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Om Birla will chair the BRICS Parliamentary Forum as India continues its presidency of the grouping. (Img: X)
New Delhi: India is set to host another major BRICS engagement in the national capital as the authorities prepare for the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum meeting at the Parliament complex on October 26 and 27.
The meeting comes shortly after the two-day BRICS Summit and assumes added significance as India holds the presidency of the forum. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will chair the parliamentary meeting, with discussions expected to focus on emerging global challenges and the role of legislatures in people-centric development.
According to Lok Sabha Secretariat sources, preparations are underway for the two-day meeting, with a detailed programme being worked out for participating parliamentary speakers from BRICS member countries.
The meeting will be held at the Parliament complex in New Delhi and is expected to provide a platform for parliamentary leaders to discuss areas of common interest and strengthen dialogue among BRICS nations.
The timing of the meeting is particularly significant as it comes around a month after the BRICS Summit hosted by India, creating another important diplomatic and parliamentary engagement involving the grouping.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will chair the BRICS Parliamentary Forum meeting. Birla regularly participates in major international parliamentary platforms, including Commonwealth Parliamentary Forum meetings and meetings of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
The BRICS parliamentary engagement, however, carries additional significance because of India’s presidency of the forum and the proximity of the meeting to the BRICS Summit. The parliamentary track provides an opportunity for India to build on the broader diplomatic momentum generated by the leaders’ summit.
The central theme of the meeting will be "Fostering Parliaments for people-centric development," according to a senior official. The theme places the focus on how parliamentary institutions can contribute to development outcomes that directly affect citizens.
The discussions are expected to examine the role of legislatures in addressing contemporary challenges while strengthening cooperation among BRICS parliamentary institutions.
Artificial intelligence and digital technologies are expected to feature prominently during the meeting. The forum will include four high-level plenary sessions focused on consensus-based parliamentary dialogue, with emerging technologies forming an important part of the discussions.
The inclusion of AI and digital technologies reflects the growing importance of technology in governance, public policy and democratic institutions. For BRICS countries, parliamentary dialogue on these issues could also provide an avenue to exchange perspectives on how emerging technologies can be used while addressing the challenges associated with their rapid expansion.
The parliamentary forum comes at a strategically important time for India. With the BRICS Summit having concluded and India continuing to steer the grouping’s agenda during its presidency, the parliamentary meeting provides another platform to deepen engagement among member countries.
Unlike a leaders’ summit, the parliamentary forum brings legislators and parliamentary institutions into the BRICS dialogue, creating a separate channel for discussions on development, technology and institutional cooperation. The proximity of the two events could also help maintain momentum around India’s BRICS presidency.
Om Birla’s role in the meeting adds another dimension to India’s international parliamentary outreach. His participation in Commonwealth and Inter-Parliamentary Union platforms has already formed part of India’s broader parliamentary diplomacy.
The BRICS Parliamentary Forum, however, offers a more focused platform for engagement with the legislatures of the BRICS grouping at a time when the bloc is seeking greater cooperation on a range of global and economic issues.
Preparations for the October 26-27 meeting will now focus on finalising the detailed programme, themes and format of the plenary sessions. The discussions are expected to bring parliamentary speakers together for high-level dialogue on people-centric development, AI, digital technologies and consensus-based parliamentary cooperation.
With India’s BRICS presidency and the recent summit providing the backdrop, the October parliamentary forum is set to become another significant stage for New Delhi’s diplomatic and parliamentary engagement with the BRICS grouping.
