ModParl: P20 and World News

Dec 19, 2024

Our tumultuous 2024 global “Year of Elections” continues to surprise. We’re watching an impeachment in Korea, annulment in Romania, military dissolution of the government in Burkina Faso, a majority flip in Ghana, and a new supermajority in Sri Lanka. And just this week there was a no confidence vote in Germany, a new PM in France, and rumbles of potential change in Canada.

This month, we highlight the 10th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20), held in Brasília in November. I also cover the launch of Câmara Aberta, proposing reforms to Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies. My colleague, Marci Harris, shares insights from USAID’s recent conference on “legislative strengthening,” where she focused on the importance of digitization and helping legislatures around the world keep pace with a rapidly changing world.

We started the “ModParl” newsletter to help busy lawmakers, staffers, academics, and parliament watchers better understand how their colleagues around the world are innovating and adapting. From AI in parliaments to rising security concerns for legislators, we know that we have so much to learn from each other!

Please share ModParl with your colleagues and feel free to reach out! We are always happy to connect with fellow enthusiasts of legislative institutions around the world.

Beatriz Rey, Ph.D.

#YearofElections Updates

South Korea: Amid mass protests (that in some cases felt like a concert), lawmakers impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol following his imposition of martial law. The constitutional court has six months to decide his fate, with Prime Minister Han serving as acting president meanwhile.
Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a rare vote of confidence in the parliament, triggering an early election on February 23.
France: The French government collapsed in a no-confidence vote and centrist Francois Bayrou was named the new Prime Minister.
Georgia: Lawmakers elected a far-right former soccer player as the country's next president, heightening tensions between the pro-Russian government and the pro-Western opposition.
Romania: The Constitutional Court annulled the country’s runoff presidential election due to evidence of voting manipulation. The government will establish a timeline for a new election in spring 2025. Meanwhile, pro-Western parties won the most votes in parliamentary elections.
Burkina Faso: Capt. Ibrahim Traoré, the country’s military ruler, has dismissed the Prime Minister and dissolved the government. Until a new cabinet is formed, current government members will remain in their positions.
Bangladesh: Interim leader Muhammad Yunus, who heads a caretaker government installed after an August revolution, said general elections would be held late 2025 or early 2026.
Jamaica: The government presented a bill in Parliament to remove King Charles as head of state and become a republic with an expanded Senate.
Ghana: The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) secured a decisive parliamentary majority and the presidency, continuing a trend of alternating power between its two major parties.

Dispatch from Brasília: P20, Procedural Rules Reform, and More

A total of 344 participants, including 127 legislators from various countries, attended the 10th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20) in Brasília in November. The discussions centered on strategies to promote sustainable development and address hunger. Tulia Ackson, president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and a member of Tanzania’s National Assembly, emphasized the critical role of parliaments in these efforts:

“Parliaments bridge the global and the local, creating a critical link between people and governments. Our role is not limited to national boundaries. Parliamentary diplomacy and international cooperation are more important now than ever.”

Ackson also underscored the significance of gender equality in achieving inclusive growth and sustainable development:

“Parliaments can enact policies that guarantee women’s equal access to education, employment, and leadership roles, strengthening economies and communities alike.”

At the conclusion of the summit, parliamentarians released a final document reaffirming their commitment to combating hunger and poverty, advancing sustainable development, and reforming global governance. Ackson called for greater parliamentary accountability, urging her peers to translate commitments into action:

“It is time to bring this joint declaration home and ensure our words are supported by concrete actions.”

Latest news from IAL

The International Association of Legislation (IAL) held its second annual meeting in November. Updates included:

Helen Xanthaki, IAL’s honorary president, called for the JURI Committee of the European Parliament to form a working group to promote a citizen-centered approach to regulation and legislation, criticizing blunt tools like a “one in, one out” approach to streamlining regulation.
The French PM has adopted a new legislative drafting tool, “Edile” that simplifies the creation and revision of legal texts by enabling users to import laws, edit content, and generate standardized legal outputs. It automates tasks like text modifications, re-numbering, and hierarchical organization, ensuring consistency and clarity in legislative drafting.
Poland has introduced online public consultations as part of its lawmaking process, a reform incentivized by EU membership to enhance transparency and public engagement.

IPU resources

The newly released IPU Guidelines for AI in Parliaments provide strategic advice and practical insights to help legislative bodies responsibly harness AI’s potential. Developed by parliaments in the Parliamentary Data Science Hub at IPU’s Centre for Innovation in Parliament, the guidelines include real-world use cases illustrating AI’s role in enhancing parliamentary functions.
The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians reports a troubling rise in cases of human rights violations against legislators, tripling from 311 in 2014 to 956 in 2024, and spanning 55 countries, up from 41. Common violations include undue suspension, restrictions on freedom of expression, unfair trials, and limits on peaceful assembly, with Venezuela and Yemen among the most affected nations.

Parliamentary Track at the Internet Governance Forum

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is a UN-convened platform for global dialogue on internet policy, with the Parliamentary Track focusing on the role of legislators in digital governance. Speakers highlighted the critical role of parliamentarians in translating global frameworks into national policies and legislation, while raising concerns about their exclusion from international processes. The session called for capacity building, practical tools (e.g., toolkits to map GDC priorities), and greater inclusion of parliamentarians to ensure effective implementation of digital agendas at national and local levels. (Read transcript and session analysis)

USAID Legislative Strengthening Conference

The USAID Legislative Strengthening Conference, held December 4-6 in Washington, DC, brought together global leaders, practitioners, and policymakers to explore strategies for enhancing legislative capacity worldwide. A central highlight of the event was the release of USAID’s report on Trends in Legislative Strengthening, produced by the DRG Center. The report identified key trends shaping legislative development, including:

The role of digital transformation in modernizing parliamentary processes
Strengthening legislative oversight to ensure accountability and transparency
Promoting inclusion, particularly the participation of women, youth, and marginalized groups
Building resilience through context-specific solutions to address governance challenges

The conference also featured a notable fireside chat with former House Democracy Partnership (HDP) Chairs David Price [D, NC] and Peter Roskam [R, IL]. The two leaders reflected on their experiences fostering peer-to-peer exchanges, emphasizing the critical role of legislatures in upholding democratic values and strengthening governance globally.

Participants underscored the importance of parliamentary capacity building and tools to implement responsive, citizen-centered policies. The discussions fostered innovative ideas to advance USAID’s efforts in legislative strengthening and reinforced the importance of collaborative partnerships to meet evolving global governance needs.

POPVOX Foundation Executive Director Marci Harris joined NDI’s Moira Whelan along with Bússola Tech’s Luis Kimaid and Director of the US House Digital Service Ken Ward to discuss the role of technology in legislative strengthening.

News from the US: Updates on Modernization

POPVOX Foundation and Protect Democracy have released Where Will They All Sit?, a report examining a critical issue: What physical changes to the US Capitol Campus would be necessary to accommodate a larger House of Representatives as the nation’s population continues to grow? This question highlights existing challenges on the Capitol Campus, which struggles to meet the needs of a modern, 21st-century workspace. The report envisions adding approximately 150 new voting representatives, along with the necessary increase in staff and support. To address this, a multidisciplinary team of designers, social scientists, experts, and stakeholders collaborated to develop seven key recommendations for modernizing the workspace and expanding the capacity of the House of Representatives. The suggestions include constructing a New House Office Building, adding seating to the House chamber, and adding flexible coworking spaces, among others.

Other News and Resources

The House Democracy Partnership (HDP) Global New Member Orientation Manual offers practical tips, real-world examples, and useful resources to help newly elected parliamentarians and their teams get a better handle on their legislative roles.
The UK civil society organization mySociety launched a series sharing ideas for changes to enhance the House of Commons.
POPVOX Foundation Executive Director Marci Harrris compares AI adoption in the US House of Representatives to other legislatures worldwide.
The US Law Library of Congress’ new report, Innovative Technology in Legislatures in Selected Countries, features its first standalone interactive map, showcasing data from 89 jurisdictions in a visually engaging format.
POPVOX Foundation joined ParlAmericas and the US House Democracy Partnership for a webinar series on AI for parliamentary work for Caribbean MPs. (View slides)
Carnegie Mellon Professor John J. Chin writes that Ghana’s 2024 election highlights its role as a democratic bulwark in West Africa, but calls for urgent economic reforms and international support to secure its democracy.
The Latin American and Caribbean Parliament held its 38th Ordinary Assembly to celebrate its 60th anniversary in Panamá City, Panamá in early December.

Events

January 13-14: Third World Summit of the Committees of the Future (IPU, Santiago de Chile, Chile)

January 22: What AI may mean for public engagement with parliaments (IPU, virtual)

February 13: IPU Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations (IPU, New York, United States)

June 13: 4th Global Conference on Parliamentary Studies (Hellenic OCR Team, Athens, Greece)

June 18-20: Inaugural Africa Regional Conference on Parliament and Legislation (AFRIPAL) (Kampala)

June 30: International Day of Parliamentarism/World Parliament Day (Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Worldwide)

September 15: International Day of Democracy (Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Worldwide)

October 19-23: 151st IPU Assembly and Related Meetings (IPU, Geneva, Switzerland)

Tell us your stories!

POPVOX Foundation wants to learn about your experiences in parliaments across the globe. What are examples of progress in your legislative institutions that are happening quietly and would serve as positive examples to staffers from other countries? Don’t hesitate to reach out with your stories: beatriz@popvox.org.

About POPVOX Foundation

POPVOX Foundation is a US-based nonprofit with a mission to inform and empower people and make government work better for everyone. Its dedicated team of former Congressional staffers are united by an enduring commitment to democracy and the legislative process. Through initiatives like the Comparative Legislative Strengthening Project, POPVOX Foundation connects legislative modernizers around the world through a shared passion for public service that knows no borders.

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