The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes that sustainable development requires strong governance institutions. In Sustainable Development Goal 16, it states that the institutions of governance themselves need to be effective, accountable and transparent, and that decision-making needs to be responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative. The 2030 Agenda is a powerful call to action that will help to strengthen governance and democracy around the world.
There can be no accountability without parliaments. It is an inescapable fact that the constitution of most countries of the world give parliaments a clear mandate to hold government accountable on behalf of the people. Many constitutions give parliaments formal powers to sanction or dismiss the executive, or individual members of it. Additionally, constitutional and other legal frameworks open myriad avenues for parliamentary oversight of government activity, by questioning ministers, scrutinizing government departments, scrutinizing expenditures and challenging government to explain its actions.
This places parliaments at the apex of a complex network of institutions of accountability. Parliamentary oversight activities bring vast quantities of information into the public domain and provides benefits to the whole of society by making government more effective, accountable and transparent.
About the author
Martin Chungong
Martin Chungong made double history by becoming the first-ever African and the first non-European to be elected as secretary general in the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s 126-year history. With more than three decades of experience and knowledge of parliaments at national and international level, he has dedicated his professional life to promoting and building democracy worldwide.
