Om Birla attends inaugural ceremony of fifth world conference of speakers of parliament

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday attended the inaugural ceremony of the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (5WCSP).

The conference is being orgzed jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Geneva, and the Parliament of Austria with the support of the United Nations (UN).

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the conference is being held in virtual mode.

A Lok Sabha Secretariat release said it is the first time that an international parliamentary conference of such scale is being orgzed in virtual mode.

The second part of the conference will be held next year in physical mode in Vienna, Austria.

An inspirational video message of Lok Sabha Speaker was telecast by IPU on its social media platforms and website for the event.

The theme of the 5WCSP is `Parliamentary leadership for more effective multilateralism that delivers peace and sustainable development for the people and planet'.

Lok Sabha Speaker will express his views on Thursday during the panel discussion on the theme `Improving governance by bridging the gap between Parliaments and the People'.

The release said that MPs Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Meenakshi Lekhi and Lok Sabha Secretary-General Snehlata Shrivastava will also attend the conference.

An outcome document highlighting the solidarity of all parliaments of the world amidst the crisis created by COVID-19 will be adopted at the end of the virtual conference.

The release said that 5WCSP is expected to strengthen multilateralism and international cooperation in order to rebuild a better world.

( With inputs from ANI )