Value of professional and ethical standards highlighted at OSCE/ODIHR workshop for parliamentarians from South-Eastern Europe

Twenty-five parliamentarians and experts from OSCE participating States in South-Eastern Europe discussed professional and ethical standards for parliamentarians, as well as benefits and challenges of creating a code of conduct for them at a workshop in Warsaw on 5 and 6 March 2013.

“Codes of conduct for parliamentarians help foster confidence and trust among citizens in the integrity and efficiency of the legislative work, as they establish norms of ethical and professional behavior and put in place mechanisms to ensure these norms are observed without prejudice to parliamentarians’ essential role in government,” said Marcin Walecki, Chief of the Democratic Governance and Gender Unit of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

“Ethical reforms and the regulation of parliamentary behaviour are increasingly seen as essential elements to securing public trust in the efficacy, transparency and equity of parliamentary assemblies,” said Zoran Babić, Chair of the Committee on Administration, Budget, Mandate and Immunity in the parliament of Serbia.

During the event, Walecki presented ODIHR’s new background study “Professional and Ethical Standards for Parliamentarians” providing an overview of the practical measures that OSCE participating States can take in promoting ethical behaviour among parliamentarians to strengthen good governance, public integrity and accountability.

The workshop was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), OSCE field operations and the Polish Parliament. The workshop’s participants shared experiences with the Parliament’s representatives, including the Vice-Speaker and representatives of the Polish OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Delegation.