12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum meet on Oct 26-27; PM Modi to attend

A two-day conference of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum will take place in New Delhi on October 26-27 with the attendance of presiding officers, members of parliament and delegates from member nations, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the event and interact with the leaders of the visiting delegates. “The two-day conference will include both bilateral and multilateral discussions. Presiding officers, members of parliament and other dignitaries from BRICS and partner countries will brainstorm on strategic priorities for parliaments,” Birla said at a press conference. The speaker mentioned that global parliamentary leadership will assemble in New Delhi under India’s chairship for the landmark event focused on people-centric development.

“Deliberations will cover Parliamentary responses to institutional resilience, ethical AI, digital transformation, global governance reform and sustainable development,” he said.

The international affairs committee of BRICS members and partner countries will also discuss parliamentary diplomacy, capacity building, and best practices. Birla highlighted that the Forum will revolve around the overarching theme ‘Fostering Parliaments for People-Centric Development.’

Building on the legacy of the BRICS Parliamentary Forum, the conference aims to encourage consensus-based dialogue through four high-level sessions: Resilience: The critical role of parliament in strengthening institutional resilience for a better future. Innovation: Harnessing parliament for promoting innovation in digital technologies and artificial intelligence with a human face. Cooperation: Leveraging parliamentary cooperation for a more representative global governance architecture. Sustainability: The centrality of parliament in fostering a sustainable and inclusive future for our nations. Additionally, the speaker said, a dedicated meeting will be held for the chairs of the international affairs committees of BRICS member and partner parliaments to discuss parliamentary diplomacy, capacity building, and sharing best practices.

Birla further informed that India has received confirmation from most participating countries, though some will not attend due to local elections, even though discussions are ongoing. “Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia are not coming. Speakers and deputy speakers from several nations are expected to attend,” he said.

So far, suggestions have been received from 18 countries, and discussions will proceed accordingly, Birla said. He stated that India has launched a new initiative and has established Parliamentary Friendship Groups with 64 countries.