Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday underscored the need for the Global South to chart new pathways amid unprecedented global transformation, asserting that India is consistently raising the concerns of developing nations on every major international platform.
Inaugurating the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) at the Samvidhan Sadan, the Prime Minister highlighted India’s growing role as a bridge between advanced economies and developing nations. He recalled India’s G20 Presidency, during which the priorities of the Global South were placed firmly at the centre of the global agenda.
Emphasising inclusive innovation, PM Modi said India is building open-source technology platforms so that partner nations across the Commonwealth and the Global South can develop systems similar to those implemented domestically. He described this approach as a reflection of India’s commitment to shared growth, inclusivity and the strengthening of democratic institutions worldwide.
The three-day conference, chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, has drawn a record 61 Speakers and Presiding Officers from 42 Commonwealth countries and four semi-autonomous parliaments, making it the largest gathering in the forum’s history. Discussions are centred on contemporary issues including the use of artificial intelligence in parliamentary functioning, the impact of social media on legislators, citizen engagement beyond elections, and the security and well-being of lawmakers and parliamentary staff.
Highlighting parliamentary cooperation, the Prime Minister said India has launched regional initiatives to create user-friendly parliamentary resource systems, enabling better engagement between legislatures and their members. He noted that best practices observed during his interactions with parliamentary institutions across Commonwealth nations are regularly shared with India’s legislative leadership.
PM Modi also emphasised the critical role of Speakers and Presiding Officers in strengthening democratic processes, describing them as key connectors between citizens and governance structures.
Reflecting on India’s global contributions, he recalled the country’s humanitarian outreach during the COVID-19 pandemic, when India supplied medicines and vaccines to more than 150 countries. He reiterated that India’s innovations are intended to benefit not just its own citizens but the wider Global South.
Highlighting the scale and diversity of Indian democracy, the Prime Minister said the 2024 general elections were the largest democratic exercise in human history, with nearly 980 million registered voters and record participation by women. He noted that women today play a leading role in governance across India, from the presidency to local bodies.
Invoking India’s cultural ethos, PM Modi said India’s democratic values are rooted in the belief that the world is one family, reinforcing the country’s longstanding tradition of dialogue, debate and collective decision-making.
