Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Ganesh Gaonkar, participated in the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) held in Bridgetown, Barbados. The conference, themed “The Commonwealth: A Global Partner,” brought together parliamentary leaders and experts from member nations to discuss modern governance challenges and ways to strengthen democratic institutions.
Shri Gaonkar stated that the discussions at the CPC were practical, forward-looking and focused on non-political, people-centric governance. He noted that many insights shared at the conference are relevant to Goa and can support steady improvements in public service delivery and legislative functioning.
Delegates emphasized the importance of strong institutions, highlighting the need for performance benchmarks, better support systems for members, and quality training for newly elected representatives.
For Goa, enhancing research and secretariat services would help MLAs engage more effectively in debates and policymaking. Regular and structured non-political training programmes were also recommended to build a more efficient legislative environment.
The Speaker shared key takeaways on balanced digital growth, including live-streaming Assembly sessions with searchable multilingual archives, a citizen-friendly digital petition portal, and digital skilling programmes in rural areas—while retaining offline accessibility.
The conference also stressed the ethical use of emerging technologies, encouraging Goa to consider data protection norms and fair-use guidelines to maintain transparency and public trust.
Climate change was discussed as both an environmental and public health challenge, with rising temperatures, extreme weather, and coastal erosion posing increasing risks.
On transparency, the CPC highlighted measures such as publishing concise summaries of Assembly proceedings, improving procurement transparency, and ensuring regular audits and accessible reports—steps that can enhance trust in governance.
Shri Gaonkar said the conference reaffirmed the importance of continuous learning, cooperation, and innovation in legislative work. He expressed confidence that Goa can adapt these insights into meaningful reforms for the benefit of its citizens.
