ODIHR unveils its upcoming tool on democratic lawmaking for better laws

Guiding principles for democratic lawmaking were at the centre of discussion at an event organized by OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 9 October at the margins of the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, where ODIHR presented its upcoming tool, the Guidelines on Democratic Lawmaking for Better Laws.

The Guidelines are designed to help OSCE countries bring their lawmaking processes closer in line with human rights and rule of law standards and democratic principles. The tool builds upon ODIHR’s assessments of legislation and lawmaking process in various OSCE states over a period of almost 20 years. It will provide concrete and practical recommendations for policy- and lawmakers on how to draft good-quality laws by improving lawmaking processes. This includes promoting more openness, transparency, inclusiveness and participation at all stages of the legislative cycle.

“We hope that the forthcoming guidelines will serve as an effective instrument to ensure that lawmaking processes are human rights-compliant, accessible, non-discriminatory, gender-responsive and sensitive to the needs of diverse social groups,” said Konstantine Vardzelashvili, Head of ODIHR’s Democratization Department. “Our ultimate goal is to equip decision-makers with a comprehensive toolkit to develop legislation that truly serves the people.”