Initiative on Strengthening the Role of Parliaments
in Crisis Prevention and Recovery

Overview

Democratically elected representative bodies constitute the legitimate representatives of the people, independent of the executive branch and imbued with the responsibility of overseeing government action. Parliaments are well situated – as the peoples' representatives – to manage social crisis, prevent violent conflict and bring about lasting peace. In many democratic societies, we are generally unaware of parliaments' contributions unless they fail. Parliamentary debate, agreements between political parties, interaction between parliament and constituents, informal exchanges among parliamentarians, and compromises on resource allocation, all contribute to keeping the peace.

Unfortunately, in many countries, and particularly conflict prone countries, parliaments have insufficient capacity to meet these multiple challenges. The international community's peacebuilding strategies must strengthen the democratic development process and, in particular, the role and capacity of parliaments to make a positive contribution.

Likewise, while the international community invests hundreds of millions of dollars annually to support democratic elections as a means of reducing conflict and establishing lasting peace and democratic development, elections represent only one aspect of the democratic process. It is vital for electoral assistance to be backed by investments in long-term democratic development, including parliamentary development, if human development gains are to be achieved, and to avoid the risk of public disillusionment with the democratic process.

In an effort to call international attention to the important contribution parliaments can make and the urgent need for enhanced support for parliamentary development as a key component of crisis prevention and peacebuilding, UNDP, in partnership with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, began to examine the entry points for supporting parliaments prior to, during and following conflict.

The initiative began with a series of almost 30 country-level case studies, the purpose of which was to (i) record and explain the roles that parliaments can play in the context of crisis and conflict; (ii) document the obstacles that prevent parliaments from playing positive roles in conflict prevention, resolution and recovery; and (iii) produce core findings and recommendations to support a set of Guidelines for the international community on enhancing parliaments' roles in peacebuilding and crisis prevention. The case studies were supplemented by five regional papers prepared by researchers. In the summer of 2005, UNDP convened a series of regional roundtable meetings, together with a global study group meeting (hosted by the IPU in July 2005).

In April 2006, UNDP - in partnership with the Belgian Government - convened an international donors conference on strengthening the role of parliaments in crisis prevention and recovery.

For further information on this project, please contact gpps@undp.org