Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania today participated in the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference held in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa. It is noteworthy that this conference is being held from 13 September to 17 September 2026. The main theme of the conference has been set as “Strengthening International Law and Parliamentary Democracy in a Changing World Order: Commonwealth Leadership”, on which different workshops have been organized for in-depth discussion. Six different topics will be deliberated upon in these workshops. These topics are:- “Promoting Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue for Inclusive Fair Trade in Diverse Economies, Addressing Inequality and Underdevelopment in the Commonwealth and Beyond” This will be the host’s topic. While the other topics include “Accessible Parliament: Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities, “Parliamentary Leadership in Promoting Climate Adaptation and Resilience”, “Artificial Intelligence in Parliament: (Artificial Intelligence) Current Uses, Possibilities and Implementation Strategies”, “Protecting Human Rights and Promoting Peace: The Role of Parliament” and “Post-Legislative Scrutiny: Connecting Parliament with the People”.
Legislative Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania will deliver his address in the African Parliament on 16 September as the keynote speaker on the topic “Post-Legislative Scrutiny: Connecting Parliament with the People”. Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana and Haryana Legislative Assembly Speaker Harvinder Kalyan will also be present with him as other prominent speakers in this workshop and will address the workshop.
Before participating in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, Legislative Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania said that relations between India and South Africa have taken the form of a comprehensive political partnership based on historic friendship, shared democratic values, economic interests and a common commitment to the Global South. These relations are not limited merely to diplomatic contacts between the two countries, but are deeply rooted in the shared history of freedom, equality, human dignity, democracy and opposition to apartheid. At present, both countries are cooperating in numerous areas including politics, trade, culture, defence, science, technology, health and the environment. The journey of India-South Africa relations, beginning with Gandhi’s Satyagraha and moving through Mandela’s struggle against apartheid, the establishment of political relations in 1993, the strategic partnership in 1997 and today’s cooperation in BRICS, G20, trade, defence, science, culture and the environment, has come a long way. The legacy of Bharat Ratna awardee Nelson Mandela and the memory of Gandhi in South Africa provide a distinctive moral foundation for this partnership. At the same time, annual merchandise trade of approximately 18 billion US dollars, the presence of nearly 1.7 million people of Indian origin, growing defence cooperation and a shared perspective on issues concerning the Global South give this relationship special significance in the 21st century.
Before participating in the conference, Kuldeep Pathania joined a group photograph with representatives from the country and other parts of the world in the premises of the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. Presiding officers from various states of the country were also present on this occasion.
