UAE FNC Speaker signs Common Principles for Support to Parliament

Hanoi, 31st March, 2015 (WAM) - Mohammed Ahmed Al Murr, Speaker of Federal National Council (FNC), on Monday endorsed the Common Principles for Support to Parliament during the 132nd IPU Assembly being held in Viet Nam capital of Hanoi from 28 March to 1 April 2015. IPU says the number of parliaments and organizations endorsing the Common Principles for Support to Parliament had been steadily increasing. Adopted at the 131st IPU Assembly in October 2014 and put together by a group of parliaments and parliamentary development entities, and the result of more than four decades of experience on parliamentary development, the Common Principles offer clear guidelines for those receiving or providing support to parliaments. Coordinated by IPU, they aim to improve the quality of the support available to parliaments and to encourage the parliamentary community to work together more effectively when planning, designing and providing support. The suite of ‘Common Principles for Support to Parliaments’ set out below, comprising one over-arching General Principle and nine further focussed Principles, is designed to achieve two main objectives: *Assist partners engaged in the front line of parliamentary support and parliaments worldwide to work together with improved relevance, sensitivity and effectiveness, and, * Enable partners and parliaments to work towards sharing a fundamental approach for the design and implementation of parliamentary support. The Principles are intended to provide an inclusive and enabling framework for partners which: ? Reflects an effective, practical approach to support for parliaments. ? Takes full account of the uniqueness of each parliamentary institution, while recognizing emerging international standards encompassing all democratic parliaments. ? Emphasizes inclusive parliamentary ownership over its development and change process. ? Advances a culture of partnership, trust and mutual respect. In particular, the Principles are designed to promote good communication and co-operation at local, regional, and global levels and to assist in ensuring that partners’ roles and responsibilities in providing parliamentary support are transparent, mutually agreed, and complementary. General Principle Effective parliaments are essential to democracy, the rule of law, human rights, gender equality, and economic and social development. Parliaments require access to excellent technical support in order to contribute fully in these areas. Specific Principles 1. Parliamentary support partners are guided by the needs of parliament. 2. Parliamentary support partners are attentive to the multiple, overlapping social, economic, and political contexts in which parliaments operate. 3. Parliamentary support aims for sustainable outcomes. 4. Parliamentary support is inclusive of all political tendencies. 5. Parliamentary support is grounded in emerging international democratic parliamentary standards. 6. Parliamentary support addresses the needs and potential of women and men equally in the structure, operation, methods and work of parliament. 7. Parliamentary support utilizes locally and regionally available expertise. 8. Parliamentary support partners and parliaments commit to excellent co-ordination and communication. 9. Parliamentary support partners act ethically and responsibly. – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395278672512.html