Context:

During 2019, the EU-funded global project, INTER PARES | Parliaments in Partnership, had a Panamanian dimension aiming to strengthen the capacities of the National Assembly of the Republic of Panama. On that occasion, an effort was made to improve the National Parliament´s legislative, supervisory, representative, budgetary, and administrative functions. Particularly, through strategies strengthening: the capacity of legislative officials, dialogue with citizens and civil society, women's leadership, and lines of action focused on the SDGs. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the alliance between the National Assembly and IDEA was postponed. With this new intervention, IDEA resumes actions to strengthen the legislative capacities of the National Assembly of the Republic of Panama.

General objective:

Strengthen the institutional and civic capacities of legislative democratic processes in Panama.

Specific objectives:

1. The National Parliament better exercises their legislative, oversight and representation functions and improves its institutional systems to become more transparent, inclusive, responsive, and accountable to all citizens.

2. Civil society engages more freely with the Parliament and parliamentary process in a democratic and effective way.

Total cost of the intervention: 400.000 EUR

Amount contributed by the UE: 400.000 EUR

Financing Instrument: Contribution agreement (Thematic programme human rights and democracy – Cushion 2022)

Duration: 24 months

Implemented by: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA)

Expected results:

Under objective 1:

• Output 1.1 Enhance MP knowledge about key policy issues and core parliamentary skills.
• Output 1.2 Enhance capacity of women and youth candidates to participate in the 2024 elections.
• Output 1.3. Strengthen key parliamentary commissions’ competencies.
• Output 1.4 Enhance Parliaments National Department for the Promotion of Citizen Engagement and its outreach and transparency mechanisms.

Under objective 2:

• Output 2.1.  Enhance CSO capacity to prepare and disseminate applied, evidence-based research in ways that support deliberation.

Target groups: National Assembly, Civil Society Organisations