As Chairman of
@GOPAC_Eng’s Global Task Force [GTF] on the United Nations Convention Against Corruption [UNCAC] and in keeping with the United Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/72/278 to declare 30 June as such - we commemorate and wish all our parliamentary colleagues and friends, regionally and internationally - a Happy International Parliamentarism Day.
Established to recognise-
- "..the underlining contribution of the legislative institution to the national policies and its roles to enhance transparency and accountability at national and global levels.." -
The observance of this day has become increasingly relevant as ensuring integrity in governance has come to the fore in international events in the recent past.
In no small part as the need has increased for Parliamentarians to remain adamant in their roles - not just as providers of legislative oversight as some might posit is their primary role in relation to the Executive - but as activators where the need arises, to push for more stringent adherence to international best practices as standards of integrity and Anticorruption have been tested in all jurisdictions in recent years.
Defined by observers of governmental systems as-
- "a system in which the [executive branch] is legitimised by [parliament]" -
Such a system displays that most desirable of governance model features - namely that it displays its sophistication by its very simplicity.
The Executive is given the mandate to govern, by being constituted [usually] by members of the Legislature - popularly elected by universal suffrage who form a government that must:
- rely on the Legislature for supply in order to administer its policies.
- are accountable to answer to the legislature for the expenditure of that supply.
- and whose conduct are at all times subject to parliamentary oversight in terms of compliance with international norms of integrity in governance.
This may seem at times high a bar to hurdle. And yet the - task remains ours to embrace and implement and the cause remain ours to propel forward into the future.
So Happy Parliamentarism Day to all.
Propelled by our inimitable Doha Secretariat Staff with the GOPAC GTF on UNCAC, LEGISTrack has been developed.
LEGISTrack is an open-ended Database Tracker for anti-corruption and good governance-related legislations that are being formally proposed, tabled, or passed in the Parliament across the regions in 2023. The tracker is designed to provide GOPAC members with awareness of any legislative initiatives exercised by parliament or by parliamentarians.
For Full information on LEGISTrack click the link below:
gopacnetwork.org/legistrack/
As Chairman of
@GOPAC_Eng Oceania we look forward to our national chapters in the Pacific adding to the entries from Tonga🇹🇴and Australia🇦🇺who have already added their 2023 Anticorruption Bills to the LEGISTrack database.
And finally, we wish Eid Mubarak to our honourable Global Chairman, our Doha Secretariat staff and all our colleagues in Qatar. As we do to all our members worldwide commemorating these holy days.