An IPU team has completed a mission to Egypt, assessing the needs of the country’s parliament for the next phase of its development. The team explored a wide number of areas, including how to strengthen MPs in all aspects of their work, how to empower female and young members and the establishment of a parliamentary training institute. The institute would boost good procedure by improving staff efficiency and increasing MPs’ knowledge of parliamentary techniques and topical themes, as well as improving cooperation with other parliaments.
While in Egypt, the mission also looked at how to further improve key parliamentary services such as library facilities, documentation and Information and Communications Technology (ICT), as well as the parliament’s structure and its relationships with the executive, citizens and outside organizations.
The team members, who included Australian, British, Egyptian and French experts, will discuss their findings at the forthcoming IPU Assembly in Zambia, before releasing a full report in April. A fully-fledged programme of assistance will then be developed.
Last month the Egyptian Speaker, Ali Abd Elall Sayed Ahmed, signed an agreement with IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong, under which IPU will continue to provide assistance to the Egyptian Parliament. IPU has been working with Egypt since 2014, delivering priority assistance during the run-up to the establishment of a fully-fledged parliament. Activities have included training for parliamentary staff, advisory support and recently an induction programme for the new MPs after their election. The new parliament has nearly 600 members, 15 per cent of them women and 29 per cent aged between 25-45 years.
