Uganda to Host 27th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers to Strengthen Commonwealth Diplomatic Ties
The upcoming Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers (CSPOC) in Uganda aims to fortify ties among Commonwealth Parliaments. Set to take place from January 3 to 6, 2024, the event will gather Speakers and Presiding Officers from 33 countries. Hon. Abdu Katuntu, Chairperson of the Coordination Committee, emphasized Uganda’s goal of enhancing diplomatic relations through collaboration with other parliaments. The conference is expected to boost tourism activity and create business opportunities, fostering trade relations with visiting delegations.
Ties among Commonwealth Parliaments will be fortified as Speakers and Presiding Officers engage in bilateral and multilateral discussions during the upcoming Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers (CSPOC). Uganda is set to host the 27th Conference from January 3 to 6, 2024, at the Speke Resort, Munyonyo.
Hon. Abdu Katuntu, the Chairperson of the Coordination Committee, highlighted that the Parliament of Uganda aims to cultivate collaboration with other parliaments, fostering alliances to enhance diplomatic relations with those nations. “Presently, 40 Speakers and Presiding Officers from 33 countries have confirmed attendance, and the lists are being profiled for accreditation purposes,” Katuntu stated during the plenary sitting on Tuesday, November 28, 2023.
This significant event is anticipated to generate increased tourism activity, providing opportunities for investors across the tourism value chain, spanning from small to large-scale enterprises, according to Katuntu. “The conference, with its delegates, accompanying persons, and other officials, presents opportunities to create business and entrepreneurial linkages, cementing trade relations with the visiting delegations,” he added.
Katuntu emphasized that CSPOC, in general, promotes globalization and opens avenues for cooperation, particularly in the realms of economics, public affairs, security, and general parliamentary diplomacy.
While expressing confidence in Speaker Anita Among, Hon. Muhammad Nsereko, the MP for Kampala Central Division, called for urgent improvements in infrastructure to ensure the successful hosting of the conference. “Let us put on our boots and go an extra mile to see to it that we clean up the roads, maintain drainage, and light up the expressway,” he urged.
Speaker Among expressed positivity about Uganda hosting the Conference, stating that the country is well-prepared. Government Chief Whip, Hon. Hamson Obua, assured ongoing efforts to enhance infrastructure, including fixing lights on the expressway, with President Museveni overseeing inspections of roads, the airport, accommodation, and conference facilities.
Minister of State for Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities, Martin Mugarra, highlighted Uganda’s ranking as the sixth-best country in hosting meetings, conferences, and events in Africa. “When it comes to hotels, Uganda Tourism Board, a member of the organizing committee, classifies all hotels in the country, and I am sure a list has been availed with different classes,” he reassured.
Established in 1969, CSPOC is an initiative of the then Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, Lucien Lamoureux. Membership is limited to the Speakers and Presiding Officers of national parliaments of independent sovereign states within the Commonwealth, comprising 22 bicameral parliaments and 30 unicameral parliaments.
