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Last week, from 18 to 21 June, more than 2,000 civil society activists, journalists, government officials and private sector actors convened at the International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) in Vilnius, Lithuania, to discuss lessons learned and good practices for the fight against corruption.
The Conference was an excellent opportunity to highlight the stories of courageous activists and reformers from around the world. Lithuania's journey from Soviet subjugation to developed democracy in just a few short decades was an inspiring backdrop for discussions covering transparency, participation, and political integrity.
In the event that was otherwise impeccably conceived and executed, there was just one blindspot: the limited discussion about and participation of legislators.
This omission is far from the exception. Members of parliament (MPs) are rarely integrated within the panels and programs of international anti-corruption and governance convenings. Such was certainly the case with the third Summit for Democracy, held in Seoul in March of this year, which included dozens of panels, but no MP speakers. The UN Conference against Corruption’s Conference of State Parties held in Atlanta, Georgia, in December 2023 was just marginally better: only two panels out of 58 focused on the role of parliaments in combating corruption.
Discussing political integrity and democratic governance without democratically elected legislators is akin to discussing elections without taking note of the role of political parties and candidates.
Technocratic solutions centred exclusively on capacity building or technology transfer are unlikely to address the power imbalances underlying most forms of corruption. An approach focused on doing anti-corruption democratically requires political approaches with political actors.
As the representative institution of government, legislatures are central to determining whether democracies succeed in ensuring the needs and priorities of a nation’s citizens are addressed. In the fight against corruption, parliaments play a critical role in passing the legislative reforms, making the necessary budget allocations and exercising oversight of the executive branch.
Including parliaments in global anti-corruption convenings makes for richer and more informed discussions. MPs can contribute insights regarding the political incentives and realities associated with integrity reform processes.
At the same time, legislators benefit from sharing peer experiences and the exchange of solutions to common challenges and goals. Parliamentarians learn from other actors and from each other, while also building networks and solidarity within and between countries for the benefit of the causes of integrity and democracy.
Fighting corruption democratically provides a path to sustainable anti-corruption results. Engaging allies from democratically elected parliaments is good for integrity and for democracy.
Authors: Franklin De Vrieze, Head of Practice Accountability, Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) and Kristen Sample, Director of Democratic Governance, National Democratic Institute (NDI)
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NDI is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization that works in partnership around the world to strengthen and safeguard democratic institutions, processes, norms and values to secure a better quality of life for all. NDI envisions a world where democracy and freedom prevail, with dignity for all.
