DOCSLIB.ORG

Parliament's Role in Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Parliament's Role in Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals Parliament’s Role in Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): The Case Study of Afghanistan Abstract The United Nations 2030 Agenda is a global framework, a transformative and universal agenda with an overarching imperative of ‘leaving no one behind’ for sustainable development. While requires each country to ensure financing and effective implementation by incorporating SDGs into the national policies, parliaments play an important role in the localization, implementation, and monitoring of these goals. In Afghanistan, these “Global Goals” have to be refined to fit the local context and align with the government national priorities and development frameworks, which Afghanistan’s Parliament have an opportunity, and a constitutional responsibility, to play a significant role in localizing, supporting and monitoring SDGs implementation. This paper tries to identify what important role Afghanistan’s Parliament, as the supreme law-making and oversight body of the executives, can play I) to design and implement the sustainable development policies, laws, and budgets and II) ensure effective monitoring and implementation of these global targets. Based on examples of good practice, the article also presents tangible recommendations and urges the Parliament of Afghanistan to upscale action related to improving efficiency in the achievement of the SDGs in Afghanistan. Keywords Sustainable, Development, Parliament, Constitution, Government, MPs Introduction Sustainable peace and development are crucial to the future of the planet and humanity. This vision is laid out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda), which aims to to end poverty, protect the planet for current and future generations and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030 (GOPAC, UNDP & IDB, 2015). The agenda, a holistic, universal, transformative, 15-year global plan of action adopted by the United Nations member States in 2015, calls all countries to translate the ambitious and transformative Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into national priorities and to engage civil society actors, the private sector, academia and science in the quest for a world in which “leaving no one behind and all human beings can fulfil their potential in dignity and equality” (ParAmericas & UNDP, 2019). As the elected representatives of the people, MPs have an important role to play in driving forward people- centred development that is reflective of and responsive to the needs of their constituents (UGMP, 2017). In recent decades, there has been increasing recognition of the importance of engaging parliamentarians in efforts to advance sustainable development (GOPAC, UNDP & IDB, 2015). The SDGs do not replace the work that the Parliament is already doing in support of national development. Instead, they provide a framework and excel the process to focus efforts at the national level on people’s prosperity and well-being (Fiji & UNDP, 2019). They are an opportunity for the Parliament to contribute to better development outcomes for the citizens. Through their constitutional mandates and their efforts to enact laws, adopt budgets, and monitor accountability,parliaments play a strategic role in ensuring that governments effectively implement global commitments at the national level (Bellorini et al, 2018). Engaging the Afghan Parliament in the implementation, follow up and review of the 2030 Agenda is critical to achieving the SDGs. The Parliament has an opportunity, and a constitutional responsibility, to play a significant role in supporting and monitoring SDG implementation in Afghanistan. By making laws and overseeing government policies including enacting the government budget and representing the views of their constituents, parliamentarians are valuable partners in ensuring the inclusive, participatory, and transparent governance which is necessary for achieving the SDGs in Afghanistan (Par Americas & UNDP, 2019). The Agenda 2030 Declaration acknowledges the “essential role of national parliaments through their enactment of legislation and adoption of budgets, and their role in ensuring accountability for the effective implementation of our commitments (UN General Assembly,2015).” Each one of these responsibilities plays an important part in parliament’s role regarding their responsibilities to the 2030 Agenda ( E. Mulholland,2017). Only through the mentioned responsivities can Afghan Parliament improve their efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda and have a chance at meeting the SDGs. The main goal of the study is to reveal the role of Afghan Parliament in SDG monitoring and their contribution to the successful implementation in Afghanistan. This paper will seek to determine what actions Parliament of Afghanistan and parliamentarians should take in order to deal with this ambitious agenda and the highly integrated and interrelated nature of the SDGs. This paper will look at the UN documents, 2030 Agenda documents and constitution of Afghanistan regarding how they see the role of the Parliament when it comes to implementation and the SDGs. Finally, based on selected existing good practices, the paper offers a series of recommendations and urges parliaments to upscale their action to support the success of SDGs in Afghanistan. Sustainable Development Goals and Parliaments Parliaments as a national independent body play an essential role in ensuring the implementation and monitoring of and compliance with international commitments at the national level. They are, in essence, the institutions formally in charge of making governments accountable for their international commitments and are at the very suitable position to ensure democratic governance as well as quality of development (GOPAC, UNDP & IDB, 2015). The role of parliaments in achieving the SDGs has been widely recognized by the United Nations. Notably, based on the Declaration of the 2030 Agenda, national parliaments have three main responsibilities when it comes to implementing the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs: 1) pass laws that will aid their country in fulfilling the SDGs; 2) approve budgets that allow their government and government agencies to carry out the actual implementation of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs; and 3) hold government agencies accountable to their implementation responsibilities by demanding and reviewing reports on implementation mechanisms, monitoring, and indicators (Fitsilis, Fotios & De Vrieze, 2019). Therefore, these responsibilities are an integral part towards successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Examples of Good Practices Recently, the National Assembly of Mali and the Senate of Zimbabwe set up a committee exclusively dedicated to the SDGs. The Malian committee adopted a detailed plan of action outlining the various steps that the parliament should take to oversee implementation of the SDGs. The National Assembly of Suriname organized several hearings to discuss SDGs implementation (Inter-Parliamentary Union and UNHRC, 2019). The Parliament of Pakistan has established an SDG Secretariat to provide technical assistance to the parliamentarians to effectively oversee, address the legislative gaps and ensure the rights of their respective constituents (UNDP, 2018). In addition, the Speaker of the National Assembly established parliamentary task forces at federal and provincial levels to oversee and support legislation supporting the SDGs (Arelys Bellorini et al, 2018). To enhance the legislative and oversight roles of parliamentarians on implementation of SDGs in Nigeria, two SDG select committees were established– in the Senate and in the House of Representatives. (UNDP, 2018) Parliament of Germany has established the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Sustainable Development with each legislature. With responsibilities for monitoring and supporting the Federal Government’s National Sustainability Strategy as well as monitoring and supporting the Federal Government’s sustainability policy at the European level (Datta and Rabbany, 2016). Parliamentary System in Afghanistan The 2004 Constitution defines a bicameral parliament with a Senate (Mishrano Jirga) and a House of Representatives (Wolesi Jirga). The Constitution designates this bicameral parliament as the supreme legislation organ in Afghanistan that should represent the entire nation (Pasarlay and Mallyar, 2019). Like many legislation organs in the world, the Afghan parliament has three fundamental duties: (1) to represent the views of the entire nation; (2) to draft and approve laws; and (3) to check, control and supervise the exercise of executive power (Constitution of Afghanistan, art 100). More specifically, the parliament (both the WJ and the MJ) has the power to ratify, modify, or abrogate laws and legislative decrees; approve social, cultural and economic development programs; approve the state budget, create, modify or abolish administrative units and ratify international treaties and conventions (Constitution of Afghanistan, art 90) . In addition, as part of their oversight duties, the Constitution grants both houses of the parliament the power to question any government minister about special issues, and the minister can provide written or oral responses (Pasarlay and Mallyar ,2019). SDGs and Law Making The National Assembly has three main functions. The first is the Assembly’s legislative function that gives it the power to pass legislation and control over the national budget. The legislative process is laid out in Articles 94 to 100 of the Constitution (Pasarlay and Mallyar,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Legislative Chambers: Unicameral Or Bicameral?
    Legislative Chambers: Unicameral or Bicameral? Legislative Chambers: Unicameral or Bicameral? How many chambers a parliament should have is a controversial question in constitutional law. Having two legislative chambers grew out of the monarchy system in the UK and other European countries, where there was a need to represent both the aristocracy and the common man, and out of the federal system in the US. where individual states required representation. In recent years, unicameral systems, or those with one legislative chamber, were associated with authoritarian states. Although that perception does not currently hold true, there appears to be a general trend toward two chambers in emerging democracies, particularly in larger countries. Given historical, cultural and political factors, governments must decide whether one-chamber or two chambers better serve the needs of the country. Bicameral Chambers A bicameral legislature is composed of two-chambers, usually termed the lower house and upper house. The lower house is usually based proportionally on population with each member representing the same number of citizens in each district or region. The upper house varies more broadly in the way in which members are selected, including inheritance, appointment by various bodies and direct and indirect elections. Representation in the upper house can reflect political subdivisions, as is the case for the US Senate, German Bundesrat and Indian Rajya Sabha. Bicameral systems tend to occur in federal states, because of that system’s two-tiered power structure. Where subdivisions are drawn to coincide with other important societal units, the upper house can serve to represent ethnic, religious or tribal groupings, as in India or Ethiopia.
    [Show full text]
  • Factors Influencing Circumcision of Young Males in Harare, Zimbabwe. Candidate: Kudzaishe Mangombe Student Number: 24903345 Thes
    FACTORS INFLUENCING CIRCUMCISION OF YOUNG MALES IN HARARE, ZIMBABWE. CANDIDATE: KUDZAISHE MANGOMBE STUDENT NUMBER: 24903345 THESIS SUBMITTED IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN DEMOGRAPHY AND POPULATION STUDIES IN THE FACULTY OF HUMAN AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, NORTH-WEST UNIVERSITY (MAFIKENG CAMPUS), SOUTH AFRICA PROMOTER: PROFESSOR ISHMAEL KALULE-SABITI CO-PROMOTER: PROFESSOR ACHEAMPONG YAW AMOATENG DATE: APRIL 2017 DECLARATION I hereby declare that, except for references to other research works which have been duly acknowledged, this thesis is the results of my own research and it has not been submitted elsewhere either in part or wholly for another degree. Signature ………………………………………………. Kudzaishe Mangombe (Candidate) Date…………………………………………………….. i DEDICATION I dedicate this work to my family and friends ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I thank the Almighty God for granting me abundant grace, wisdom and strength to withstand and overcome all challenges throughout this difficult journey. I would like to thank my principal Supervisor Professor Ishmael Kalule-Sabiti for his encouragement, wisdom, his moral support, and his constructive criticism from the smallest piece of my work. I am also indebted to my co-supervisor Acheampong Yaw Amoateng, whose passion for rigorous and meaningful research always encouraged me towards excellence. I am thankful for those who supported me for my fieldwork. I received financial support from North-West University -Mafikeng Campus, South Africa. I thank my research participants for sparing their precious time. Most importantly, I extend my sincere thanks to my research assistants, Tapiwa Chirenje, Washington Dune, Kudzai Ndemera, Josphat Jekera and Tapiwa Mangombe. I also extend my deep gratitude to my friend Kamil Fuseini, for his dedicated work, mentoring me through the quantitative part of this dissertation.
    [Show full text]
  • The Parliamentary Mandate
    THE PARLIAMENTARY MANDATE A GLOBAL COMPARATIVE STUDY THE PARLIAMENTARY MANDATE A GLOBAL COMPARATIVE STUDY Marc Van der Hulst Inter-Parliamentary Union Geneva 2000 @ Inter-Parliamentary Union 2000 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not be a way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold hired or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form or binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent publisher. ISBN 92-9142-056-5 Published by INTER-PARLIAMETARY UNION Headquarters Liaison Office with the United Nations Place du Petit-Saconnex 821 United Nations Plaza C.P. 438 9th Floor 1211 Geneva 19 New York, N.Y. 10017 Switzerland United States of America Layout, printing and binding by Atar, Geneva Cover design by Aloys Robellaz, Les Studios Lolos, Carouge, Switzerland (Translated from the French by Jennifer Lorenzi and Patricia Deane) t Table of Contents FOREWORD ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xi INTRODUCTION l PART ONE: NATURE AND DURATION OF THE PARLIAMENTARY MANDATE I. NATURE OF THE PARLIAMENTARY MANDATE 6 1. The traditional opposition between national sovereignty and popular sovereignty 6 2. The free representational mandate 8 3. The imperative mandate 9 4. A choice motivated by pragmatic rather than ideological considerations? 10 II. DURATION OF THE PARLIAMENTARY MANDATE..
    [Show full text]
  • Foro Crans Montana
    Centro de Estudios Internacionales Gilberto Bosques Foro Crans Montana Bruselas, Bélgica 19-22 de marzo, 2014 Serie Foros Internacionales 15 Foro Crans Montana Bruselas, Bélgica. 19 al 22 de marzo de 2014 “(…) para que África se desarrolle económicamente, primero debe conseguir una verdadera justicia social que pasa necesariamente por la igualdad entre hombres y mujeres”. Amany Asfour, Presidenta de la Alianza Africana para el Empoderamiento de las Mujeres (AFRAWE). 2 Contenido Información general 4 Resumen Ejecutivo 5 Delegación mexicana 6 Objetivos para la Delegación Mexicana que asiste a la reunión 7 El Plan Nacional de Desarrollo 2013-2018: El Tema de Género 8 Foro Crans Montana 10 Programa 11 La Cooperación Sur-Sur en África 26 La situación y el papel de la Mujer en África 36 El papel de la mujer en la prevención y resolución de los conflictos en 39 África ANEXOS Senado de la República. Trabajo legislativo: Mujeres 42 Presidentes (as) de Parlamento en África. 59 3 Información General Embajada de México ante el Reino de Bélgica, El Gran Ducado de Luxemburgo, Misión ante la Unión Europea . Embajador Juan José Gómez Camacho . Domicilio : Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, 94. 1050 Bruselas, Bélgica. Teléfono : (322) 629-0777 Conmutador (322) 6440819 Fax : (322) 6290418 Pág. Web : http://embamex.sre.gob.mx/belgica/ Diferencia de Horario : +7 Horas. Horario de Oficina : de 09:00-13:00 y de 15:00-18:00 horas. Clima . Temperatura máxima 10 C; mínima 24º C (precipitaciones). 1 Tipo de cambio al 11 de marzo, 2014 23. 1.00 USD = 13.2486 MXN Dólar estadounidense ↔ Peso mexicano 1 USD = 13.2486 MXN 1 MXN = 0.0754798 USD 1.00 EUR = 1.38720 USD Euro ↔ Dólar estadounidense 1 EUR = 1.38720 USD 1 USD = 0.720874 EUR 1 http://espanol.weather.com/weather/monthly-BEXX0005 Consultado 11 de marzo de 2014.
    [Show full text]
  • Women Political Leaders Taking Actions to Advance Society Through SDG's" Tokyo, Japan
    DE NikHONALLE A`.;SEMBI.É.F. Juni 2019 Verslag "Women Political Leaders Taking Actions to Advance Society through SDG's" Tokyo, Japan ,„• De Nationale Assemblée Opgemaalct voor: drs. Jennifer Simons mw. Krishnakoemarie Mathoera MPA mw. Aida Nading INHOUDSOPGAVE "Women Political Leaders Summit" - "Taking Actions to Advance Society Through SDG's" 1. Inleiding 2. Onderdeel A verslag exteme activiteiten DNA 3. Onderdeel B verslag exteme activiteiten DNA 4. Session 1: Women and the Role of Asia in the World 5. Session 2: Advancing Society with Women as Political Leaders 6. Session 3: Advancing the world with Sustainable Development Goals 7. Policy-Focus Sessions 1.3 - SDG 14: Environment & Economy - Tackling the issue of Marine Plastic 8. Q & 44: Advancing Tommorow's Leaders A conversation: Health and Women 9. Plenaty Session 1: Addressing Climate Change and Establishing a Recycling Society 10.Statements by National Delegation Leaders 11. Outcome Declaration 12.WPL Summit Programme Verslag WPL Summit, Tokyo Japan 25-27 juni 2019" DE NATIONALF 12019 ASSEMBLEE DE eimi , NATIONALE 1:41,11 / ASSEMBLEE Onderdeel A Verslag externe activiteiten DNA Administratieve, technische en logistieke informatie Reden voor de missie Reguliere vergadering internationale organisatie Anders nl. Type Activiteit A.u.b. Kiezen wat van toepassing is Indien Anders, geef hier dan toelichting Indien anders, graag toelichting Naam van de Activiteit WPL summit 2019 "taking actions to advance society through SDGS" Organisatie A.u.b. Aonkruizen wat van toepassing is Anders nl of invullen indien anders. Women Political Leaders (WPL) Lokatie (Land, Stad) Tokyo, Japan Periode van de activitelt Van: 6/25/2019 ( Het gaat hierbil om de conferentiedagen) Tot: 6/27/2019 Hotel / Verblijf (Naam, Adres, Akasaka Excel Hotel Tokyu Telefoonnummer, Email) Tel.+ 81-3-3580-2311 Email:[email protected] Delegatie afvaardiging Delegatie Voorzitter: SIMONS JENNIFER Leden: MATHOERA KRISHNAKOEMARIE Nading Aida Ambtelijke assistentie De Griffier El 1 DE NATIONM F 2019 ASSEMBLÉE Ambtelijke assistentie O mw.
    [Show full text]
  • List of Participants
    COVID-19 pandemic recovery through a human rights lens: What contribution from parliaments? Virtual global workshop for parliamentarians organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Two half-days spread over two days, Tuesday, 29 and Wednesday 30 June 2021 2 - 5 p.m. (CEST - Geneva Time) List of participants Inaugural ceremony CHUNGONG, Martin (Mr.) Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union BACHELET, Michelle (Ms) United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights SHAMEEM KHAN, Nazhat, Ambassador (Ms.) President of the United Nations Human Rights Council Panelists and Moderators HICKS, Peggy (Ms.) Director of the Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division (OHCHR) BA, Dieh Mandiaye (Ms.) Member of the National Assembly Chair of the Committee on laws, decentralization, labour and human rights (Senegal) DHLOMO, Sibongiseni (Dr.) Member of the National Assembly (South Africa) MASSEY, Chitralekha (Ms.) Team Leader Advocacy and Outreach ESCR, SDGs and COVID-19 SPENGEMANN, Sven (Mr.) Member of the House of Commons (Canada) ODHIAMBO, Millie (Ms.) Member of the National Assembly (Kenya) TAIANA, Jorge (Mr.) Member of the Senate (Argentina) - 2 - HUIZENGA, Rogier (Mr.) Manager, Human Rights Programme, IPU MAGAZZENI, Gianni (Mr.) Chief, UPR Branch, OHCHR Participants Country Participants Afghanistan MOHAMMADI, Bibi Gulalai (Mr.) Member of Wolesi Jirga Algeria BENBADIS, Fawzia (Ms.) Membre du Conseil de la Nation BENZIADA, Mounia
    [Show full text]
  • C 294 E Official Journal
    ISSN 1725-2423 Official Journal C 294 E of the European Union Volume 52 English edition Information and Notices 3 December 2009 Notice No Contents Page European Parliament 2008-2009 SESSION Sittings of 8 to 10 July 2008 TEXTS ADOPTED The Minutes of this session have been published in OJ C 256 E, 9.10.2008. I Resolutions, recommendations and opinions RESOLUTIONS European Parliament Tuesday 8 July 2008 (2009/C 294 E/01) Defence of the prerogatives of the European Parliament before the national courts European Parliament resolution of 8 July 2008 on the defence of the prerogatives of the European Parliament before the national courts (2007/2205(INI)) . 1 (2009/C 294 E/02) Environmental impact of the planned gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea European Parliament resolution of 8 July 2008 on the environmental impact of the planned gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea to link up Russia and Germany (Petitions 0614/2007 and 0952/2006) (2007/2118(INI)) . 3 (2009/C 294 E/03) Stabilisation of Afghanistan: challenges for the EU and the international community European Parliament resolution of 8 July 2008 on stabilisation of Afghanistan: challenges for the EU and the international community (2007/2208(INI)) . 11 EN Notice No Contents (continued) Page Wednesday 9 July 2008 (2009/C 294 E/04) Annual Action Programmes for Brazil for 2008 and for Argentina for 2008 European Parliament resolution of 9 July 2008 on the draft Commission decisions establishing Annual Action Programmes for Brazil for 2008 and for Argentina for 2008 . 19 (2009/C 294 E/05) EU priorities for the 63rd Session of the UN General Assembly European Parliament recommendation of 9 July 2008 to the Council on the EU priorities for the 63rd Session of the UN General Assembly (2008/2111(INI)) .
    [Show full text]
  • Communique of the 3Rd Council Meeting and 2Nd Conference of ASSSECAA,7-9 May 2007, Sanaa, Yemen
    ASSOCIATION OF SENATES, SHOORA AND رابطة مجالس الشيوخ والشورى والمجالس EQUIVALENT COUNCILS المماثلة في أفريقيا والعالم العـربـي IN AFRICA AND THE ARAB WORLD ASSOCIATION DES SENATS, SHOORA ET CONSEILS EQUIVALENTS D’AFRIQUE ET DU MONDE ARABE Communique of the 3rd council Meeting and 2nd Conference of ASSSECAA,7-9 May 2007, Sanaa, Yemen. Under the patronage of his Excellency, Ali Abdullah Saleh, the President of the Republic of Yemen and upon the invitation of his Excellency, Abdul Aziz Abdul Ghani, the Speaker of the Shoora Council of Yemen and Chairman of the Association of Senates, Shoora and Equivalent Councils in Africa and the Arab world; and according to the provisions of the Association's Statute; the second Conference of the Association as well as the third meeting of the Council were held in Sana'a Yemen from the 7th to the 9th of May 2007, with the participation of the Presidents, Vice Presidents and members of the following member Councils /Senates:- 1-Council of the Nation-The Democratic Republic of Algeria 2-Shoora Council-The Kingdom of Bahrain 3-Senate-The Republic of Burundi 4-Shoora Council-The Arab Republic of Egypt 5-House of the Federation-The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia 6-Senate-The Republic of Gabon ASSOCIATION OF SENATES, SHOORA AND رابطة مجالس الشيوخ والشورى والمجالس EQUIVALENT COUNCILS المماثلة في أفريقيا والعالم العـربـي IN AFRICA AND THE ARAB WORLD ASSOCIATION DES SENATS, SHOORA ET CONSEILS EQUIVALENTS D’AFRIQUE ET DU MONDE ARABE 7-House of Dignitaries-The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan 8-Senate-The Islamic
    [Show full text]
  • ICT Policy and Regulation)
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Wits Institutional Repository on DSPACE Name of Degree Masters of Arts (ICT Policy and Regulation) Research Report Regional economic communities influencing Policy: A study Research Title of information communications technology policy (on telecommunication) of four SADC countries. Name & Surname Godfree W Maulana Student Number 515586 Supervisor Dr Kiru Pillay 1 of 127 DECLARATION I Godfree W Maulana, as a registered student for Masters of Arts (ICT Policy & Regulations) for the 2015. I declare the following: Confirmation that this research report is my own work notwithstanding the fact that reference to the other available papers or work relevant to the topic in question was made by me. I further wish to confirm that I am aware of the APA method of referencing as recommended by the University. I am also aware of the University rules and penalties relating to plagiarism. Signature: Date: 09/03/2017 Masters of Arts (ICT Policy & Regulation) Student #: 515586 2 of 127 ABSTRACT In the last three decades’ information and communication technology (ICT) has been a catalyst for an unprecedented social and economic revolution. In part, the revolution can be accredited to the rapid change in technology over the years, while on the other hand it can be attributed to reform changes which include, but are not limited to, the liberalisation of the sector. Countries introduced reforms in the ICT sector via targeted policy changes which facilitated change in the sector. They either formulated policies with the objective to remedy specific issues in their environment or adopted policies guided by the regional bodies.
    [Show full text]
  • Inter-Parliamentary Union
    Const. Parl. Inf. 64th year (2014), n°208 INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION Aims The Inter-Parliamentary Union, whose international Statute is outlined in a Headquarters Agreement drawn up with the Swiss federal authorities, is the only world-wide organisation of Parliaments. The aim of the Inter-Parliamentary Union is to promote personal contacts between members of all Parliaments and to unite them in common action to secure and maintain the full participation of their respective States in the firm establishment and development of representative institutions and in the advancement of the work of international peace and cooperation, particularly by supporting the objectives of the United Nations. In pursuance of this objective, the Union makes known its views on all international problems suitable for settlement by parliamentary action and puts forward suggestions for the development of parliamentary assemblies so as to improve the working of those institutions and increase their prestige. Membership of the Union Please refer to IPU site (http://www.ipu.org). Structure The organs of the Union are: 1. The Inter-Parliamentary Conference, which meets twice a year; 2. The Inter-Parliamentary Council, composed of two members of each affiliated Group; 3. The Executive Committee, composed of twelve members elected by the Conference, as well as of the Council President acting as ex officio President; 4. Secretariat of the Union, which is the international secretariat of the Organisation, the headquarters being located at: Inter-Parliamentary Union 5, chemin du Pommier Case postale 330 CH-1218 Le Grand Saconnex Genève (Suisse) Official Publication The Union’s official organ is the Inter-Parliamentary Bulletin, which appears quarterly in both English and French.
    [Show full text]
  • FAFEN Holds Media Sensitization Workshops on Data Journalism
    Daily Wednesday May 21, 2014 Vol: FN-002/14, Issue NO. 97 FROM FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS TO AN OPEN AND EFFECTIVE PARLIAMENT t National Assembly’s Standing Committees on Water & Power, Information Technology & Telecommunication and Sub- The Senate Standing Committees on Law & Justice and Cabinet Committee-II of the Public Accounts Committee are meeting today Secretariat are meeting today at Parliament House, Islamabad. at Parliament House, Islamabad. ASSEMBLIES IN SESSION Profile FAFEN holds media Ms. Shahjehan Total Time Met Maximum Members Present Member National Assembly Senate 2 Hours 25 Minutes 39 sensitization workshops Punjab Assembly 1 Hour 48 Minutes 102 Balochistan Assembly 1 Hour 13 Minutes 42 on data journalism 505 Pakistanis in Afghan, Syed Abdul Ahad The Parliament Watch and Re- Malaysian jails: MoFA forms Project (PWRP) of the Free and Fair Election Network Our Correspondent as per Malaysian Prison De- ters. During visit to immi- partment, there are around gration detention centers, (FAFEN) has carried out work- ISLAMABAD: The Ministry 320 Pakistani detainees in the detainees were provided shops in Islamabad and all the of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Ms. Shahjehan is politi- the Malaysian prisons and telephone facility to commu- four provincial capitals to sen- has informed the Nation- cally affiliated to PML-N detention centers, out of nicate with their relatives sitize media about the impor- al Assembly that presently and elected to the 14th tance of data journalism in the which 102 are under re- and prison detainees mes- there are 185 Pakistanis im- National Assembly on re- mand while the remaining modern day society.
    [Show full text]
  • Constitutional & Parliamentary Information
    UNION INTERPARLEMENTAIRE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION CCoonnssttiittuuttiioonnaall && PPaarrlliiaammeennttaarryy IInnffoorrmmaattiioonn Half-yearly Review of the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments Welcome and presentation on the Vietnamese parliamentary system (NGUYEN Hanh Phuc, Vietnam) Saudi Shura Council Relationship to Society - Hope and Reality (Mohamed AL-AMR, Saudi Arabia) Public Relations of Parliaments: The Case of Turkish Parliament (İrfan NEZİROĞLU, Turkey) Active transparency measures and measures related to citizens right of access to public information in the Spanish Senate (Manuel CAVERO, Spain) The Standing Orders of political parliamentary groups (Christophe PALLEZ, France) Powers and competences of government parties and opposition parties in a multi-party parliament (Geert Jan A. HAMILTON, The Netherlands) Lobbyists and interest groups: the other aspect of the legislative process (General debate) Legislative Consolidation in Portugal: better legislation, closer to the citizens (José Manuel ARAÚJO, Portugal) The formation of government in the Netherlands in 2012 (Geert Jan A. HAMILTON, The Netherlands) When the independence of the Legislature is put on trial: an examination of the dismissal of members of the party in Government from the party vis-à-vis their status in Parliament (Jane L. KIBIRIGE, Uganda) Finding the structure of a parliamentary secretariat with maximum efficiency (General debate) The Committee system in India: Effectiveness in Enforcing Executive Accountability (Anoop MISHRA, India) Review
    [Show full text]