The Speaker of the House of Keys, Juan Watterson, has attended the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) in New Delhi.

The Rushen MHK, who was supported by Tynwald’s head of corporate and engagement services Ruth Donnelly on the trip, was among 61 speakers and presiding officers from more than 45 Commonwealth parliaments who attended the conference.

Addressing delegates, the chair of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Christopher Kalila MP of the National Assembly of Zambia said: ‘The 28th CSPOC conference brings together those entrusted with the stewardship of our parliaments from across the Commonwealth.

‘Speakers and presiding officers play a vital role in upholding constitutional order, safeguarding parliamentary independence and ensuring that our institutions remain effective, inclusive and respected by the citizens we serve.

‘At a time of rapid political, social and technological change, that responsibility has never been greater.’

The conference focused on the topics of the use of artificial intelligence and social media in parliamentary functioning; promoting innovation and citizen participation in parliaments; and the security, health and wellbeing of Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff.

During the conference Mr Watterson chaired a session on ‘Social media and its Impact on Parliamentarians’.

The session discussed legislative developments around the Commonwealth, particularly Australia where a social media ban for under-16s has been put in place. The topic included the impact on parliamentary communication and improving citizen engagement, whilst dealing with misinformation and the need for ethical standards for members in engaging in public fora, improved digital literacy for parliamentarians, and the dangers of online abuse.

Mr Watterson also met with Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Secretary-General Stephen Twigg, whom he looks forward to welcoming to the island in March.

In his role as chair of the Commonwealth Association of Public Accounts Committee he also discussed the role of CPA Secretariat in providing support to public accounts committees around the Commonwealth.

He also took the advantage of the conference to discuss developing parliamentary trends with Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, Speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, and used the opportunity to thank him for his support in enabling Manx students to participate in the UK Youth Parliament and to access visits to the Palace of Westminster.

Reflecting on the conference Mr Watterson said: ‘This biennial conference provides a rare opportunity for Commonwealth speakers to learn from each other on developments that are happening in their own jurisdictions, and to develop a network to assist each other in parliamentary practice.

‘The conference enables discussions at the strategic and tactical level across any number of topics that speakers are engaged in.

‘It is also an opportunity to educate people about the Isle of Man’s unique constitutional status, and demonstrate how the role of speaker in the Isle of Man is one of the most diverse in the Commonwealth – a product of our small size and tricameral approach.’

Many of the jurisdictions present at the conference were not members of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), which is only open to sovereign states. However, Mr Watterson had a constructive dialogue with the IPU president on behalf of a number of small CPA branches about sharing of resources, particularly around artificial intelligence.