On 29 and 30 April, the IPU and the Parliament of Sierra Leone organized a national seminar in Freetown for local parliamentarians. The seminar was part of a broader, two-year IPU project to support parliaments in English-speaking Africa in their efforts to promote inclusive political processes, institutional reform and reconciliation.
 |
Since the end of the war in 2002, the human rights situation and the reconciliation process in Sierra Leone have continued to improve with the concerted effort of the Government, the Parliament, the Human Rights Commission, civil society and the United Nations. However, much more needs to be done to ensure full implementation of the priorities for action that the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission's identified in its final report.
Participants at the seminar agreed on a package of measures to strengthen Parliament’s contribution to raising awareness about human rights standards, promoting a human rights culture and ensuring accountability when human rights abuses take place. They formulated concrete steps to ensure the full integration of the youth into society, in particular by ensuring that youngsters were given the skills and financial means to have a productive life as early as possible. Recommendations for parliamentary action also centred on promoting the highest ethical standards and eliminating corruption in the public service and society at large. A special section of the recommendations commits members of parliament to ensuring that a comprehensive development vision is put in place and fully implemented.
For that to happen, the Parliament of Sierra Leone should be further strengthened, both internally and in its interaction with other stakeholders. The parliamentary action plan that was adopted at the end of the seminar therefore also recommends that the necessary funding be set aside for the immediate implementation of the Parliamentary Service Commission with a view to obtaining basic facilities and services for parliamentarians to carry out their mandates diligently and effectively. The IPU is already committed, as part of its overall assistance to the Parliament of Sierra Leone, to assist the Commission in its endeavours.
To boost the internal dynamics of parliament, participants recommended the creation of a mechanism of dialogue and consultation between key stakeholders in parliament and of a code on the role, rights and duties of the opposition. Participants were keen to promote parliament's outreach through regular constituency visits by small teams comprising members of both the majority and opposition parties. To make cooperation between parliament and civil society in Sierra Leone truly beneficial, and dispel the prevailing mistrust, they recommended the establishment of a parliament-civil society consultative forum.
The IPU will assist, on the basis of a precise timeline and work schedule, the Parliament of Sierra Leone to implement each of these and other recommendations contained in the action plan.
