United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) held a conference to launch the “Inclusive Civic Engagement in Legislation Making” project 8th October 2008 in Ankara. In partnership with the Prime Ministry, the Association for Parliamentary Advisers (PDD) and the Association for Legislation (YASADER), the project which is funded by UNDP Democratic Governance Thematic Trust Fund (DGTTF), aims to contribute to the creation of an enabling environment for and increased awareness of civil society’s engagement with legislation making by lowering the barriers of entry to participatory and inclusive policymaking and decision-making processes.

The Conference discussed the issue of how civil society can better engage in the legislative process at both the Government and Parliamentary levels.  The Conference was addressed by a number of distinguished speakers including UNDP Resident Representative, General Coordinator of the Human Rights Joint Platform Feray Salman, senior UNDP advisor Simon James and Director of UNDP Oslo Governance Centre Bjoern Forde.

The afternoon workshop sessions concentrated on in-depth discussions about the engagement of civil society in the work of Parliamentary Commissions, the barriers faced by civil society when engaging with the Government and Parliament, and whether it is the role of members of parliament to empower local NGOs.

Please click here to view the programme.

 For further information, please contact Aygen Aytaç from UNDP Turkey Office. (0312 454 1105, aygen.aytac@undp.org)