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Despite young people constituting about 70% of the Nigerian population, they still face exclusion from governance in the West Africa country. To address this, WFD supported the Young Parliamentarians Forum (YPF) in holding an emergency national strategy retreat on rethinking youth development.
In a consultative workshop with the Indonesian Parliament on 21–23 October 2020, WFD brought together parliamentary and civil society leaders to discuss the reasons behind the disconnect and co-create solutions. The forum agreed that there is a persistent public distrust towards the parliament.
COVID-19 could affect a shift towards a surveillance culture. Once introduced, privacy-infringing technologies may be difficult to reverse. The next generation of digital technology and artificial intelligence could enable autocratic countries or those with weak democracies to identify and curb opposition. In democratic countries, there is a need for open discussion on how to prevent the emergence of a public-private surveillance state that compromises the fundamental right to privacy which is a bedrock of a functioning democracy. How parliaments address the concerns around increased surveillance and help to provide consensual solutions to challenges posed by new technologies may determine if they are seen as relevant in the modern age.
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in the Muslim Mindanao, a new devolved administration in the Southern Philippines, was one year into a complex transition period when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Following decades of conflict, the transitional authority in charge of the region faced the same challenges more seasoned governments have been buffeted by around the globe. All the while, a raft of complex governance issues urgently demanded attention too
One of the first joint activities of HUGEN is the piloting the post-legislative scrutiny (PLS) process.
Right before the pandemic closed the airways, in February this year, I had the privilege of speaking at an event hosted by the House of Representatives to discuss the work of their Petitions Committee. The event was attended by the Speaker, parliamentarians and a wide range of civil society organisations and diplomatic agencies eager to participate in discussions on how the Parliament of Morocco can proceduralise public petitions effectively.
Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) and Kaleidoscope Trust are excited to announce the launch of a new programme that will focus on fighting discrimination against women and girls, LGBT+ people and other intersectionally disadvantaged groups. The programme will be implemented in 13 Commonwealth countries.
WFD is working to support women who are at the forefront of the fight for inclusive and accountable democracy in Sudan by helping to ensure that they are as well-equipped as possible to play an active role in formal Sudanese politics.
WFD is supporting the Parliament of Kenya to become a more open, efficient, and responsive democratic institution by implementing the Inclusive and Accountable Politics programme (IAP).
COVID-19 emergency legislation is often fast-tracked, approved without much parliamentary scrutiny, expanding executive powers while limiting individual rights. Can sunset clauses provide a counterbalance by guaranteeing the temporary nature of the COVID-19 emergency legislation? Experience from anti-terrorism legislation suggests that sunset clauses may reinject democratic accountability, but only if there is a high quality and evidence-based review practice.
From nurturing the next generation of Ghanaian leaders, to developing an Inter-Departmental Research and Information group (IDRIG) in the Parliament of Ghana, WFD held an event in Ghana in October 2020 to mark the successful completion of programmes in the country.
How do journalists and citizens find out about these real-world impacts of government’s policy responses to COVID-19? How can we question government for the decisions they make that are impacting us all, particularly our most vulnerable? One answer is: parliamentary committees. These bodies have emerged as the forum of choice when it comes to providing parliamentary oversight of COVID-19 executive action, particularly in Westminster-inspired parliaments in Australia, New Zealand (NZ) and the UK.
WFD’s CEO, Anthony Smith, spoke to Devex about putting democracy at the heart of the UK’s international strategy. He argued that democracy and human rights are a critically important part of the UK’s values and directly relevant to our national interests and outlined a three-pronged strategy for the UK’s democratic strengthening work.
The new European Commission Country Report on North Macedonia 2020 highlights two achievements which were supported by WFD, including the adoption of the Declaration for Active Political Participation of Persons with Disabilities.
The COVID-19 pandemic has left many governments feeling torn between focusing on addressing the virus and ensuring a recovery on the one hand and addressing the climate emergency on the other. WFD believes that, if they are transparent and inclusive, democracies can do both.
