COPENHAGEN, 23 April 2024 – Yesterday, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly hosted an online event titled "The UK Parliamentary Integrity System: Understanding the Functionality and Lessons Learned."
Irene Charalambides (Cyprus), Vice-President of the OSCE PA and Special Representative on Fighting CorruptionThe event commenced with opening remarks from Tea Jaliashvili, First Deputy Director of ODIHR, and Irene Charalambides (Cyprus), Vice-President of the OSCE PA and Special Representative on Fighting Corruption.
In her address, Charalambides emphasized the critical role of parliamentary scrutiny. "Parliaments are the cornerstone of democracy, representing the voices and aspirations of the people they serve. They must be able to exercise parliamentary scrutiny and operate within a robust system of checks and balances,” she said. “It is crucial to maintain robust integrity mechanisms within our parliaments; without them, trust can quickly erode, undermining the foundations of democracy and the rule of law. This also holds true for Parliamentary Assemblies."
Charalambides also mentioned her sponsorship of a resolution during the OSCE PA's 2022 Annual Session in Birmingham, advocating for a Code of Conduct for its members. However, she acknowledged that achieving a legally binding adoption of such a code remains challenging within the Assembly.
Tea Jaliashvili, Deputy Director of ODIHR, highlighted the United Kingdom's House of Commons as an example of robust, multi-layered parliamentary integrity mechanisms that ensure public accountability and political credibility among elected representatives. "ODIHR is pleased to host this event alongside the OSCE PA, with participation from 19 OSCE participating States, as well as representatives from OSCE institutions. This is part of our ongoing work on strengthening public integrity frameworks in national parliaments," she said.
Commissioner Daniel Greenberg CB, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards in the UK House of Commons, gave a presentation on the UK Parliamentary Integrity System. He discussed his role in regulating the conduct of parliamentarians and overseeing the Register of Members' Financial Interests, which ensures transparency and helps identify potential conflicts of interest.
Dr. Robin James, Clerk of the Committee on Standards and the Committee of Privileges for the House of Commons, also spoke at the event. His presentation focused on the committee's role in maintaining the Register of Members' Interests, handling complaints related to MPs' conduct, and investigating breaches of the Code of Conduct brought to their attention by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. Dr. Robin James illustrated his points with a few cases from the past that the Committee on Standards and the Committee of Privileges had handled.
The event was attended by over 90 participants, including representatives from OSCE institutions and field operations, as well as more than 20 parliamentarians from Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Serbia, and Ukraine.
