5th ODIHR/TI Political Integrity Bootcamp on Civil Society Interventions to Enhance Parliamentary Oversight
When
Where
Organized by
The 5th Political Integrity Bootcamp on Civil Society Interventions to Enhance Parliamentary Oversight is a joint endeavor of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Transparency International (TI), which aims to enhance shared capacities to promote political integrity and speak about the important role of different stakeholders, including civil society, in enhancing parliamentary oversight. The event follows four successful yearly editions, starting from 2019, which covered topics from money in politics to global trends in undue influence.
The event will bring together representatives of ODIHR and Transparency International Chapters, members of parliaments and representatives of oversight agencies from across the OSCE region, as well as participants from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, OSCE field operations and other experts to exchange experiences, gain knowledge and develop specific tools to effectively advocate for and support parliaments in enhancing their oversight functions in OSCE participating States.
Training structure
The training consists of two parts, to take place online on 31 October and 1 November 2023 and in Warsaw, Poland, on 7 and 8 November 2023.
The online part will include an expert panel discussion entitled “Parliamentary Oversight in Times of Democratic Stagnation”, with speakers from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Transparency International, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. The discussion will focus on strategies to support the resilience and effectiveness of parliamentary oversight amid global trends of democratic backsliding.
The second part, at the ODIHR headquarters in Warsaw, will be an opportunity for participants to exchange experiences and good practices from their respective national contexts, and draw recommendations on strengthening parliamentary oversight. This part will include three modules:
- An Introduction to Parliamentary Accountability
- Assessing Parliamentary Oversight: Approaches & Tools
- Strengthening Parliamentary Oversight
Background
Parliamentary oversight is a key component of democratic accountability. Through their oversight functions, parliaments have a mandate to hold governments to account at all times. But with democratic standards stagnating globally amid ongoing crises and instability, government systems have come under increased scrutiny of fast-track legislation and policies with too little consultation and limited parliamentary debate, while democratic mechanisms are being eroded, whether due to corrupt actors dismantling political processes, political polarization or election results being questioned to weaken trust in government systems.
Participation
Participation in this event is by invitation only. If you have any questions, please contact Yulia Netesova, ODIHR Chief of Democratic Governance and Gender Unit, at Yulia.Netesova@odihr.pl.