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Monitoring Groups Agree to Work Together to Advance Parliamentary Transparency
U.S. Under Secretary of State Maria Otero delivers the keynote address at
the conference. Photo by Meredith Katz
For the first time, a broad and diverse gathering of civil society representatives has established a shared commitment to advocate for strong, open parliaments that embody citizens' voices.
A conference, held April 30 - May 2, provided the opportunity for parliamentary monitoring organizations (PMOs) from 38 countries to share their experiences and good practices on a host of topics, from developing innovative technologies for monitoring parliaments to advocating for greater transparency of parliamentary information. The conference was co-hosted by the Latin American Network for Legislative Transparency, the Sunlight Foundation and NDI, with support from the Omidyar Network, the Open Society Institute, the National Endowment for Democracy and the Embassy of Mexico in the United States. The World Bank Institute co-hosted a roundtable at the World Bank at the conclusion of the conference.
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 Parliamentary monitoring organization representatives from Kenya, Bangladesh and Slovakia lead a panel discussion at the conference. Photo by Andrew Mandelbaum
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The PMOs at the conference agreed to continue to work together in a number of concrete areas, including drafting a declaration of principles on parliamentary transparency. The document recognizes that parliamentary information belongs to the public and can be used by citizens most effectively only if it is provided within a broader culture of transparency and openness. The declaration also provides guidance on how to improve electronic, online access and analysis of parliamentary information.
U.S. Under Secretary of State Maria Otero delivered the keynote address at the conference. "Parliaments or legislatures are, in a sense, the most direct line that government has to the governed, especially when it comes to communication and to representation of the people's wants and needs," she said. "The question that brings us here tonight — and to this great conference — is how we can build on those conduits of communication — between elected officials and citizens, to increase openness, transparency and accountability in government."
Worldwide, there are more than 190 PMOs observing more than 80 national parliaments, according to a recent publication by NDI and the World Bank Institute, Strengthening Parliamentary Accountability, Citizen Engagement and Access to Information: A Global Survey of Parliamentary Monitoring Organizations.
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