FeaturedNew tool to enhance the work of Parliaments
In collaboration with allied organizations and under the leadership of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Directorio Legislativo presented today the ‘Indicators for Democratic Parliaments’. This initiative aims at assessing the performance and capacities of parliaments so that they can improve their democratic quality.
This evaluation tool, whose design took several years, consists of 25 indicators that aim to help parliaments identify their strengths, weaknesses and potential areas for improvement. They cover all aspects of parliamentary life and can be applied in all types of parliaments and political contexts.
The Indicators, available at www.parliamentaryindicators.org, allow for the analysis of different issues pertaining to lawmaking, budgeting, electoral integrity, as well as gender mainstreaming, to name a few. Likewise, they align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 16.6 and 16.7, aspiring to create effective, transparent, accountable, and representative institutions, as well as inclusive, participatory and responsive.
While it is expected for parliaments themselves to assess their own performance using the Indicators –and subsequently to design actions for its strengthening–, the tool is also available for civil society, since it plays a fundamental role in monitoring and working together with institutions.
On this matter, during the launch event, the global executive director of Directorio Legislativo, María Baron, emphasized: “We can use these assessment criteria as a tool for advocacy and to promote necessary reforms, something key in our work as civil society”.
The ‘Indicators for Democratic Parliaments’ were developed through a joint initiative led by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). Directorio Legislativo is one of the partner organizations, along with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Inter Pares / IDEA International, the National Democratic Institute (NDI), UN Women, and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD).