MPs and experts explore ways to enhance transparency and public participation in lawmaking in Georgia at workshop co-hosted by ODIHR in Tbilisi

Practical ways to ensure a transparent and participatory legislative process were the focus of a workshop held by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Parliament of Georgia and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), in co-operation with the EU and the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information, in Tbilisi on 18 and 19 December 2017.

The workshop brought together 42 participants, including MPs and staff members from the Parliament of Georgia and representatives of civil society and international organizations, including 27 women and 15 men.

The event built on the findings of the 2015 OSCE/ODIHR Assessment of the Legislative Process in Georgia. The assessment, conducted in co-operation with the parliament, provided an in-depth analysis of the regulations and practices of lawmaking in Georgia and made recommendations for improvement, including with regard to public consultations. 

During the event, ODIHR experts shared examples of good practices in enabling and enhancing public participation in parliamentary legislative activities, including through the use of digital technology. 

“Meaningful public consultations and other forms of public participation are instrumental in ensuring that legislation is both effective and fully compliant with human rights,” said Yuri Marchenko, ODIHR Legal Officer. “The workshop was an opportunity for a detailed examination of practical solutions that the parliament could use to make its work more open and participatory.”

Participants discussed draft amendments to the Parliamentary Rules of Procedure of Georgia, which are being prepared by the Permanent Parliamentary Council on Open and Transparent Governance to enhance public participation in the Parliament’s work.

“The commitment of the Parliament of Georgia to increasing citizen engagement is expressed in an Open Parliament Action Plan, which was adopted in 2017,” said Eka Beselia, Chair of the Legal Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia. “This workshop proved a useful and practical contribution to the current process of operationalizing the Action Plan commitments in the parliamentary procedures.”