatures of the Commonwealth focusing on the sharing of experiences and collaboration. CSPOC was created in 1969 by Hon. Lucien Lamoureux, 27th Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons to focus on the role of Speakers within parliamentary institutions and CSPOC is a separate independent organisation, although many of its participants are also members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
• CSPOC operates on a two-year cycle, holding a conference every two years. The next host for the 28th biennial conference is the Parliament of India in January 2026. For more information about the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) please visit www.cspoc.org.

For images of the 27th CSPOC please click here.