This dimension covers public participation in the law-making process. Public Public All the members of a community in general, regardless of their citizenship status. participation does not replace or diminish the role of MPs in law-making. On the contrary, it provides MPs with deeper insight into the potential impact of legislation on people’s lives and contributes to more effective laws.

This dimension focuses on parliament’s efforts to increase public understanding of its role and work. In order to maximize participation, the public should know not just where and when parliamentary processes take place, but also how they can participate in and influence decision-making. These efforts, which aim to ensure an active citizenry, should be non-partisan and should promote the basic principles of democracy.

In addition to a sound legal framework for public participation, it is necessary for parliament to develop the practical mechanisms and tools that allow this participation to take place.

The “mechanisms” of public participation refer to systems that, together, provide ways to organize, coordinate and channel public inputs so that they can be taken into account in all aspects of parliamentary processes.

A sound legal framework is vital for enabling and encouraging public participation in the work of parliament. The constitution and laws, as well as parliament’s own rules of procedure, should provide an enabling environment for civil society, academics, experts and the public in general to engage systematically in online and on-site parliamentary work. This framework is designed to encourage rather than hinder public participation.

This dimension concerns the ways in which parliament communicates with and provides information to all the people it represents, regardless of the language(s) they speak.

This dimension concerns parliament’s role in preventing and combating sexism, harassment and violence towards MPs and parliamentary staff. Sexism, harassment and violence, particularly against women, plague workplaces throughout the world. No workplace or environment is immune from such unacceptable behaviour. 

This dimension concerns parliament’s practices and arrangements for creating an inclusive workplace environment. A positive and inclusive workplace can contribute to more effective performance by MPs, parliamentary staff and parliament as a whole. 

If parliament is to be a truly inclusive institution and to perform its representative and accountability roles effectively, it needs to ensure that its workforce reflects the diversity of the community.

This dimension concerns the inclusion of young people and youth issues in parliament’s formal and informal political processes.

This dimension concerns gender-responsive budgeting, which involves the integration of a gender perspective into parliament’s scrutiny and adoption of the national budget.