Sierra Leone Parliament Elected To CSPOC Standing Committee

By Desmond Isaac Macauley
The Parliament of Sierra Leone has recorded a major diplomatic and institutional achievement following its election as the West Africa representative on the Standing Committee of the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) for the 2026-2028 term.
The election took place during the 28th CSPOC Conference held in New Delhi, India, bringing together 61 Speakers and Presiding Officers from 42 Commonwealth countries to deliberate on democratic strengthening, parliamentary modernization, and citizen engagement.
The conference was officially inaugurated by India’s Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, who reaffirmed India’s strong commitment to democratic values, parliamentary cooperation, and multilateral engagement within the Commonwealth.
As a result of the election, the Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, Speaker of the Parliament of Sierra Leone, will represent West Africa at the next CSPOC Steering Committee meeting scheduled to take place in Barbados in August 2026.
The Sierra Leone delegation to the conference, representing the Rt. Hon. Speaker, comprised Hon. Daniel Brima Koroma, Deputy Leader of the Opposition; Gilbert Bosco N’habay, Deputy Clerk of Parliament; and Hon. Fatmata Bintu Bockarie, Deputy Chair of the Mines Committee, with Hon. Koroma leading the delegation.
During the visit, the delegation held a meeting with the Rt. Hon. Speaker of the Indian Parliament, where discussions focused on the establishment of a Sierra Leone India Parliamentary Friendship Group and the urgent need for Sierra Leone to establish an embassy in India.
The election underscores Sierra Leone’s growing influence in regional and international parliamentary fora, as CSPOC continues to promote impartial leadership, parliamentary democracy, and institutional strengthening, while addressing emerging issues such as artificial intelligence in parliament the impact of social media and the security of parliamentarians.