The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has official­ly opened the 11th Biennial Confer­ence of the Commonwealth Han­sard Editors Association - Africa Region (CHEA-AR) in Accra.The five-day conference, scheduled between August 11 and 15 is being attended by parlia­mentary Hansard Editors from across Africa to share experiences, build capacity, and strengthen professional networks within the Commonwealth.This year's gathering is being held under the theme: "Charting the Future of Hansard: Embracing Innovation and Technology for Enhanced Parliamentary Reporting in Africa."The conference aims at provid­ing a platform for participants to exchange best practices, explore emerging technologies in Hansard production, and promote collabo­ration between African parliaments to enhance legislative transparency and documentation.Through workshops, discus­sions, and networking sessions, the conference seeks to equip parliamentary reporting teams with modern skills, foster cooperation, and advance the role of Hansard in safeguarding the integrity of parlia­mentary debates for public access and historical record.Opening the conference, Mr Bagbin encouraged participants to leverage technology to make parliamentary proceedings more accessible, accurate, and timely for the public.According to him, embracing digital tools was crucial to meeting the expectations of a modern, informed citizenry.The Speaker underscored the need for Hansard editors to remain impartial and professional in their duties, pointing out that their work was essential to preserving democracy.He said Hansard served as the authentic historical record of parliament and must be protected from distortion.Mr Bagbin further urged African parliaments to invest in training, in­frastructure, and innovative meth­ods to ensure that the Hansard keeps pace with global reporting standards.He expressed confidence that the conference would chart new strategies for improving parlia­mentary documentation across the continent.The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin said innovation in parliamentary reporting was key to enhancing transparency and public trust in legislative processes.Mr Afenyo-Markin urged participants to share knowledge and experiences that could help address challenges such as limited resources, outdated equipment, and capacity gaps in many African parliaments.He stressed that Hansard editors played a vital role in ensuring that the voices of the people, as expressed through their elected representatives, were faithfully recorded and preserved.According to him, their work directly contributed to accountabil­ity and good governance.The Minority Leader called for stronger partnerships among African parliaments, development agencies, and the Commonwealth to provide the necessary tools and training for Hansard teams to excel in their work. BY JACOB AGGREY