Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla who is leading a Parliamentary Delegation to the 149th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, has emphasized that India has always been a strong proponent of multilateralism. He said dialogue and cooperation amongst Parliaments in the field of science, technology and innovation is vital for the common good. Stressing the need for an appropriate regulatory system in the field of technology and safeguarding the data privacy of citizens, the Lok Sabha Speaker said that such pressing issues needed to be discussed in the IPU forum as well as in national Parliaments. Mr Birla stated this while addressing the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva on the theme “Harnessing science, technology and innovation for a more peaceful and sustainable future. The Lok Sabha Speaker expressed hope that through a forum like the IPU, Parliaments would be able to pave the way for inclusive development in the world through shared action plans and joint efforts.

Speaking on climate change and energy security, Mr Birla referred to the idea of ONE SUN, ONE WORLD, ONE GRID which was initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Lok Sabha Speaker said that in the last decade, India’s renewable energy capacity has increased from 76 Gigawatt to 203 Gigawatt. He also spoke about the initiatives like Green Hydrogen Mission, International Solar Alliance, and Bio-Fuel Alliance underscoring India’s commitment to addressing climate change.   

The 149th assembly of IPU will continue till the 17th of this month. It has 180 member parliaments and 15 associate members. Members include parliaments from large countries like China, India, and Indonesia, as well as smaller countries like Cabo Verde, San Marino, and Palau.