The memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Vanuatu Parliament and the Interparliamentary Union was signed by Hon. Simeon SEOULE, Speaker of the Vanuatu
Parliament, and Mr Martin CHUNGONG, IPU Secretary General, on April 17, 2024.
Enhancing the Parliament's outreach to the people of Vanuatu to promote good governance and transparency by using Information, Communication and Technologies (ICT) to improve public access to parliamentary information is one of the objectives of the agreement. This includes increasing public awareness of how Parliament works and facilitating public engagement with the Parliament, as well as contributing to the development and implementation of a public communication strategy.
During the 148th IPU Annual Assembly held from March 23-28, 2024, Hon. SEOULE reaffirmed the Vanuatu Parliament's commitment to the IPU assembly after 4 years of non-attendance due to non-payment of annual contributions.
He mentioned that Vanuatu has faced challenges such as cyclones and political crises, impacting its financial status and causing it to miss important meetings.
The intervention of the Vanuatu delegation at the annual assembly restored Vanuatu's position in the Interparliamentary Union, as confirmed by the IPU Secretary General.
Since 2017, the IPU has been supporting the Parliament of Vanuatu to enhance its ICT skills, starting with an assessment of its needs and the development of an ICT strategic plan.
The IPU also assisted in assessing the Parliament's institutional needs, providing recommendations to improve its operations and outreach efforts. Basic digitalization and storage equipment were provided to digitize and store over 3,110 collections. This project resulted in the successful revision of the Standing Orders of Parliament in 2020.
Additionally, the IPU facilitated the training of ICT staff to establish an e-repository and published targeted documents to enhance citizen outreach. Following the 2018 needs assessment, the Parliament of Vanuatu recruited new staff to strengthen its corporate Services Division and improve its ICT and outreach capabilities. Currently, the ICT Unit in Parliament is composed of 5 Staff.
The IPU also supported the Parliament's outreach efforts by organizing an activity to create a 360-degree tour of the Parliament's premises with guidance from a professional trainer in 2022.
The new cooperation agreement will not only allow Parliament to benefit from technical support but will also enhance the Vanuatu Parliament’s participation in the IPU meetings and address major issues like the ongoing battle of climate change and more.
