The seventh annual Global Legislative Openness Week (GLOW), held October 21-25, featured experiences and lessons from countries around the world, including Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Nigeria, Uganda, Thailand and Malaysia. Organized by the Open Parliament e-Network (OPeN), GLOW provided an opportunity for fruitful exchanges and conversations aimed at raising awareness on the vital importance of legislative openness, transparency and accountability. The role of parliaments in strengthening democracy and increasing public trust has only gained in importance over the last seven years, in this era of rapid technological advancements and multiple, overlapping global crises.
The virtual and hybrid discussions spanned a range of themes such as combating corruption, leveraging digital innovations, the importance of data and transparency for key regional priorities, and enhancing civic participation. These discussions were also held in different formats like webinars, workshops, regional gatherings as well as interactive panels.
For instance, the week started with events on good parliamentary practices and open government guides in Mexico, as well as a live-discussion in Nigeria regarding national issues with MPs and advocates.
During the week, conversations were also held regarding challenges for legislative transparency in Latin America and instruments and methodologies developed for parliamentary monitoring. New tools in that sense were also announced in Thailand, and conversations were also held regarding Malaysia’s path towards a Freedom of Information Act.
Furthermore, parliamentarians from the Americas and the Caribbean gathered in a regional event to discuss migration in the context of socio-environmental challenges, in San José, Costa Rica. The event, hosted by the Legislative Assembly in Costa Rica, ParlAmericas and FOPREL, allowed for high-level dialogues on the importance of accurate and disaggregated data for improving transparency and strengthening legislative initiatives based on evidence.
With #GLOW24 coming to an end, OPeN renews its commitment towards more open, transparent and accountable parliaments, since they are a cornerstone for achieving more robust democracies. Join us in bolstering open government principles and practices all across the globe!
#OpenParl24
