ParlAmericas shares experiences in a webinar on regional inter-parliamentary cooperation for digital transformation
On Friday, August 28, Bússola Tech, a Brazilian organization that promotes the exchange of experiences and initiatives for bringing citizens and their representatives closer with the aid of technology, organized the webinar “Regional Inter-parliamentary Cooperation for Digital Transformation” to discuss experiences, challenges and opportunities in developing strategies for expanding the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) that could foster collaboration and synergy between parliaments. Webinar panelists were Ms. Alisha Todd, Director General of ParlAmericas, Mr. Marcio Coimbra, Executive Director of the Interlegis program of the Federal Senate of Brazil, and Mr. Fábio Almeida, Public Policy Manager at Bússola Tech. The panel was moderated by Mr. Luís Kimaid, Executive Director of Bússola Tech.
Presentations stressed the importance of both regional and local cooperation between parliaments in sharing experiences and challenges related to progress made in order to continue their legislative tasks remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, thereby promoting digital transformation. Panelists highlighted the various forums and international efforts made to foster this collaboration, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Open Government Partnership, and ParlAmericas. Ms. Todd shared her thoughts on the webinar, saying, “We are currently living an unprecedented crisis where parliaments’ roles of representation, legislation and oversight are more important than ever, as governments need to respond quickly and effectively to curb this public health crisis and support citizens who are suffering due to its socioeconomic impacts. Parliamentary diplomacy has become a critical tool for legislators to exchange ideas and good practices to inform their work and strengthen their own practices to build an increasingly more open and transparent parliament that responds to the needs of citizens.” Discussions also emphasized the interrelationship between the digital agenda and open parliament efforts adopted in the region, and their potential to increase public participation and build trust in parliament – a key aspect of the democratic system.
The webinar concluded by highlighting the activities that are bringing parliamentarians and parliamentary staff together to implement this agenda and foster innovation, as well as the importance of parliamentary foreign affairs offices or officials working together with these international organizations to harness learning opportunities and create synergy between parliaments.
For more information on the work carried out by ParlAmericas, go to www.parlamericas.org and follow @ParlAmericas on social media.
