The speaker of the Parliament of Uganda Anita Among has said the 27th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) countries will be beneficial in harmonising legislation and Parliamentary practices.

The Host Speaker made these remarks at the opening ceremony of the Conference at Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort in Kampala, on Thursday, 04 January. The conference, that ran from 3rd to 6th January 2024 was opened by President Yoweri Museveni.

 “I am confident that this conference will provide yet another platform for us to harness our collective resolve and direct our energies towards greater equity and inclusivity, democratization, good governance and the rule of law in the Commonwealth for the good of humanity,” she said. 

Among said the conference topics were carefully selected to stimulate discourse and sharing of best practices and experiences. They include diverse and inclusive parliaments; environment and climate change; health and wellbeing of parliamentarians among others.
She commended the outgoing Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, Rt Hon. Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Cameroon, for “their confidence in our ability to organize and host this conference.”

The Speaker also praised the hospitality of Ugandan people and the country’s natural endowments, some of which she said were only unique to Uganda.

“The people of Uganda are incredibly warm and hospitable, our national parks are well gifted with various aspects of fauna and flora most of which are unique to Uganda. The iconic water falls on the River Nile are a must see before you leave,” Among advised.

Among was confident that their visit to Uganda’s natural amenities will improve Uganda’s image internationally, with its multiplier effects.

The CSPOC was established in 1969 as an initiative of the then Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, Lucien Lamoureux. Its membership is restricted to the Speakers and Presiding Officers of national Parliaments of all independent sovereign states of the Commonwealth. CSPOC operates on a two-year cycle, holding a conference of the full membership every two years, usually early in January.