Items filtered by date: Friday, 15 September 2023

Dear Colleagues/partners,

I have the immense contentment to release this Statement to the Forum’s Member Parliaments and partners in  view of celebrating the  International Day of Democracy 2023.

On this day, it is essential to recognise that democracy is the single most important pillar for human development. Democracy provides the necessary space for human rights to be progressively implemented and enables the protection of minorities. Democracy is the only form of governance which bestows credence to the will of the people and allows citizens to freely choose their elected representatives to advance their interests within parliaments. Parliaments which embody democracy then provide a framework for accountability and for checks and balances to be exercised on the Government of the day. Whilst Parliaments derive their mandate from the democratic framework, a strong democracy logically translates into a robust Parliament.