OSCE/ODIHR highlights importance of codes of ethics for parliamentarians at conference in Tbilisi

The importance of a credible code of ethics for parliamentarians in building trust in democracy was highlighted at a conference held in Tbilisi by the Parliament of Georgia and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 19 April 2012.

“Adopting and enforcing standards for parliamentary ethics is essential for any democracy,” said Mikheil Machavariani, First Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia.  

The conference brought together Georgian Members of Parliament, parliamentary staff and civil society representatives, who discussed the importance of developing standards of professional and ethical behaviour for parliamentarians and explored the challenges commonly faced in this process.

Parliament representatives from Azerbaijan, France, Poland and the United Kingdom also participated in the conference and drew on their own experiences in developing codes of ethics.

Closing the conference, Nathalie Tagwerker, Deputy Head of ODIHR’s Democratization Department, highlighted the OSCE’s long-standing support to the Parliament of Georgia and ODIHR’s readiness, upon request, to assist the Parliament in the future.

A summary of the conference recommendations is available here.