New Delhi, 30 June. On the occasion of International Day of Parliamentarism, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla greeted the countrymen, public representatives and democratic institutions of the world. He said that Parliament is not just a forum for making laws, but is the soul of democracy and the highest expression of the aspirations, rights and trust of the people. In his message shared on social media platform

• Parliament of India is a strong foundation of democratic values

The Lok Sabha Speaker said that as the world’s largest democracy, the Parliament of India has always strengthened the spirit of the Constitution, democratic traditions and glorious heritage of public representation. He said that in a country as diverse as India, Parliament is a platform for national unity, social harmony and constitutional values, where the voice of every region, every class and every citizen gets a respectful place.

• Parliament’s responsibility is not just to make laws

Om Birla said that at present the role of Parliament is not limited to legislative functions only. The responsibility of Parliament is also to ensure accountability of the government, promote meaningful discussion on issues of public interest, maintain the dignity of democratic institutions and establish a balance between the rights and duties of the citizens. He said that International Parliament Day provides an opportunity to resolve to further strengthen the basic spirit of democracy – dialogue, consensus, transparency, accountability and constitutional decorum.

• What is International Parliament Day?

International Parliament Day is celebrated every year on 30 June. On this day in the year 1889, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was established. Later the United Nations General Assembly officially declared 30 June as International Day of Parliamentarism in the year 2018. The day aims to highlight the role of parliaments around the world in strengthening democracy, good governance, human rights and accountable governance.

• IPU and India’s role

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and comprises more than 180 national parliaments around the world. This organization promotes strengthening democracy, parliamentary dialogue, peace, cooperation and exchange of experiences. India, as the world’s largest democracy, is an active member of the IPU and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). CPA India Region comprises 32 parliamentary and legislative branches of the country, which work towards strengthening parliamentary democracy, good governance and legislative cooperation. International Parliament Day is also an important occasion to advance UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.7—“Accountable, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels”—.