12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum to Be Held in Delhi
India will host the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum and the two-day event is set to be held in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan within the Parliament complex.
Addressing a press conference at Parliament House, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that the conference marks a new chapter in the history of India’s parliamentary diplomacy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the event and meet the leaders who would be part of the visiting delegations.
The event will be held on October 26 and 27, and among others who would participate include the presiding officers and parliamentary leaders from BRICS member and partner countries, Union ministers, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh, presiding officers of state legislatures, and Members of Parliament.
Lok Sabha Speaker Birla said that after the inaugural session, the Prime Minister will arrive and meet the Speakers of different countries. He, however, said that the Speakers of Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia will not participate in this forum. “The main theme of the conference is the strengthening of parliaments for people-centric development.”
During the event, dialogue will be held on key issues including promoting innovation in AI and digital technologies, ensuring a representative global governance system through parliamentary cooperation, and exploring the role of parliaments in ensuring a “sustainable and inclusive future.”
At the conference, the deliberations will further focus on issues of “institutional resilience, ethical AI, digital transformation and global governance reforms.”
Chairpersons of the international affairs committees of the parliaments of BRICS member and partner countries will discuss parliamentary diplomacy, capacity building, and best practices.
On October 25, a meeting of the secretaries of the delegations will be held to finalise the joint statement.
On the question of a joint declaration, the Lok Sabha Speaker expressed hope that the BRICS Parliamentary Forum would adopt a declaration with consensus.
Regarding the convening of a special session of Parliament, he clarified that there is a fixed process for it. “As far as a special session is concerned, anything is possible in the future.”
ETV Bharat