OSCE Mission welcomes Georgian Parliament's new Code of Conduct for public trust

TBILISI, 12 October 2004 - The Head of the OSCE Mission to Georgia today welcomed the Georgian Parliament's adoption of its new Code of Conduct as another step towards strengthened democratic values and public accountability.

"I recognize the Parliament's wish to enhance its organizational capacity and transparency," said Ambassador Roy Reeve, Head of the OSCE Mission.

"The Mission has supported the development of the Code of Conduct and believes it is an important tool for increasing both public trust and the credibility of the Parliament."

The Code establishes principles and ethical norms to govern the behaviour of parliamentarians. It provides a set of benchmarks for the public to measure the performance of their elected representatives.

In response to calls from Parliament to provide assistance to the continuous reform processes, the OSCE Mission financially supported the development of the Code, which was implemented by the non-governmental organization, Transparency International. Discussion on guidelines specified in the Code involved a wide range of members of parliament and experts.

"The drafting and signing of this Code clearly demonstrates that Georgia is committed to democracy and accountability," said Parliamentary Speaker Nino Burjanadze. "We have looked at Codes adopted by other OSCE participating States and are taking full advantage of the wealth of best-practice experience."

In confirming future work with the Parliament on reform initiatives, Ambassador Reeve continued: "The Mission and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will organize in 2005 a visit of experts, who will work with their Georgian partners and identify the nature of the technical assistance needed to implement further reform."