Cape Town: A Rajya Sabha delegation led by Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh arrived in Cape Town on Monday to participate in the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, the High Commission of India in South Africa said.
“High Commissioner of India to South Africa H.E. Shri Prabhat Kumar and Consul General of India in Cape Town, Ms Ruby Jaspreet received Hon’ble Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri Harivansh Narayan Singh and Rajya Sabha Delegation at Cape Town International Airport,” the High Commission of India in South Africa stated on X.
“The delegation is visiting Cape Town, South Africa, to attend the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, being held from 13-19 September 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre,” it added.
On Saturday, Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta also travelled to Cape Town for the conference. Deputy Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Mohan Singh Bisht, will also attend the event.
Hosted by the Parliament of South Africa and the CPA South Africa Branch, the Conference is being organised under the overarching theme, “Strengthening International Law and Parliamentary Democracy in a Changing World Order: Commonwealth Leadership.”
The conference will bring together Speakers, Presiding Officers, Parliamentarians and parliamentary officials from across the Commonwealth to deliberate on contemporary challenges confronting democratic legislatures and explore ways to strengthen parliamentary democracy and international cooperation.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), founded in 1911, connects more than 180 national, state, provincial and territorial Parliaments and Legislatures across the Commonwealth.
One of the oldest parliamentary associations in the world, the CPA provides a major institutional platform for Parliamentarians and parliamentary officials to exchange experiences, strengthen democratic governance and advance parliamentary practices rooted in accountability, inclusion, the rule of law and institutional integrity.
The wider Conference programme will also include deliberations on inclusive and fair trade, inequality and underdevelopment, accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities, parliamentary leadership in climate adaptation and resilience, and post-legislative scrutiny and strengthening Parliament’s engagement with the public.
(IANS)
