To address root causes of endemic corruption that sparked massive protests in 2015 and strengthen a pillar of Guatemalan democracy, civil society organizations are working to make their country’s legislative branch of government more open, accountable and accessible to citizens. A significant step was taken in this regard on January 10, when the country’s Congress and a coalition of Guatemalan civic organizations publicly presented the Open Parliament Action Plan, a consensus roadmap for boosting internal and public transparency.

In the small coastal town of Montrouis, far from the bustle and parliamentary buildings of Port-au-Prince, Haitian senators gathered to jump start work on the nation’s challenges. The NDI-supported retreat, held from from March 3 to 5, focused on the 2017 legislative agenda. Senators from across the political spectrum engaged in passionate debate on pending issues and showed a readiness to work with the executive branch to meet the needs of the Haitian people.