Uganda has heightened preparations for the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Common Wealth (CSPOC), which will take place from January 3 to 6, 2024.
The event will take place at the Munyonyo Common Wealth Resort, with speakers and presiding officers from 52 common wealth countries expected to attend.
According to the Clerk to Parliament, Hon. Adolf Mwesige, as the first arrivals approach on December 31, 2023, Uganda is ready to welcome the Commonwealth nations with open arms.
The anticipation is intense as the international event draws near. With a focus on strategic networking, the conference aims to maximise gains for all participants. Additionally, it is an opportunity for Uganda to showcase its diverse culture, tourism, and investment potential.
Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, has been tasked with receiving the various delegations at Entebbe International Airport during the conference.
The Conference brings together the Speakers and Presiding Officers of the national parliaments of the independent sovereign states of the Commonwealth. It was created in 1969 as an initiative of the then Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, the Honourable Lucien Lamoureux. Since its inception, Canada has provided CSPOC with a secretariat to support its activities.
The Conference is an independent group and has no formal affiliation with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Commonwealth Secretariat, or the Commonwealth Heads of Government. CSPOC operates on a two-year cycle, holding a full membership conference every two years, usually early in January, and a meeting of the Standing Committee at the same time in the intervening year.