Interparliamentary Cooperation
The strengthening of parliamentary institutions is a central challenge in the process of promoting the rule of law and consensus-based participatory management within emerging and consolidating democracies. Interparliamentary cooperation, as practised by the National Assembly, which undertakes initiatives to support parliamentary democracy, plays a direct role in attaining these objectives.
For more than 15 years the National Assembly has been involved in a variety of interparliamentary cooperation initiatives. It undertook such initiatives initially within a multilateral framework, notably by participating in the programs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF), and, subsequently, within a bilateral framework. Since 1996 in particular, it has continued this process by actively supporting the consolidation of parliamentary institutions in French-speaking Africa and in Haiti. It has succeeded in developing and making available its expertise in the interests of parliamentary democracy through a policy of dynamic interparliamentary cooperation.
Within this framework, the National Assembly offers its collaboration to parliamentary institutions in emerging and consolidating democracies in the form of technical support to reinforce their operational capabilities at both the parliamentary and administrative levels, offered through the sharing of expertise and tricks of the trade. To date, more than 50 such initiatives have been undertaken with partner assemblies.
The main sectors of expertise in which the Assembly offers its collaboration include all the parliamentary and administrative services that assist elected Members in carrying out their duties and ensure the orderly operation of the institution of parliament. Activities generally take the form of seminars or workshops geared to discussion, information, training or professional development. They are mainly intended for new parliamentarians and secretaries general, as well as the various public servants assigned to parliamentary and administrative duties. Electoral observation is also a field in which the National Assembly regularly participates.
In order to publicize its expertise in interparliamentary cooperation, the National Assembly makes available to partner assemblies and organizations an information paper entitled L’Assemblée nationale du Québec: un partenaire pour la consolidation de la démocratie parlementaire (The National Assembly of Québec: a partner in consolidating parliamentary democracy).