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Parliamentary administration is a serious business
Notes on the first meeting of Secretaries-General/Clerks of West African Parliaments, 25-27 April 2005, Abuja , Federal Republic of Nigeria
This historic meeting was an initiative of the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) Parliament, in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung1. It was a pleasure for me to attend as President of the ASGP and as a representative of the IPU.
Colleagues in attendance
There was strong representation from the region at the meeting. Secretaries-General/Clerks from the following ECOWAS member states attended: Benin , Burkina Faso , Capo Verde, Gambia , Ghana , Guinea , Liberia , Niger , Nigeria , and Sierra Leone . The Secretary-General and her colleagues from the ECOWAS Parliament also attended, as well as the Interim Clerk of the Pan African Parliament , and a representative of the SADC (Southern African Development Community) Parliamentary Forum2.
Focus of the meeting
The issues addressed by the meeting included:
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Parliamentary administration in West Africa:
– Key elements
– Perspectives of Ghana , Burkina Faso , and Cape Verde
– Evolution of effective administration and
– Role in oversight of the security sector in West Africa
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a sustainable and beneficial relationship between the administrative and political wings of parliament
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ensuring accountability and due process in the legislature: the administration/parliamentarian nexus and
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the need for an association of West African Secretaries-General/Clerks.
Background
As background to discussion if these issues, the meeting acknowledged the impact of:
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issues arising from the growth that follows instability
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the reliance of democratic parliaments on efficient and effective parliamentary administrations
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an understanding of the role of the Secretary-General/Clerk and parliamentary staff
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the close professional relationship between members of parliament and the parliamentary administration and
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different styles of parliamentary administrations.
Contributions
By sharing their experiences and perspectives, many distinguished speakers contributed to the success of the meeting. Following are some extracts that highlight the unique challenges and opportunities facing our colleagues in West African parliaments.
"As seasoned administrators and heads of the Secretariat of your respective Parliaments, my expectations are understandably high that at the end of this maiden conference we would have gone a long way to evolving an African solution to the various challenges facing our individual parliaments."
Keynote Address by Professor Ali Nouhoum Diallo , Speaker of the Community Parliament ECOWAS
"We can work towards the establishment of a unique West African form of Parliamentary Administration. … Past political upheavals … have come and hopefully gone forever. It is left for us to put in place strong and enduring pillars upon which our new found freedom can rest. The unification of Parliamentary administration is one such pillar."
Address by Mrs Halima Ahmed , Secretary-General, ECOWAS Parliament
"[ F ]requent dissolution has greatly affected the growth of parliamentary procedures and practice. Since democratically elected Parliaments represent the people, each Parliament should be served by competent administrative systems so as to ensure efficient and proper functioning of the legislative process. Parliamentary administration is thus a serious business, deserving of serious attention."
Address by Professor Jerry Gana , Chairman, Opening ceremony of the Conference
"The coordinators (Clerks) of our national assemblies are surely most suitable to begin the search for the means of coordinating the legislative process in order to increase our collective capacities to deal with the problems of poverty, disease, hunger and conflicts afflicting our sub-region. … While public bureaucracies survived the military rule, parliamentary administrations came to an end with the end of civil rule in the 1960s. Parliamentary administration in West Africa , therefore, is a new, unique and special kind of public administration."
Dr P.P. Izah , Ahmadu Bello University
"How can the professional administrator, tutored in administrative procedures and management of human and material resources, an adherent to depoliticized bureaucratic ethos, work in concert with the elected politician who has several interests to protect…"
Dr R Ayo Dunmoye , Ahmadu Bello University
I believe the hope expressed by Professor Ali Nouhoum Diallo at the outset of the conference is on the way to becoming a reality. My own perspective is that effective parliamentary administration requires some recognition of: the doctrine of separation of powers and the independence of the Parliament; Parliament's financial autonomy; control of the parliamentary precincts and the meeting place of the legislature; the general organisation set-up of parliamentary administration; the independence of parliamentary staff; and the observance of parliamentary values, complemented by compliance with codes of conduct by parliamentary staff.
Role of the IPU and ASGP
We are mindful of the significant responsibilities faced by secretaries-general. But it is important to note there are significant resources available to assist us. The IPU and the ASGP complement each other when it comes to strengthening parliamentary capacity: the IPU mobilises resources from the international community and the ASGP provides technical expertise. We all benefit when we come together to exchange ideas and experiences, and to adapt these ideas to the practices and circumstances of our own administrations.
Outcomes
There were substantial results from the meeting. Delegates resolved that, to ensure a significant improvement in the functioning of parliaments:
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a proper working environment is necessary, bearing in mind the relationship between the political and administrative elements of parliaments
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a harmonized West African model should be established, to eliminate differences in parliamentary administrations in the sub-region
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staff training and retraining should be encouraged
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an Institute of Parliamentary Administration should be established, to train parliamentary staff in the sub-region
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the Association of Secretaries General/Clerks of West African Parliaments is established and
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an interim Executive Council is established and will prepare a draft constitution and rules of procedure for adoption by the Association.
Conclusion and next meeting
Delegates thanked the ECOWAS Parliament and its Secretary-General and staff; Friedrich Ebert Stiftung for its financial support; and representatives from the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the National Assembly. The next meeting will be held in Abuja before the end of October 2005.
Ian Harris
ASGP
President
August 2005
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