Global Capacity Building Initiative for Parliaments on International Law and Institutions for Sustainable Development

A joint project of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research and the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Context
Achieving sustainable development requires an unprecedented effort at all levels - local to global - and actions to strengthen the effectiveness and accountability of institutions at the international level. It requires collaboration among a wider range of actors, including the private sector, public and parliamentarians.

As emphasized by parliamentarians at the 2003 Parliamentary Conference on the WTO:
International relations are shaping domestic policies, and external relations have become part of the domestic agenda. Without the introduction of substantive and procedural checks and balances similar to those that are usually applied to domestic policy-making, this tendency will inevitably cause a deficit in democracy at the international level.

At the national level, parliaments have a crucial role to play in representing the interests of their citizens, overseeing government and developing national rules and institutions to address poverty, protect the environment and realize international targets for development.

Attendees at the Palais Luxembourg

  

They can also help to promote democracy and equality in international relations. Enhancing the involvement of parliamentarians can contribute to strengthening the democratic character of international institutions, building the coherence of international policy-making and strengthening implementation and compliance at the national level.

Role and objectives
This capacity building initiative will assist parliamentarians to address these challenges and to perform their core tasks of developing sound national legislation and overseeing the executive arm of government. Specifically it will assist parliamentarians to:
  • More fully implement existing international agreements and development targets, such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), into national legislation; and
  • Ensure that new international instruments are representative of, and responsive to, national priorities.

 

GSD Director Durwood Zaelke and Del Picchia, President of the French Senate.

The initiative seeks to contribute to a partnership to "create an environment - at the national and global levels alike - which is conducive to development and the elimination of poverty" (Millennium Declaration). It addresses an extraordinary demand by parliaments for capacity building activities, demonstrated by a needs assessment conducted by UNITAR and IPU of parliaments world-wide. And it provides a practical response to recommendations in a variety of international processes - including the Helsinki Process, Cardoso Report, follow-up to the Millennium Summit and other UN reform processes - for greater involvement by elected representatives in questions of development.

Activities
Activities and outputs of the initiative include:

  • Inaugural conference;
  • Sub-regional and national workshops;
  • Briefings at selected international meetings and conferences;
  • Web and on-line resources and follow-up;
  • Publications and official documents, tool kits and concrete policy proposals; and
  • Networking, focal point designation and institutional development.

From left to Right: Scott Hubli, Director Governance Programs, National Democratic Institute (NDI); Ernst U. von Weizsacker; GSD Program Director Durwood Zaelke

 
Target Audience
The initiative will seek to address the needs of legislators and their technical staff in all sub-regions, through activities at the national, regional and global levels.
Time Frame
2004-2009
Coordinating Partners
UNITAR and IPU, in collaboration with the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development and other partners.

Contact: Ms Berta Pesti at berta.pesti@unitar.org