Parliament to establish “Citizens’ Bureau”

The Speaker and leadership of Parliament will tomorrow, Monday, launch the Citizen’s Bureau, an initiative aimed at facilitating discourse between Parliament, civil society organizations, and the media.

A statement from the Parliamentary Service on 27th July revealed that the Citizens Bureau “will facilitate engagements and information sharing between Parliament and Civil Society organizations (CSOs), Think tanks, and the Media” and “facilitate knowledge sharing and evidence gathering from CSOs and Think Tanks through their research for evidence-informed decisions by Parliament.”

According to the statement, the Citizens Bureau forms part of goal 3 of the Paraliaments 4-year strategic plan (2020-2024), targeting the institutions given the important roles they play in the governance process.

Goal 3 of Parliament’s 2020–2024 strategic plan highlights the need to “strengthen the representational role of and public involvement in the work of Parliament by institutionalizing citizens’ engagement through partnerships with media, CSOs, and think tanks.”

“Through this collaboration, Citizens will play an active role in the legislative process, which will enhance policy and decision-making while promoting accountability and a sense of ownership for national development”, the statement added.

The inauguration is expected to be attended by key stakeholders, including members of the Parliament, members of the Diplomatic Corps, CSOs, the media, and staff of the parliamentary service.