Protected: Financial Accountability Series
This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below: Password:
To declare an emergency or not to declare an emergency? That is not the question
To declare an emergency or not to declare an emergency is not the question. Whether or not democracy is safeguarded during the pandemic depends on a separate set of good practices.
Sexual and gender equality: moving beyond myths and fears in policy discussions
This briefing for parliamentarians and policymakers is a resource for informed parliamentary debates on sexual and gender equality. It provides an overview of terminology around LGBT+ persons and their rights. It addresses common myths and arguments used by policymakers and in parliamentary equality debates to maintain the status quo when it comes to criminalisation, access [...]
Five compelling reasons for parliamentary involvement in public debt management
By Geoff Dubrow, Public Financial Management Expert On July 14th, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) released its new brief, entitled “The Role of Parliament in Public Debt Management Weathering the COVID-19 Crisis and Beyond”. Here are five compelling arguments, discussed in the brief, for parliamentary involvement in public debt management. #1: GETTING THE FULL [...]
Policy Brief – The Role of Parliament in Public Debt Management: Weathering the COVID-19 Crisis and Beyond
Risk of debt distress can be analogous to standing too close to the edge of a cliff. Forces beyond out control, such as natural disasters, global economic downturns or falls in commodity prices can push countries right over the edge into debt distress. Indeed, the global economic crisis resulting from COVID-19 has pushed some countries [...]
COVID-19 emergency responses and protecting democratic space
To break the current trends of shrinking democratic space and increased inequality, it is important to ensure that the emergency powers - although vital in protecting health - are not used to shrink the democratic space.
A new communication portal for the Moroccan Parliament
Open parliaments are the cornerstones of democracy. They represent people’s voices, pass laws and oversee governments’ actions. Opening parliaments has many benefits including effective outcomes in key policy areas, better quality legislation and most importantly improved trust relationships between citizens and the parliament. Morocco officially joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in 2018. The House [...]
Sierra Leone Parliament: Holds first virtual state opening globally
Since COVID-19 first arrived in Sierra Leone, the Government has taken key measures to counter the pandemic including declaring a state of public emergency, issuing a ban on public gatherings, and travelling, and suspending all religious activities. In Parliament, the Speaker asked political party leaders to only have half of their members in the chambers, [...]
Strengthening the Parliament of Kenya to effectively promote inclusion and accountability
In Kenya, WFD is carrying out its Inclusive and Accountable Programme (IAP) in partnership with Senate and National Assembly. The programme aims to improve the ability of the Parliament of Kenya to effectively address corruption and promote inclusion and accountability, helping it become a more open and efficient institution that responds to citizens’ needs. Through [...]
Digital by default is a dangerous path for Parliaments
By Victoria Hasson, WFD's Senior Parliamentary Adviser Around the world parliaments are going virtual. But what this looks like, and its implications for the institution’s democratic standing, varies as widely as the impact of COVID-19 on any given country. The dangers of going digital are easy to anticipate and beginning to surface. What is clear [...]
