Lok Sabha Speaker Birla pitches for parliamentary diplomacy for better future for humanity

e said digital technology has made possible all-encompassing, transparent and accountable governance.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday made a strong pitch for engaging parliamentary diplomacy as a medium for a better future for humanity.

In the inaugural session of the ninth G20 Parliamentary Speakers' (P20) Summit, Birla listed out the development initiatives in India's least developed districts and the primacy accorded to green energy transition as part of steps to achieve the sustainable development goals. The Lok Sabha speaker said the issues discussed at the P20 Summit should continue to be deliberated on in the respective parliaments and lead to policies and initiatives and, if need be, new laws.

"Parliamentary diplomacy should become the medium for a better future for humanity," Birla said at the P20 Summit attended by presiding officers of parliaments of G20 countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the summit on Friday morning.

"In the backdrop of climate change, sustainable energy transition is the biggest need of the hour today. India's initiative in the form of International Biofuel Alliance and International Solar Alliance have received overwhelming support across the world," Birla said. The speaker said India is also taking steps for women's empowerment and women-led development and cited the women's reservation bill passed by Parliament last month.

"I am confident that women-led development will be the biggest agent of change in the 21st century," Birla said. He said digital technology has made possible all-encompassing, transparent and accountable governance.

"Through public digital platforms, we have succeeded in changing the lives of the common man. Digital interventions such as Direct Benefit Transfer, UPI have cleared the path of all-round development," Birla said. "Taking a worldview, we are also sharing our technological expertise with other nations," the speaker said.