PARLIAMENT AND DEMOCRACY - Inter-Parliamentary Union

viii I PARLIAMENT AND DEMOCRACY IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
Foreword
Today, more than ever, promoting democracy is at the core of the Inter-
Parliamentary Union’s mandate. Gradually, democracy has come to be recognized
as a universal value which does not belong to any country or region.
The IPU promotes democracy in a variety of ways, ranging from its political
pronouncements - most notably the 1997 Universal Declaration on
Democracy - to its programmes to strengthen parliamentary institutions, protect
and promote human rights and build partnership between men and women
in politics. Underpinning the work of the IPU is the simple idea that a strong
parliament is a vital sign of a healthy democracy. In September 2005, the
Speakers of Parliament who came to United Nations Headquarters from every
corner of the globe stated unequivocally that within a democracy, ‘Parliament
is the central institution through which the will of the people is expressed, laws
are passed and government is held to account’.
The IPU continues to explore and strengthen the relationship between parliament
and democracy. This guide is an ambitious attempt to identify the core
values of a democratic parliament. The guide also describes how parliaments
are putting these values into practice, as they adapt to the challenges of the
twenty-first century.
What is striking is the sense of the common challenges facing parliaments.
These include the changing relationships that parliament maintains with the
public, the media, the executive branch and the international organizations.
Similarly, the representation of all parts of society, men and women, minorities
and marginalized groups is also evolving. Effective representation implies
articulating and mediating between the competing interests of these groups
and guaranteeing equal rights for all parliamentarians, particularly those
belonging to the opposition.
The imagination and creativity in the practices of different parliaments are
evident in this study, which testifies to the vitality of the institution across the
world. It is hoped that the democratic practices outlined in these pages will
inspire similar, or better, practices throughout the global parliamentary community.
This guide does not rank national parliaments or attempt to measure the
quality of their democracy. However, it is an invitation to all to participate in
an open debate on what it means to be a democratic parliament, and how each
parliament can put into practice the democratic values described in the guide.
I hope that, with the help of parliaments and the IPU, this debate will gain