Parliamentarians Gather to Commemorate Open Parliament Day at the Regional Open America Conference
On December 3, 2024, parliamentarians from Latin America, representatives from international organizations, and civil society gathered at the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil to participate in the meeting “Open Parliament and Innovations for the Future” in commemoration of Open Parliament Day. The event, held as part of the Open Americas Regional Conference, was co-organized by the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil, ParlAmericas, and the Open Parliament Global Network (OPeN).
Opening remarks were delivered by Member of the Chamber of Deputies Jack Rocha (Brazil), Chair of the Special Subcommittee on Women in Industry of the Chamber of Deputies; Kristen Sample, Director of Democratic Governance at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) representing OPeN, and Senator Javier Macaya Danús (Chile), President of the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network (OPN).
The meeting featured presentations and dialogues on innovative practices related to transparency, artificial intelligence, and public integrity in the legislative sphere. Sessions emphasized the importance of strengthening the quality of interactions between parliaments and citizens using new technology and innovation, as well as reducing barriers to the participation of women and historically marginalized groups. The closing remarks were made by Member of the Chamber of Deputies Benedita da Silva (Brazil), General Coordinator of Women’s Rights and Secretary for Women; Member of the Chamber of Deputies Jilmar Tatto (Brazil), Secretary of Social Communication; and Member of the National Assembly Luzmila Abad (Ecuador), Second Vice-President for South America of the ParlAmericas OPN.
On December 4, members of the Board of Directors and ParlAmericas parliamentary networks participated in various sessions at the Open Americas Regional Conference. This year’s event took place in Brasília, Brazil, at the Serzedello Corrêa Institute, under the theme “Connection without Borders,” covering thematic areas including collective construction, the power of openness, better lives, and the future is open. One of these sessions, “Open Parliaments: Strengthening Inclusive and Collaborative Participation,” organized by OPeN, aimed to address the contributions of inclusive and collaborative participation between parliaments and society. This session included presentations by Juan Krahl, Coordinator of Citizenship and Government Institutions, Legislative Directory; María Liz Sosa, Director of Open Parliament, Chamber of Senators of Paraguay, and Member of Congress Andrea Villagrán (Guatemala), First Vice-President for Central America of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network for Gender Equality; in addition to working tables led by the parliamentarians present.
Furthermore, the conference also featured other sessions with parliamentary participation that included:
- Senator Javier Macaya Danús (Chile), President of the OPN, who participated in the high-level panel “The Future of Open Government,” offering his perspectives on the vital role of parliaments as catalysts for the principles of openness;
- Member of the National Assembly Luzmila Abad (Ecuador), Second Vice-President for South America of the OPN, who was part of the session “Strengthening the Civic Space for Open Government” and shared her reflections on civic space legislation and the parliamentary role in its strengthening and protection; and
- Member of the National Assembly Roberto Zúñiga (Panama), who participated in the session “How to Ensure Participatory Digital Governance in the Americas,” emphasizing the role of parliaments in strengthening participatory digital governance processes.
Senator Javier Macaya Danús (Chile), President of the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network
“An open parliament can create a cascading effect and promote the adoption of openness principles by other public bodies. The adoption of open parliament practices, both at an institutional and individual level, can generate a more favorable climate for the openness agenda within the State.”
Member of the National Assembly Luzmila Abad (Ecuador), Second Vice President for South America of the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network
“One of Ecuador’s main experiences in strengthening civic space at the moment is the Committee on Transparency, Citizen Participation, and Social Control, which empowers citizens by making public policies known and explaining how processes are carried out, allowing them to monitor contracting or follow up on implementation. It is important that these initiatives consider gender and intersectional approaches to promote the diversity of perspectives in public dialogue and decision-making processes.”
