Declaration adopted by the Conference

The 3rd World Conference of Speakers of Parliament closed with the adoption of a declaration on the need to secure global democratic accountability. Over 130 Speakers of Parliament gave their assent to a text that affirmed how accountability and representation lie at the heart of democracy. Full text of the Declaration adopted by the Conference [...]

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Summary of the panel: Strengthening trust between parliament and the people

Report presented by Josep Dallères Codina, Speaker of the General Council, Andorra In old and new democracies alike, public trust is often low in parliaments, political parties and indeed the entire political system. Money is often at the heart of the problem. A lack of transparency in political funding casts doubt over the integrity of [...]

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Bern Initiative for Global Parliamentary Action on Maternal and Child Health

Report delivered by Erika Forster-Vannini, Speaker, Council of States, Switzerland The women Speakers of parliament concluded their Sixth meeting held on 16 and 17 July in the Swiss Parliament by adopting the Bern Initiative for Global Parliamentary Action on Maternal and Child Health, an eight-point plan for action to: Advocate the development or strengthening of [...]

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Summary of the panel: “Countdown to 2015″ on the role of parliaments in the Millenium Development Goals

There is palpable progress on the MDGs – enough to justify a more upbeat mood than in the past.  The numbers do not tell the whole story. Case after case shows that the MDGs are perfectly doable if there is enough political will and if governments exercise true leadership. By increasing social investments by just [...]

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Donald Oliver: Speaker pro tempore, Senate, Canada

Of course, much of what I am raising reflects a hopeful analysis of the potential of ICTs for the work of Parliaments. We are still at a relatively early stage in their adoption, and a number of challenges must be overcome for ICTs to fully flourish as a tool for strengthening democracy. Investment in public [...]

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Anouchka van Miltenburg: Vice-President of the House of Representatives, Netherlands

Whereas more people than ever live in democracies, more people than ever are deeply disappointed by the problem-solving ability of democracy and politics. The gap between voters and their representatives is much smaller these days than a few decades ago, which is due to the media in particular. Yet, many of our citizens are turning away [...]

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Panel discussion: Trust in parliament

Excerpts from the panel discussion: Keynote speakers It’s not enough to have perfect institutions. Parliament is a delegation of power of people. Democracy is based on trust between those who have power and those who delegated their power. (Josep Dallerès Codina, Speaker of the General Council, Andorra) How can we have a better relation with the [...]

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Veronica Nataniel Macamo Dlhovo: Speaker of the Assembly, Mozambique

Democratic accountability should be an antidote for the world crisis, for it promotes the construction of a more liberated society, where the human being is the epicenter of our attention and where all of us are called upon to reverse the crisis of values before the superiority of the economic and financial power.

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Max Vuyisile Sisulu: Speaker of the National Assembly, South Africa

The time for paying lip service to the need for global democratic accountability is past.  Parliaments can no longer be mere chambers of debate and time worn speeches without bringing about change. We can not call for this change from the sidelines, but must take up the challenge and become activists for change within our [...]

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Jorge Pizarro: President, Senate, Chile

In Latin America, authoritative polls show that only 48%  of citizens believe that democracy is the best form of government.  This phenomenon… is now reaching critical levels which political leaders need to confront.  We need to ensure the legimitacy and representativity of parliaments, which are today called into question by restricted electoral systems and low [...]

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Panel discussion: Millennium Development Goals

Excerpts from the panel discussion: There has been incredible progress towards implementing the MDGs.    More than I had expected when I was at the Millennium Summit.  Meeting the MDGs by 2015 is doable when governments act together and use aid wisely.   (Eveline Herfkens: Founder of the UN Millennium Campaign and Special Advisor to UNDP) The effects of the [...]

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Ene Ergma: Speaker, Riigikogu, Estonia

Internet has given politicians a channel to transmit directly unmediated information. As a result, citizens have been given the opportunity to participate in different stages of the decision-shaping process, allowing influence on the outcome… Virtual politics and social communication are still insufficient to replace traditional communication based on face-to-face social networking. Despite fast development and [...]

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Abdurahim Abdi: Speaker, East African Legislative Assembly

At the United Nations level, my view is that the relevant statutes need to be amended to give room for the participation of parliaments in decision making. For instance it can be made a requirement that every decision of the UN General Assembly or the UN Security Council is subjected to some form of a [...]

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Elizabeth Renner: Speaker, National Assembly, Gambia

There is growing empirical evidence to suggest that there is positive correlation between the absence of a parliament, or a non-functioning or vibrant parliament, and failed states.

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Nabih Berry: Speaker, National Assembly, Lebanon

The parliamentary role could also be strengthened through the promotion of the concept of democracy as a lifestyle and not merely a procedural process, through the promotion of education for democracy in every country…  and by enabling women to participate fully in political, economic, social and cultural life.

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Heng Samrin: President, National Assembly, Cambodia

Cambodia has been strictly adhering to the principle of strengthening accountability, democracy, pluralism, and respect for human rights which are the necessary elements for the sustainable development of the country… The important roles of opposition parties, representatives of ethnic minorities, and civil society are a needful part of democracy for the purpose of national construction.

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Summary – progress since the 2005 Speakers’ conference

Opening the conference, the IPU President alluded to the time, ten years previously, when he had been President of the UN General Assembly at the time of the Millennium. The moment had been a pivotal one for parliaments seeking a voice in international affairs, and he had helped ensure that they were not forgotten in the [...]

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Barbara Prammer: Speaker, National Council, Austria

All who are assembled today have the responsibility to promote human rights at home in our own countries.  Without credible efforts in this respect by those who speak in our midst, all the nice speeches on human rights and women’s rights, on development, peace and democracy must be judged as empty talk. 

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Wu Bangguo: Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, People’s Republic of China

Delivering on the UN Millenium Development Goals is a solemn pledge of the international community, an important measure to uphold dignity, equality and fairness of mankind, and the most urgent and most important issue that needs to  be addressed if we want to realize common development.

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Bernard Accoyer, President, National Assembly, France

Years ago, the National Assembly was known as a house without windows because of its lack of openness towards the outside world. However, like those who have preceded me, I aim to turn it into a glass house where my fellow citizens can peer deep into the arcane workings of the law factory.

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