In the context of the regional Programme on Governance in the Arab States,
the Regional Bureau for Arab States of the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), in cooperation with the Lebanese Parliament, has
organized a symposium for Arab Legislatures in Beirut, 16-18 May
2000.
The symposium aimed to contribute to capacity building of Parliaments
in the Arab countries by better understanding the current functioning,
the needs and the challenges facing Arab parliaments in their transition
towards more representative and more effective institutions of legislation,
governance and accountability. It also outlined the directions for
future work on parliamentary development in the Arab World through
a well-prepared, creative and lively debate among a selected group
of Arab parliamentarians and experts on parliamentary affairs.
The Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS) had been requested
to undertake the research and documentary preparation for the symposium.
The symposium focused on the following themes:
1-
A comparative matrix
and analysis of the constitutional legal and functional framework
of Arab Parliaments.
2-
A comparative analysis
and critical review of the legislative function of Arab Parliaments
as effectively exercised in the different Arab countries, over the
last decade.
3-
A comparative analysis
and critical review of the oversight function of Arab Parliaments
as effectively practiced in the different Arab countries, over the
last decade.
4-
A preliminary agenda
of potential reforms, capacity building measures, support
systems and development program, based on successful regional and
international initiatives that would address the needs and challenges
identified in the previous papers.
The symposium included over forty participants from several
Arab Parliaments as well as parliamentary staff and experts on parliamentary
affairs.
The debate on the four themes
included a presentation of the studies followed by comments by two
discussants. The eight discussants were invited Arab Parliamentarians.
The Arab Parliamentary Union
(APU) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) have contributed to
the preparatory process, through identifying the themes and the
format of the meeting.
Publication:
expected end of 2002
