Promoting parliamentary transparency and accessibility in Panama

The morning session featured a technical workshop for more than forty staff members of the National Assembly. The session began with a virtual presentation by Marcelo Vera, an expert from International IDEA, who discussed trends in transparency across Latin America. Virginia Carmona, executive secretary of the Chilean Congress’s AI Commission, and Víctor Neciosup, a parliamentary specialist from the Peruvian Congress, shared best practices from their respective countries.

In the afternoon, the seminar “Transparency and Accessibility in Parliaments: Experiences and Best Practices in Latin America” took place. The event began with a testimonial from Chilean Senator Fabiola Campillai, who shared her experience as a person with a disability via video. In her remarks, she emphasized the urgency of adapting legislative environments to ensure the full participation of all people.

The regional panel concluded with a review of the national cases from Chile, Peru, and Panama, led by international guests Virginia Carmona and Víctor Neciosup, as well as Carlos Alvarado, Secretary General of the National Assembly of Panama.

This event served as the closing session of the Parliamentary Support Project. Alicia del Águila, Panama Program Manager at International IDEA, thanked the European Union for its trust in implementing this project, as well as the National Assembly.

The event was attended by the European Union Ambassador, Izabela Matusz; members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Panama; members of the National Assembly; and officials from the Electoral Tribunal and the Office of the Electoral Prosecutor General, among others.

This initiative was organized by International IDEA’s Panama program, in partnership with the National Assembly of Panama and with funding from the European Union.